Written by Marijn Overvest | Reviewed by Sjoerd Goedhart | Fact Checked by Ruud Emonds | Our editorial policy

How toUse ChatGPT: The Art of Prompts

Before anything else, let us first answer this question: what is a prompt? Simply put, prompts are statements or questions that are designed to generate a specific response or action.

Being able to write good prompts will drastically increase the quality of the ChatGPT output. Here are some tips that will help you make a good prompt:

1. Start with an action word

Do you want ChatGPT to create something for you? Then always start your ChatGPT prompt with action words like Create, Write, Make, and Generate instead of starting with “Can you”.

2. Talk to the AI like you would talk to a person

When we say talk to it like a person, we mean talk to it like you would a co-worker or team member.

If that is hard to do, give it a name. Alexa is taken, so maybe think of it as “John”. This helps because when you talk to John, you might include conversational details, little anecdotes that give your story texture, a variety of possibilities, and more.

When talking to a person, it would be natural to expect someone to miss your point initially and require clarification. 

It would be natural for someone you are talking to veer away from the topic at hand and need to be wrangled back on topic. 

It would be natural to fill in the backstory and ask complex questions, and it would also be natural to have to dig in, restating some of those questions based on the answers you got back.

All of this is how you should talk to ChatGPT.

3. Set the stage and provide context, and be as specific as possible

Writing a ChatGPT prompt is more than just asking a one-sentence question. It often involves providing relevant background information to set the context of the query.

For instance, you want to prepare for a negotiation with a supplier you’ve been working with for 15 years.

You could ask ChatGPT:

“How to prepare for my negotiation with a supplier I’ve been working with for 15 years?”

But you will get a far more nuanced answer if, instead, you tell it that you have had a great working relationship the first 13 years, but that the supplier has been dropping in quality the past 2 years. You can also mention that there are new competing suppliers on the rise that could easily replace your current supplier

The answers you get will be more focused on your needs. Do you see how you are giving the AI much more information with which to provide you with a more focused and helpful answer?

4. Tell it to assume an identity or profession

One of ChatGPT’s coolest features is that it can write from the point of view of a specific person or profession. Depending on the industry you work in, this can help you to get a better understanding of specific topics.

Here are 3 fun prompts you can drop into ChatGPT to see how this works:

• From the point of view of its product manager, describe the Apple iPhone 14.
• From the point of view of an adult child caring for an elderly parent, describe the Apple iPhone 14
• From the point of view of a journalist, describe the Apple iPhone 14.

5. Do not hesitate to refine

When you ask a coworker for a report, and you are unhappy with some details of the report, you might let it slip. With ChatGPT, there is no reason to do this. Actually, refining your prompts does not take a lot of time, but it can increase the results of the output significantly.

6. Include the length of the response

ChatGPT does not know if you want a crisp two lines response or a comprehensive paragraph for your prompt. To avoid confusion and regenerations, it is good to specify the response length in the prompt.

ChatGPT will retain its awareness of previous conversations as long as the current page is open. If you leave that page, it will lose awareness. 

To be clear, ChatGPT will also sometimes lose the thread of the conversation “just because,” so be aware you may need to start over from time to time. Similarly, opening a new page will start the discussion with fresh responses.

Answers over about 500 words sometimes break down. Be sure to specify the length of the response you want.

You can correct and clarify prompts based on how the AI answered previously. If it is misinterpreting you, you may be able to just tell it what it missed and continue on.

7. Rephrase questions if it doesn’t want to answer what you’re asking

Use personas to generate answers that it might not otherwise want to give. If you want sources cited, tell it to support or justify its answers.

8. Keep experimenting

Sometimes, ChatGPT just fails. Keep trying, but also be willing to give up and move on to other tools. It is not perfect yet.

Additionally, use follow-up questions to dig deeper into the responses and uncover additional insights. Follow-up questions are a powerful tool for gathering more detailed and specific information.

Examples of Good and Bad Prompts

Here are some examples of prompts to help you distinguish a good prompt from a bad one:

Example 1:

Good Prompt: 

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and what you want to get out of the negotiation] “Can you describe 3 possible negotiation strategies my negotiation counterpart will likely use? And for each one, describe how I should counter it.”

