Start with the result you want. Rather than asking for “help with sales,” describe a specific deliverable: a draft reply about timing, a list of clarifying questions, or the structure of a proposal.
Add the relevant context
Microsoft’s Copilot guidance identifies a goal, context, sources, and expectations. Anthropic also recommends describing tasks and desired results clearly. These principles make a useful structure for a working brief, but they do not guarantee an accurate answer.
For an email draft, explain the audience, known facts, and approved terms. You rarely need an entire conversation archive to answer one clarification.
Try this structure
This is an original teaching example. Replace the fields with your own anonymized information.
Task: prepare a draft reply to a customer.
Context: [the request, without personal information].
Approved facts: [terms that can be stated].
Format: up to three short paragraphs in English.
Mark missing facts as “needs clarification.”
Keep promises within the approved terms.Review the answer against the brief
Compare the answer with its inputs. Does it explain the next step? Has an unsupported date appeared? Does the tone sound like your usual communication?
If the result does not fit, change one part of the prompt and compare versions. This makes it easier to tell which clarification helped. Keep a successful brief as a template, while reviewing every new answer before using it.
