That AI Blog
The one line that makes any AI answer better
The problem with guessing
Most of us type a quick request into ChatGPT, Claude or whatever free tool we use, hit enter and get something that's close but not quite right. Wrong tone. Missing details. Stuff you never asked for.
That's not the AI being dumb. You gave it a short brief, so it filled the gaps with guesses. Same thing happens when you hand a new apprentice a job with half the info.
The one line
Stick this on the end of your prompt:
Before you start, ask me 3 questions so you get this right.
That's it. Instead of guessing, the AI comes back with three questions. You answer them, and the second go is usually much closer to what you wanted. Fewer rewrites, less time stuffing around.
Example 1: a quote for a customer
Before: "Write a quote for a bathroom retiling job."
You'll get a generic quote full of placeholder text and details that don't match your job.
After: "Write a quote for a bathroom retiling job. Before you start, ask me 3 questions so you get this right."
The AI might ask things like the size of the room, whether you're supplying the tiles, and how you want the work broken down. Answer those and the quote fits the actual job.
Example 2: a polite overdue-invoice email
Before: "Write an email asking a customer to pay an overdue invoice."
You'll probably get something stiff and a bit corporate, or something too soft to get paid.
After: "Write an email asking a customer to pay an overdue invoice. Keep it polite but clear. Before you start, ask me 3 questions so you get this right."
Expect questions like how late the invoice is, whether you've chased them before, and how firm you want to be. Now the email sounds like you and fits the situation.
Example 3: a meal plan
Before: "Make me a meal plan for the week."
Could be anything. Ingredients you hate, recipes that take two hours, a week of salads.
After: "Make me a meal plan for the week. Before you start, ask me 3 questions so you get this right."
It might ask about how many people you're feeding, what you don't eat, and how much time you've got to cook. This one is gold if you're on shift work or away on roster and need meals that fit around it.
Check the output before you trust it
Here's the bit people skip. AI can sound confident and still be wrong. Always read what it gives you before you send or use it.
Check the numbers, names, dates and anything specific to your job. If it's a quote or an invoice email, make sure the amounts and details are right before it goes anywhere near a customer. You're still the one responsible, not the AI.
Quick tips
- Add the line to the end of the prompt, not the start, so the AI has your whole request first.
- Answer the questions properly. Short, honest answers beat vague ones.
- If a question is off the mark, just say so and tell it what matters instead.
- Use it for anything where details matter: quotes, emails, plans, job ads, checklists.
- Skip it for quick, simple stuff like rewording a sentence. No need to make it a chat.
- Read the result before you trust it, every time.
Give it a go
Next time you open your AI tool, take something you'd normally type in one line and add that one sentence. Have a look at the questions it asks. You'll often notice things you hadn't thought to mention, and that's half the benefit.