Poor Prompt: 

“Can you tell me how you can help me negotiate better?”

In this example, the poor prompt is too vague and does not provide specific guidance on what type of assistance is being sought. The good prompt, on the other hand, is specific and contains specific details on the context of your question.

Example 2:

Good Prompt: 

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and what you want to get out of the negotiation. Paste the offer you received] “What counteroffer can I send to achieve my negotiation goals? “

Poor Prompt: 

“How should I pitch my counteroffer?”

Here, the poor prompt is too general and does not provide specific guidance on what type of tips are being sought. It may provide a broad or general response that does not address the specific needs of the person asking the question. The good prompt, however, is specific and focused on a particular aspect of negotiation.

ChatGPT Prompts To Help You in Negotiation

Here are some of the ChatGPT prompts that we made to help you in negotiation.

1. Create a negotiation strategy

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and your intended strategy] 

What negotiation strategy would you advise me, based on the information above?

For example: 

2. Identify blind spots in your negotiation strategy

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and the negotiation strategy you created in step 1] 

Identify potential weaknesses or blind spots in my negotiation strategy.

3. Prepare for every scenario

Based on the information in step 1 and 2. Can you describe 3 different scenarios of how this negotiation might go?

What are the possible risks in every scenario? And what can I do to minimize the risks?

4. Analyze your negotiation counterpart

[Describe the negotiation situation, anonymously describe the communication you’ve received from your negotiation counterpart] 

Based on this information, and the information in steps 1-4: Help me analyze the other party’s negotiation style and preferences.

5. Predict negotiation strategies of your counterpart

[Describe the negotiation situation, anonymously describe the communication you’ve received from your negotiation counterpart] 

Help me analyze the other party’s negotiation style and preferences.

6. Practice your negotiation

[Describe the negotiation situation, anonymously describe the communication you’ve received from your negotiation counterpart] 

Help me analyze the other party’s negotiation style and preferences.

7. Collect crucial information during a negotiation

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and what you want to get out of the negotiation] 

Which open-ended questions can I ask to get more insights about their position in this negotiation?

8. Follow up

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and what you want to get out of the negotiation] 

Which open-ended questions can I ask to get more insights about their position in this negotiation?

9. Analyze a proposal

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and what you want to get out of the negotiation. Anonymously paste the proposal you received]  

Suggest ways to evaluate this proposal and identify areas for negotiation.

10. Counter the proposal

[Describe the negotiation situation, your interests, your goals, the company you’re negotiating with, their interests, their goals, and what you want to get out of the negotiation. Anonymously paste the offer you received]  

Help me develop a counter-proposal that addresses both parties’ interests.

Procurement Expert’s Advice on Negotiation Prompts

In Conclusion

ChatGPT plays a significant role in enhancing the negotiation process for professionals. Its capabilities include researching the other party, organizing information, and developing strategic approaches.

By providing insights into the needs and interests of the opposing party, ChatGPT empowers negotiators to make informed decisions and formulate effective strategies.

The impact of ChatGPT in negotiations is undeniable, offering a valuable tool for professionals to gain a competitive edge. As AI technology evolves, the benefits of utilizing ChatGPT in negotiation scenarios become increasingly apparent.

Its ability to simulate human conversation aids in preparation, allowing negotiators to anticipate responses and approach the negotiation table with confidence.

Crafting effective prompts is key to unlocking the potential of ChatGPT. Starting with action words, talking to the AI like a person, providing context, and being specific are fundamental aspects of creating effective prompts.

Additionally, instructing ChatGPT to assume an identity or profession adds a unique dimension to the responses.

Refinement, specifying response length, and rephrasing questions are essential techniques to ensure the desired output. Continuous experimentation, along with the willingness to refine prompts, contributes to optimizing the use of ChatGPT in negotiation scenarios.

To assist negotiation professionals in various aspects of their work, a set of carefully crafted prompts is provided. These prompts can help with strategy development, analyzing counterparts, and evaluating proposals.

By incorporating ChatGPT into their workflow and mastering the art of prompts, negotiation professionals can leverage this technology to gain valuable insights, enhance their strategic approaches, and ultimately achieve more favorable outcomes in negotiations.