How to Effectively Talk to AI: Episode 2 - Purpose

📢 Welcome back to our series on How to Effectively Talk to AI!

This series is all about helping you master the art of crafting AI prompts that are clear, impactful, and tailored to your goals. Whether you’re a business leader, a creative professional, or someone simply curious about Generative AI, these episodes are designed to guide you step by step.

In Episode 1, we laid the foundation by introducing the concept of a broad TASK—a straightforward directive that provides the AI with a clear starting point.

Today, in Episode 2, we're going to elevate the process by adding PURPOSE, ensuring the AI’s response aligns with a specific goal.

Here’s the full agenda of the episodes:

1. Starting Broad: Crafting the Basic Prompt

2. (You’re here!) Shaping the Purpose

3. Knowing Your Audience

4. Playing a Part

5. Structuring Reasoning

6. Adding Humor & Analogies

7. Setting the Example

8. Putting It All Together: Feedback Loop

Each episode builds on the last, helping you unlock the full potential of AI prompt engineering! Let’s get started. 🎯

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1. The Story of How to Talk to AI Continues...with a Twist!

After crafting the broad, basic [TASK] prompt for Eli Moore in Episode 1, you proudly send it his way. A few minutes later, your phone rings. It’s Eli.

“Uh…thanks?” he says, sounding polite but clearly unimpressed. “This is good info, don’t get me wrong, but it’s kinda...basic. My buddy isn’t exactly the type to care about ‘clean energy for clean energy’s sake.’ He wants numbers. Economic benefits. Big wins.” 🌍💸

You realize Eli is right—just laying out the facts isn’t going to cut it. His friend needs a compelling, persuasive message that speaks directly to his business instincts.

In Episode 2, we’re diving into how to shape prompts with a clear goal in mind, so Eli’s friend can see the “business case” for clean energy. Because hey, if a tycoon wants results, we’d better make it persuasive!

Here’s what’s coming up in the series:

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TL;DR:

In Episode 2 of our series on How to Effectively Talk to AI, we’re focusing on Shaping the Purpose. The goal? To make AI’s response more persuasive and targeted by adding a clear objective to the prompt. Eli’s feedback reminds us that just laying out the basics isn’t enough—his friend needs a business-focused, compelling case for clean energy. Today, we’re learning how to guide AI to deliver exactly that.

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2. Updating the Prompt with Purpose

Adding purpose elevates a prompt from simple information-gathering to generating a response that aligns with a specific goal. While a broad [TASK] tells the AI what to address, purpose defines the why—the intended result of the response.

In short, defining a purpose gives the AI a clear objective, transforming generic information into a targeted, persuasive message that resonates with the intended audience.

The picture below describes the main types of purpose you can use depending on what you want the AI to achieve:

To shape the purpose of your prompt, identify your goal (inform, instruct, evaluate, reflect, persuade, explore, predict, diagnose), add specific context to focus the AI’s response, and tailor it to your audience’s needs.

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In Episode 1, we explored how a well-defined [TASK] prompt provides AI with a clear directive, resulting in responses that are accessible and compelling:

See ChatGPT 4o response here

Now, let’s refine the prompt with the audience in mind. We ha to craft the message for Eli’s spreadsheet-loving friend—the business leader who probably checks his ROI before deciding what to eat for lunch. Clearly, he’s not going to be impressed with vague promises about “saving the planet.” Let’s give him the hard data and actionable insights he craves with a second [GOAL] prompt:

See ChatGPT 4o response here

Adding a clear purpose transforms the AI’s response. Let’s compare:

1. Without Purpose: The AI might focus on general benefits—such as improving public health and protecting the planet. This works for audiences already aligned with environmental priorities, like advocates or community leaders;

2. With Purpose: The AI tailors its response to highlight economic benefits:

   • Cost savings (e.g., lower energy bills from renewables);

   • Market stability (e.g., reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets);

   • Competitive advantage (e.g., positioning the U.S. as a leader in clean tech exports).

     
     

It’s a textbook example of tailoring your pitch to meet your audience where they are.

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3. What's coming next

Curious about the impact of adding purpose to your AI prompts? Test it out by using a simple [TASK] prompt, then compare it with a combined [TASK] + [GOAL] prompt. You’ll see firsthand how adding a clear purpose sharpens the response, making it more focused and aligned with your desired outcome.

In the Next Episode

In Episode 3, we’ll dive into the art of understanding your audience in AI prompt engineering. Crafting an impactful prompt isn’t just about the task or purpose—it’s also about knowing exactly who you’re speaking to. Learn how to tailor your prompts to resonate with specific audiences, ensuring that your AI responses are not only accurate but also highly relevant and persuasive.

Stay tuned for the next step in How to Structure AI prompts!

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FAQs

What’s the main takeaway from Episode 2 on crafting AI prompts?

The key takeaway from Episode 2 is the importance of adding a purpose to your prompt. By defining a clear purpose, you guide the AI to deliver responses that align with your goals, making them more targeted, persuasive, and impactful.

Why is purpose important when crafting AI prompts?

Purpose elevates a prompt from simple information-gathering to delivering an outcome-driven response. It provides the AI with context and direction, enabling it to produce tailored outputs that meet specific goals, such as persuasion, instruction, or analysis.

How can I shape the purpose of my prompt?

To shape the purpose of your prompt:

1. Identify your goal (e.g., inform, persuade, instruct);

2. Add specific context to focus the AI’s response;

3. Tailor it to your audience’s needs.

These steps ensure the AI generates responses that resonate with your audience and achieve your desired results.