Business & Productivity
Professional and workplace applications
AI can dramatically enhance professional productivity. This chapter covers prompts for business communication, analysis, planning, and workflow optimization.
AI excels at drafting, analysis, and structuring—freeing you to focus on strategy, relationships, and decisions that require human judgment.
Business Communication
Do's and Don'ts: Business Emails
❌ Vague request
Write an email to my boss about the project.
✓ Complete context
Write an email to my manager (Sarah) updating her on the Q4 marketing project. Key points: We're on track for the Nov 15 deadline, resolved the vendor issue, need her approval on the $5K budget increase. Tone: Professional but friendly (we have a good relationship) Keep under 150 words with a clear ask at the end.
Email Drafting
Write a professional email. Context: - To: [recipient and relationship] - Purpose: [request/inform/follow-up/apologize] - Key points: [what must be communicated] - Tone: [formal/friendly professional/urgent] Constraints: - Keep under [X] sentences - Clear call-to-action - Subject line included
Examples by purpose:
${emailType:Meeting Request}: Write an email requesting a meeting with a potential client to discuss partnership opportunities. Keep it brief and make it easy for them to say yes.${emailType:Difficult Conversation}: Write an email declining a vendor's proposal while maintaining the relationship for future opportunities. Be clear but diplomatic.${emailType:Status Update}: Write a project status email to stakeholders. The project is 2 weeks behind schedule due to scope changes. Present the situation professionally with a recovery plan.Presentation Content
Create presentation content for ${topic:Q4 sales strategy}.
Audience: ${audience:executive leadership}
Duration: ${duration:15 minutes}
Goal: ${goal:persuade to approve budget increase}
Provide for each slide:
- Title
- Key message (one main point)
- Supporting points (3 max)
- Speaker notes (what to say)
- Visual suggestion (chart/image/diagram)
Structure:
1. Hook/Attention grabber
2. Problem/Opportunity
3. Solution/Recommendation
4. Evidence/Support
5. Call to actionReport Writing
Write a ${reportType:recommendation} report on ${topic:expanding into European markets}.
Report type: ${type:recommendation}
Audience: ${audience:C-suite}
Length: ${length:5 pages}
Structure:
1. Executive Summary (key findings, 1 paragraph)
2. Background/Context
3. Methodology (if applicable)
4. Findings
5. Analysis
6. Recommendations
7. Next Steps
Include: Data visualization suggestions where relevant
Tone: ${tone:formal business}Analysis & Decision-Making
AI can structure your thinking, but you provide the real-world context. The best analyses combine AI's frameworks with your domain knowledge.
SWOT Analysis
Conduct a SWOT analysis for ${subject:launching a new mobile app}.
Context:
${context:We're a mid-size fintech company considering a consumer banking app}
Provide:
**Strengths** (internal positives)
- At least 4 points with brief explanations
**Weaknesses** (internal negatives)
- At least 4 points with brief explanations
**Opportunities** (external positives)
- At least 4 points with brief explanations
**Threats** (external negatives)
- At least 4 points with brief explanations
**Strategic Implications**
- Key insight from analysis
- Recommended prioritiesDecision Framework
Help me make a decision about ${decision:which CRM to choose}.
Options:
1. ${optionA:Salesforce}
2. ${optionB:HubSpot}
3. ${optionC:Pipedrive}
Criteria that matter to me:
- ${criterion1:ease of use} (weight: high)
- ${criterion2:integration with existing tools} (weight: high)
- ${criterion3:cost} (weight: medium)
Provide:
1. Score each option against each criterion (1-5)
2. Weighted analysis
3. Pros/cons summary for each
4. Risk assessment
5. Recommendation with rationale
6. Questions to consider before decidingCompetitive Analysis
Analyze ${competitor:Slack} compared to ${ourProduct:our team communication tool}.
Research their:
1. **Products/Services** - offerings, pricing, positioning
2. **Strengths** - what they do well
3. **Weaknesses** - where they fall short
4. **Market position** - target segments, market share
5. **Strategy** - apparent direction and focus
Compare to us:
- Where we're stronger
- Where they're stronger
- Opportunity gaps
- Competitive threats
Recommend: Actions to improve our competitive positionPlanning & Strategy
Goal Setting (OKRs)
Help me set OKRs for ${scope:Q1 marketing team}.
Context:
- Company goals: ${companyGoals:increase revenue 25% YoY}
- Current situation: ${currentState:brand awareness is low in new markets}
- Key priorities: ${priorities:lead generation, content marketing}
Create 3 Objectives with 3-4 Key Results each.
