Where to Start When Prompting AI
Perplexity Business Fellow
I love when you send me your questions. This week’s question was, where do I start when prompting AI?
One of the biggest mindset shifts I teach in my AI 101 classes is this:
AI is not Google.
Yet, so many people use it like a search engine—typing in questions and expecting a single, perfect answer. Why? Because our brains see a chat window and instinctively associate it with Google search.
*Yes, AI can be used like Google but its true magic lies in doing work.
But here’s the shift: Think of AI as an Assistant, Not a Search Bar
Instead of asking:
❌ “What are the best ways to improve customer retention?”
Give it a task:
✅ “Act as a customer experience strategist. Generate five creative retention strategies for a mid-sized B2B company, with one out-of-the-box idea.”
See the difference? You’re not searching. You’re delegating.
Best Practices for Prompting AI Effectively
Now that we’ve reframed how to use AI, here are three simple ways to get better results:
1️⃣ Give AI a Role
Tell it who to be, whether a marketing strategist, HR leader, or technical writer, so it can generate more relevant responses.
💡 You are a leadership coach. Draft an email to my team to announce our new AI initiative to assist managers in leading and navigating AI adoption with their teams.
Or ask it to improve your prompt. Like this:
2️⃣ Be Direct & Provide Context
Think of AI like a human on your team. The more details you give, the better the results. Instead of “Write me a LinkedIn post,” say “Write a conversational LinkedIn post on the importance of AI adoption for small businesses. Keep it under 200 words with a clear CTA.” Then continue to prompt it, refine it and give it feedback on the output just like you would with a human on your team.
3️⃣Let AI Ask You Questions
My favorite prompting technique. Add “Ask me questions for clarity” after you have given it a role and context/task. This will drastically improve the relevance of the response. We taught this yesterday on a webinar and I got several emails immediately after our session, like this response.
I already implemented ask me clarifying questions - WOAH!!!
When you stop treating AI like Google and start treating it like an assistant, everything changes. Try this shift in your next prompt and see the difference!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Research
You are a research assistant. Help me quickly gather key insights on [your topic of choice]. Provide a summary of the most important information, including relevant data, trends, and sources that will allow me to understand the topic efficiently.
Ask me questions for clarity.
Time Management
You are a time management expert. Help me prioritize my tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix. I will provide you with a list of tasks, and you will categorize them into urgent/important, urgent/not important, not urgent/important, and not urgent/not important.
Ask me questions for clarity.
Learning Plan
You are a world-class educator specializing in rapid learning. Explain the core principles of [concept] in a way that even a beginner can understand, using real-world examples and analogies. Your goal is to make this explanation so clear that the learner can master the concept quickly.
Ask me questions for clarity.
Decision Making
You are a decision-making coach. I need to make a choice about [decision]. Help me create a detailed Pro/Con list that weighs the potential benefits and drawbacks of each option, considering both short-term and long-term impacts.
Ask me questions for clarity.
🙌 Let me know which prompts you tried and how your output improved. Happy prompting!
Your Perplexity Business Fellow
I am totally geeking out as I have been accepted as a Perplexity Business Fellow! I will be learning so much and will be sharing those lessons here with you all!
Here is more about the program. https://www.perplexity.ai/business-fellowship
2025 AI Events
New events are added weekly. Since our community spans over 31 states, we’re making it easier than ever for you to join the conversation from anywhere. These new virtual sessions are designed to be interactive and packed with real-world insights you can apply immediately.
March
March 20 9-12 EST. AI for Nonprofits and Small Businesses (Cincinnati Chamber- Jorge Perez YMCA, Jeremy Brown Talbert House and I will be moderating this session. https://portal.cincinnatichamber.com/s/community-event?id=a1mJx000005IAdxIAG
NEW March 21 Introduction to AI from 9-12 EST in partnership with Max Technical Training. This is a virtual live class led by Kendra Ramirez. This class is eligible for Tech Cred which is reimbursed by the State of Ohio. https://maxtrain.com/artificial-intelligence/general-artificial-intelligence-and-business-applications/introduction-to-ai/
April
April 1 CincyAI 3-5 EST at UC Digital Futures building. Free event. These do sell out every month. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cincyai-for-humans-tickets-1234866953299?aff=oddtdtcreator
NEW April 9 AI in Action: Transforming the Workplace for Growth and Innovation 10-12 EST Hosted by Ellequate https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-in-action-transforming-the-workplace-for-growth-and-innovation-tickets-1242305532289?aff=oddtdtcreator
April 16 11:30-12:30 EST. AI Simplified for Business Success webinar for the SOCA community and all businesses. All are welcome. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-simplified-for-business-success-tickets-1248471454729
April 17 9-12 EST. AI for Enterprise- AI leaders from TQL, 84.51 and TCS. You won’t want to miss them. The event is being held at the TQL Stadium. https://portal.cincinnatichamber.com/s/community-event?id=a1mJx000005IAfZIAW
NEW April 18 9-12 EST. Introduction to AI in partnership with Max Technical Training. This is a virtual live class led by Kendra Ramirez. This class is eligible for Tech Cred which is reimbursed by the State of Ohio. https://maxtrain.com/artificial-intelligence/general-artificial-intelligence-and-business-applications/introduction-to-ai/
I love answering your AI questions. Feel free to message me.
Where AI and inspiration collide!
Kendra Ramirez
KendraRamirez.com
We provide AI Speaking and Training, AI Readiness Assessments, AI Strategy, AI roadmap and implementation, and AI Coaching for small to mid-size businesses and nonprofits.
**For those new to my work, I have been in tech my whole career. Over 15 years of running my digital agency (website, social media, and lead generation) and 7 years of helping businesses navigate AI. Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of leading over 100 training and speaking sessions, empowering businesses to embrace the transformative potential of AI. My passion lies in simplifying complex technologies to help organizations grow, innovate, and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
I am so excited that you are on this journey with me! Thank you! 🤗