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AI Prompts Cheat Sheet

10 ready-to-use prompts for everyday work tasks. Copy, paste, customize, get results.

These are the 10 prompts I teach most often in my workshops. Each one solves a real, everyday problem that most professionals face. They work with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other AI chat tool.

How to use: Copy the prompt, replace the [brackets] with your own details, and paste it into your AI tool. Customize as needed.

01 Email Drafting

Professional Reply to a Difficult Email

I received this email: [paste email]. I want to reply professionally but firmly. My position is [your position]. Keep the tone calm and constructive. Under 150 words.

Why it works: Turns a 20-minute agonizing draft into a 2-minute polish.

02 Meeting Prep

Meeting Agenda Builder

I have a 30-minute meeting with [who] about [topic]. The goal is [goal]. Create a focused agenda with time allocations. Include 2-3 discussion questions I should raise.

Why it works: No more winging it. Walk into every meeting with a clear plan.

03 Writing

First Draft From Rough Notes

Here are my rough notes on [topic]: [paste notes]. Turn these into a clear, well-organized [email/report/proposal]. Audience: [who will read this]. Tone: [professional/casual/friendly]. Length: [target].

Why it works: Eliminates the blank-page problem. You edit instead of write from scratch.

04 Research

Explain a Complex Topic Simply

Explain [topic] to me like I am a smart professional who has never encountered this before. Use plain English, no jargon. Give me the key things I need to know and what questions I should be asking.

Why it works: Perfect for getting up to speed on a new domain quickly.

05 Brainstorming

Generate Options Fast

I need to [goal]. My constraints are [budget/time/resources]. Give me 7 different approaches, ranging from simple and cheap to ambitious and high-effort. For each, list the main pro and con.

Why it works: Gets you past "I have no idea where to start" in 60 seconds.

06 Summarizing

Summarize a Long Document

Summarize this document in 3 sections: (1) Key points in 3-5 bullets, (2) Decisions or actions required, (3) Anything I should flag or follow up on. Here is the document: [paste text].

Why it works: Save 30 minutes of reading. Get the essentials in 30 seconds.

07 Customer Communication

FAQ Response Generator

I run a [type of business]. Here are the 5 questions customers ask most: [list them]. Write a friendly, helpful response for each. Keep each under 100 words. Tone: professional but warm, not corporate.

Why it works: Create a response library once, reuse it forever.

08 Planning

Break Down a Big Project

I need to [project description]. I have [timeframe] and [resources]. Break this into weekly milestones with specific deliverables. Flag any risks or dependencies I should watch for.

Why it works: Turns an overwhelming project into a manageable checklist.

09 Editing

Improve Existing Writing

Here is something I wrote: [paste text]. Improve it for clarity and readability without changing my voice or meaning. Then explain what you changed and why.

Why it works: Like having an editor on call 24/7. The "explain why" part teaches you.

10 Decision Making

Pros and Cons Analysis

I am deciding between [option A] and [option B] for [context]. Give me a structured pros/cons analysis. Then tell me what additional information I should gather before deciding. Do not make the decision for me.

Why it works: AI is great at structured thinking. The "don't decide for me" keeps you in control.

Tips for getting better results

  • Always replace the [brackets] with specific details from your situation
  • If the first output is not right, tell the AI what to fix instead of starting over
  • Add "keep it under [number] words" to control length
  • Say "make it more [casual/formal/direct]" to adjust tone
  • Start with low-stakes tasks to build confidence