No-Fluff: AI Prompts That Deliver Results

LET'S GET REAL ABOUT PROMPTS

Here's the thing: Most prompts you find online are about as useful as a chocolate teapot. They're either too vague ("tell me about marketing") or too rigid ("give me a 47-point plan with exactly 3.14 sub-bullets").

What you need are prompts that:

• Understand your business context

• Give you usable results.

• Save you time

• Don't sound like they were written by a robot

THE PROMPTS THAT WORK 💎

1. The "Make My Business Make Sense" Prompt

I need a business plan for [your business] that real humans will read. My target customers are [ideal customer description]. My biggest competitors are [list 2-3 competitors].

Please create a plan that includes:

1. A clear explanation of what we do and why anyone should care
2. How we're different from [competitors] in ways customers value
3. Specific ways to reach our target customers where they already spend time
4. Realistic numbers for first-year operations, including:
   - Starting costs
   - Monthly running costs
   - Expected revenue timeline
   - Break-even point
5. Action steps for the first 90 days, broken down by week

Focus on practical steps we can take with a small team a and limited budget.

Extra important: Please flag any assumptions you're making so I can verify them.

Why this works: It forces the AI to be specific and practical rather than spewing generic business advice.

2. The "Understand My Market Without Paying $$$" Prompt

I need to understand the market for [your product/service] in [your location/target market].

Help me understand:

1. Who's already solving this problem and how? Include:
   - Direct competitors
   - Alternative solutions customers use
   - Price points for each option

2. What are customers saying? Look for:
   - Common complaints about existing solutions
   - Features people wish they had
   - What they're willing to pay for

3. Where are the gaps in the market?
   - Underserved customer segments
   - Unmet needs
   - Price point opportunities

4. What could kill my business?
   - Upcoming market changes
   - Potential new competitors
   - Customer behavior shifts

Give me specific examples where possible, and note where you're making assumptions.

Why this works: It focuses on real market insights you can use, not just generic data points.

3. The "Marketing That Doesn't Suck" Prompt

I need a marketing plan for [your business] that doesn't require me to become a TikTok star.

My budget is [amount], and I need to reach [target audience description].

Please create a plan that includes:

1. Where to focus first:
   - Which platforms do  my customers use
   - What type of content do they engage with
   - How often do I need to post to see the results

2. Content ideas that won't take forever to create:
   - Templates for social posts
   - Email newsletter frameworks
   - Blog post topics that answer real customer questions

3. A realistic weekly schedule that won't burn me out:
   - Essential daily tasks
   - Weekly content creation
   - Monthly review and adjustment

4. How to measure if it's working:
   - Key metrics that matter
   - Tools to track results
   - Red flags to watch for

Focus on strategies that can be done in 5-10 hours per week.

Why this works: It's built for real businesses with limited time and resources.

BONUS: THE MAGIC FOLLOW-UPS 🎁

After getting any AI response, hit it with these follow-ups:

1. "What assumptions did you make that I should verify?"

2. "What are the three most likely ways this could fail?"

3. "How would you modify this for a one-person team with limited time?"

REAL TALK: HOW TO USE THESE ⚡️

1. Copy, paste, and customize: Replace the bracketed sections with your details

2. Add context: The more specific you are, the better the results

3. Challenge the responses: Ask follow-up questions

4. Trust but verify: Always fact-check numbers and market claims

NEXT STEPS 📝

1. Save these prompts somewhere you'll find them

2. Try the one that addresses your biggest current headache

3. Share your results (or epic fails) with me - I learn from those too

COMING UP NEXT ☕️

• How to turn these plans into actual results

• The follow-up prompts that make everything better

• Real examples from readers (maybe you?)

Keep it real, 🙂 

P.S. When these prompts help you build something cool, tell us about it. Seriously. It makes our day.

If this added value to you, share it around! They can join us at The Leadership Lounge

Written with ❤️, ☕️, and a healthy dose of human oversight by Adil Mahmoud