You must be wondering why you should even spend time reading this blog. Well, here are the benefits of using AI for your business:
Work Smarter, Not Harder: AI can handle time-consuming tasks like summarising information, generating reports, or drafting basic code, allowing your team to focus on more strategic work.
Make Informed Decisions: Need to analyse data, assess risks, or troubleshoot technical issues? AI can help you quickly find the information and insights you need.
Stay Ahead of the Curve: AI can help you personalise customer interactions, identify market trends, and brainstorm innovative ideas, giving you a competitive edge.
Do More with Less: By automating tasks and optimising workflows, AI may help you cut costs and free up resources for other initiatives.
In the next few sections, we'll delve deeper into different prompts that could be applied to specific areas of your business. Whether you're in marketing, sales, customer service, or other departments, these prompts will help you get the most out of AI.
Customer service
Prompt Iteration for IT Customer Support Email
Help me write an empathetic email to a client.
The client recently purchased software from us, and it's not functioning as expected. They've emailed us error logs and screenshots detailing the issue. I've offered them a temporary workaround, but they're requesting priority support, which is usually an additional service.
Please include:
- A paragraph acknowledging their frustration and the impact the issue is having on their operations.
- Three bullet points outlining potential resolutions to the priority support request.
This prompt focuses on the specific challenges and language used in IT support, making it more relevant to the industry. It also addresses the common scenario of a client needing urgent assistance and requesting priority support.
Incident Scenario
Prompt Iteration for IT Network Outage Email
Help me write an email to a client experiencing a network outage.
Our client is a large enterprise company that relies heavily on our cloud-based networking infrastructure. They've reported a widespread outage that is affecting multiple departments and critical business functions. We've confirmed the outage is on our end and our engineers are working to resolve it.
Please include:
- A paragraph acknowledging the severity of the outage and its impact on their business.
- Three bullet points outlining steps we're taking to address the outage and restore service as quickly as possible.
- An offer to provide regular updates and a point of contact for further communication.
This prompt focuses on a critical incident scenario for an IT provider, emphasising the need to communicate clearly and proactively with the affected client during a stressful situation
Marketing
Prompt Iteration for Marketing Social Media Post
Help me write an engaging social media post for [Platform].
Our target audience is [Audience Description]. We want to promote [Product/Service/Event]. The overall tone should be [Tone] and the goal of the post is to [Goal].
Please include:
- A catchy headline or hook to grab attention.
- A brief description highlighting the key benefits or features.
- A call to action that encourages engagement or conversion.
- Relevant hashtags or mentions to increase visibility.
(Optional) Additional information:
- Any specific visuals or formatting elements you'd like to incorporate.
- Any relevant links or resources to include.
This prompt is versatile and can be adapted to various social media platforms and marketing objectives. It provides the AI with enough guidance to create a post that aligns with your brand voice and resonates with your target audience. You can find more prompts here.
Event Ideas
Prompt Iteration for Generating IT Event Ideas:
Help me brainstorm creative and engaging event ideas for the IT industry.
Our target audience is [Audience Description - e.g., IT professionals, developers, tech enthusiasts, etc.]. We want to create an event that [Event Goal - e.g., showcases new technologies, fosters networking, provides educational opportunities, etc.].
Please provide:
- 3-5 unique event concepts with brief descriptions.
- Potential themes or topics to focus on.
- Innovative formats or activities that could be incorporated.
- Suggestions for venues or platforms (virtual or in-person).
Additional considerations:
- Our budget is [Budget Range].
- The event timeframe is [Timeframe - e.g., one day, multi-day, etc.].
- We want to differentiate ourselves from other IT events in the market.
By providing this information, the AI can generate event ideas tailored to your specific target audience, budget, and goals. It can help spark your creativity and offer suggestions you may not have considered. Examples of prompts to generate event ideas can be found here.
Sales Pitch Generation
Prompt Iteration for IT Sales Pitch Email:
Help me write a persuasive email pitch for our new cloud-based cybersecurity solution.
Our target audience is [Target Audience Description – e.g., small to medium-sized businesses, healthcare organisations, financial institutions, etc.]. Our solution offers [Key Features and Benefits – e.g., comprehensive threat protection, 24/7 monitoring, data encryption, compliance support, etc.]. We want to emphasise [Unique Selling Proposition – e.g., affordability, scalability, user-friendliness, etc.].
Please include:
- A compelling subject line to grab attention.
- A concise opening paragraph introducing the problem and solution.
- A bulleted list highlighting the key benefits of our solution.
- A clear call to action (e.g., schedule a demo, request a quote, etc.).
Additional considerations:
- The tone should be professional but not overly technical.
- We want to establish credibility and trust.
- We want to highlight the value proposition and ROI of our solution.
This prompt helps to craft an email that effectively communicates the benefits of your IT product or service and encourages potential clients to take the next step in the sales process. By providing details about your target audience and unique selling points, you can tailor the message to resonate with their specific needs and pain points. A full list of prompts for generating a sales pitch are available here.
Creating Guides
Prompt Iteration for IT Troubleshooting Guide Creation:
Help me create a comprehensive troubleshooting guide for [Specific Technical Issue - e.g., Wi-Fi connectivity problems, software installation errors, etc.].