Format:
**Objective 1:** Qualitative goal - inspiring
- KR 1.1: Quantitative measure (Current: X → Target: Y)
- KR 1.2: Quantitative measure (Current: X → Target: Y)
- KR 1.3: Quantitative measure (Current: X → Target: Y)
Ensure KRs are:
- Measurable
- Ambitious but achievable
- Time-bound
- Outcome-focused (not tasks)Project Planning
Create a project plan for ${project:website redesign}.
Scope: ${scope:new homepage, product pages, checkout flow}
Timeline: ${timeline:3 months}
Team: ${team:2 developers, 1 designer, 1 PM}
Budget: ${budget:$50,000}
Provide:
1. **Project phases** with milestones
2. **Work breakdown structure** (major tasks)
3. **Timeline** (Gantt-style description)
4. **Dependencies** (what blocks what)
5. **Risks** (potential issues and mitigation)
6. **Success criteria** (how we know we're done)Meeting Agenda
Create an agenda for ${meetingType:quarterly planning}.
Purpose: ${purpose:align on Q2 priorities and resource allocation}
Attendees: ${attendees:department heads, CEO, COO}
Duration: ${duration:90 minutes}
Format:
| Time | Topic | Owner | Goal |
|------|-------|-------|------|
| 5 min | Opening | Facilitator | Context |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
Include:
- Time allocations
- Clear owner for each item
- Specific outcomes expected
- Pre-work required
- Follow-up action item templateProductivity Workflows
Task Prioritization
Help me prioritize my tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix.
My tasks:
${tasks:1. Prepare quarterly report (due Friday)
2. Review job applications
3. Reply to vendor emails
4. Plan team offsite
5. Update LinkedIn profile}
Categorize each into:
1. **Urgent + Important** (Do first)
2. **Important, Not Urgent** (Schedule)
3. **Urgent, Not Important** (Delegate)
4. **Neither** (Eliminate)
Then provide:
- Recommended order of execution
- Time estimates
- Suggestions for delegation or eliminationProcess Documentation
Document this business process: ${processName:customer refund request}.
Create:
1. **Process overview** (1 paragraph)
2. **Trigger** (what starts this process)
3. **Steps** (numbered, with responsible party)
4. **Decision points** (if X then Y format)
5. **Outputs** (what this process produces)
6. **Systems involved** (tools/software)
7. **Exceptions** (edge cases and handling)
Format: Clear enough for new employee to followStandard Operating Procedure
Write an SOP for ${task:onboarding new employees to Slack}.
Audience: ${audience:HR administrators}
Complexity: ${complexity:basic users}
Include:
1. Purpose and scope
2. Prerequisites/requirements
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Screenshots/visual placeholders
5. Quality checkpoints
6. Common errors and troubleshooting
7. Related SOPs/documents
8. Version historyCommunication Templates
Stakeholder Update
Write a stakeholder update for ${project:CRM migration project}.
Status: ${status:at risk}
Period: ${period:Week of Jan 6-10}
Format:
## Project Name Update
**Status:** 🟢/🟡/🔴
**Progress this period:**
- Accomplishment 1
- Accomplishment 2
**Next period goals:**
- Goal 1
- Goal 2
**Risks/Blockers:**
- If any
**Decisions needed:**
- If anyFeedback Request
Write a message requesting feedback on ${deliverable:the new product roadmap document}.
Context: ${context:This will guide our Q2 priorities, I want to make sure I haven't missed anything}
Specific areas for feedback: ${feedbackAreas:timeline feasibility, resource allocation, missing features}
Timeline: ${deadline:by Friday EOD}
Tone: Professional but not overly formal
Make it easy to respond with specific questionsPrompt Templates from prompts.chat
Act as a Business Consultant
I want you to act as a business consultant. I will describe business situations and challenges, and you will provide strategic advice, frameworks for thinking about problems, and actionable recommendations. Draw on established business principles while being practical and specific.
Act as a Meeting Facilitator
I want you to act as a meeting facilitator. Help me plan and run effective meetings. Create agendas, suggest discussion frameworks, help synthesize conversations, and draft follow-up communications. Focus on making meetings productive and action-oriented.
Summary
Specify the audience and their needs, define the desired outcome clearly, include relevant context and constraints, request specific formats and structures, and consider professional tone requirements.
What should you always include when asking AI to write a business email?
AI can handle routine business communication while you focus on strategy and relationships.