Our target audience is [Audience Description - e.g., general users, IT support staff, etc.]. We want the guide to be [Desired Tone - e.g., clear, concise, easy to follow, technical, etc.].
Please include:
- A step-by-step breakdown of common causes and potential solutions for the issue.
- Clear instructions with screenshots or diagrams if applicable.
- Tips for preventing the issue from occurring in the future.
- Links to relevant resources or support articles for further assistance.
Additional considerations:
- The guide should be accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise.
- It should be easy to update as new solutions or information become available.
This prompt can help you create a helpful resource for your users or clients. By providing clear instructions and potential solutions, you can empower them to resolve technical issues independently, reducing the need for direct support and improving their overall experience.
Webinar Promotion
Prompt Iteration for IT Webinar Promotion:
Help me create a compelling promotional email for our upcoming webinar on [Topic of Webinar - e.g., "The Future of Cloud Computing," "How to Secure Your Network from Ransomware Attacks," etc.].
Our target audience is [Audience Description - e.g., IT professionals, business leaders, cybersecurity experts, etc.]. The webinar will be hosted by [Speaker Name and Title], an expert in [Field of Expertise].
Please include:
- A catchy subject line that piques interest.
- An opening paragraph summarising the key takeaways and benefits attendees will gain from the webinar.
- A brief biography of the speaker highlighting their expertise.
- Key details about the webinar (date, time, registration link).
- A clear call to action to register.
Additional considerations:
- The tone should be informative and engaging.
- We want to convey the value of the webinar content and encourage attendance.
- We want to create a sense of urgency to register.
This prompt is designed to help you create a promotional email that effectively highlights the value of your webinar and encourages registrations. By providing details about your target audience and the expertise of your speaker, you can tailor the message to resonate with their specific interests and needs.
Reviewing Code
Prompt Iteration for IT Code Review Request:
Help me write an email requesting a code review from a colleague.
I've finished writing code for [Project/Feature Description - e.g., a new user interface, a database update, a bug fix, etc.]. I've tested it thoroughly and it seems to be working as intended, but I'd appreciate a fresh pair of eyes to catch any potential issues or optimisations I may have missed.
Please include:
- A clear description of the code's purpose and functionality.
- Specific areas or aspects where I'd like feedback.
- A timeline for when I need the review completed.
- A polite request for the colleague's time and expertise.
Additional considerations:
- The tone should be professional and collaborative.
- I want to demonstrate respect for my colleague's knowledge and experience.
This prompt will help you effectively request code reviews from your colleagues, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within your development team. By clearly articulating your request and providing relevant details, you increase the likelihood of receiving valuable feedback and ultimately delivering higher quality code. Check out the link for more prompts.
Code Suggestions
One other very cool experience given by our technical team was how much better code suggestions are in their IDE (integrated development environment - a tool engineers use to write code). These applications will often give suggestions on statement completions, like your phone does when writing a message but much more complex. However, the suggestions given by the IDE are usually constrained within a predefined schema of what is being written. With the Gemini plugin however, a wider view is considered so smarter and more complete suggestions are given. Below is a basic example with YAML (just because it's easier to read for most.
Complete suggestion of configuration based on different files and previously written code
Here, the main.yml file highlighted is in a completely different section of the code base but Gemini understands that it is relevant and provides a complete suggestion based on the variables declared there and even gives real values (some of the values look arbitrary but they are actually values we were looking to use in this particular testing scenario)
Suggestions even when mixing two code languages
In the example below we have some YAML configuration that we're going to programatically change later on, so it is wrapped in some other (Helm) templating language (the bits with the double curly braces {{}}). These sort of files are normally unable to make use of the IDE suggestions because the software finds it difficult to identify which language is correct. However, Gemini sees straight through the problem and provides, not only templating suggests but also ones which include syntax which is relevant to the whole module we're working on. For example, .Values.managedAnnotations is taken straight from an API spec we created elsewhere in the module
My experience of using prompts:
I once had to create a blog post on platform engineering for Mesoform. I initially struggled to translate the complex concepts into clear, accessible language for our audience. I knew AI could help, but my first attempt yielded less than ideal results. My initial prompt to Gemini was, "Write a blog post on platform engineering." The output was technically accurate but dense with jargon and, surprisingly, included a reference to a non-existent "Platform Engineering Manifesto" published in 2021. Recognising the need for a different approach, I refined my prompt. I focused on the "why" rather than the "what." My revised prompt became: "Explain the benefits of platform engineering for businesses, using simple terms and real-world examples."
This time, Gemini delivered. It presented a clear, concise explanation of platform engineering. The examples provided were relatable and demonstrated the tangible impact platform engineering can have on businesses.
Inspired by the output, I crafted a compelling blog post that resonated with our audience. It demystified platform engineering, highlighting its value proposition for businesses and showcasing Mesoform's expertise in this burgeoning field. The post garnered positive feedback, driving traffic to our website and generating valuable leads.
This experience taught me two valuable lessons about using AI effectively:
- Craft clear, specific prompts: By focusing on the desired outcome and target audience, you can guide Gemini towards providing relevant and useful information.
- Always verify AI-generated information: While Gemini is a powerful tool, it's not infallible. It's crucial to double-check any facts, figures, or references it provides to ensure accuracy and maintain credibility.
If you would like to discuss any of these topics in more detail, please feel free to get in touch
