How to Write AI Prompts for Sales Tasks in 2025? The One & Only Guide

Given the hype around ChatGPT and AI in general, one might think of it as a magic wand that can do wonders on your request. And it can do that, at least to some extent.

The thing about generative AI is that the outcomes it creates are only as good as the instructions you give to it. Just like a magic wand, AI requires the right spell to really do the magic ✨

So if you see someone ranting about how useless and overrated all AI tools are, it’s likely that they just don’t know how to effectively use them. Effective AI prompting is the skill any modern sales professional has to learn to stay productive and competitive in the market. 

In this post, we’ll explore the best practices for prompt writing and share some proven AI prompts for common sales tasks to help you establish an effective dialog with AI.

What’s an AI prompt? The basics of prompt engineering

The concept of generative AI isn’t new. The first rule-based systems that could simulate human thinking date back to the 1960s. However, early on, it took some serious tech skills to “communicate” with those AI models, for example, by submitting the data via an API. 

With the development of consumer-grade AI tools, most algorithms are now capable of understanding plain language. As a result, you can ask AI to do something just as would ask a human colleague.

The starting query used to task an AI agent is usually called a prompt. Think of it as what you would say after “Hey, Siri!”

As mentioned earlier, it can be a straightforward ask written in a conversational manner for simple tasks, like translating a text or summing up your call notes. 

However, it gets trickier when dealing with more complex requests, especially those that involve a series of consecutive actions, e.g., analyzing your ideal customer profile and coming up with a few relevant personalization snippets or value propositions. 

This is the case for prompt engineering (or simply prompting) — the process of refining and optimizing your queries in order to get the best output from the AI agent. 

In other words, prompt engineering can help you write prompts that are clear, detailed, context-rich, and effective. Which is a valuable skill that can make you more productive while also allowing you to get the most out of the AI tools at hand.

Let’s talk about how you can improve your prompting skills.

How to write AI prompts to get the desired results? Best practices and pro tips

Any effective AI prompt consists of 2 key elements: Context (background information to give AI a good idea of what you’re trying to accomplish) and instructions (guidelines for the task).

The more context you can provide and the clearer your instructions are — the more effective your prompt will be. It’s as simple as that.

However, the approaches to prompting might slightly differ based on the specific AI tool you use. For example, there are separate best practices to write prompts for Jason AI, our own AI-powered sales assistant. 

Regardless of the AI tool you’re using, there are some of the universal best practices you should follow to write AI prompts that work.

7 best practices for creating an effective AI prompt

• Give clear and specific instructions for the task you want AI to accomplish for you. Let’s say you want AI to rephrase a template for you. Rather than simply asking that, make your query more informative — specify what exactly you want to rephrase, e.g., improve the I/you ratio, readability, structure, or change the tone of voice.
• Structure your prompts well to avoid misreading. While the language model’s perception of written text differs from that of humans, proper spacing and punctuation can still make your prompt a lot clearer. Namely, it’s recommended to separate the instructions and the context, especially when quoting something or providing examples.
• Always give as much context as possible to be 100% sure AI understands your reasoning and purpose based on any relevant background info you might have. For example, a prompt asking simply to write a follow-up email after a call with the prospect won’t be as effective as the one where you include call notes/summary.

Pro tip: There are AI tools or add-ons that allow you to attach different files — PDFs or images — so be sure to use that when trying to add more context to your prompts.

• Other than the contextual info, try to provide an example of what you’re looking for in terms of output format, style, etc. AI tools like ChatGPT can really do a lot of things. A prompt is a way to make them do exactly what is needed and not go overboard by setting certain limitations and defining your expectations. In this case, including an example will give AI a pattern to follow when completing a task.
• Specify the role you want AI to perform using phrases like “Imagine you are” or “Act as.” Just like any other parameters you use, this will help you set the stage for the specific task and get a more precise output. Don’t believe me? Try asking AI to perform the same task using different personas and see how different the results will be. An email created from the point of view of an SDR will differ from the one a CEO would write (let alone other less likely personas like Eminem or Hemingway).
• Iterate with additional requests to fine-tune the AI outcomes. Also known as iterative questioning, this technique suggests rephrasing your initial request or specifying some parts of it if you don’t get the desired outcome on your first try. Sometimes, using a series of shorter, more specific prompts can lead to a more comprehensive result.
• Build on your previous conversations with AI. Tools like ChatGPT save the history of your previous requests and outcomes so if you use the same chat for related tasks, it can use the previous context to ensure more accurate responses for your consequent queries. This works really well for context-rich prompts, like creating templates or developing sequences for each of your buyer personas. 

Pro tip: Train AI to write prompts for you. That might sound meta, but asking ChatGPT to give you the best prompt for a certain task is a pro move that few will actually think of. However, it can be a great shortcut to get the most out of your AI efforts when you’re only getting started.

Aside from these general best practices, there are some prompting techniques you can try. But let’s not dive into details here. Instead, let’s explore some of the proven AI prompts salespeople can use right away.

20+ proven ChatGPT prompts for sales teams

It’s practically impossible to cover all the potential ways you can use tools like ChatGPT for sales development. There are new, creative ways to use AI for sales-related tasks and unique prompts salespeople come up with based on their specific needs and preferences.

Yet most of the prompts used by SDRs will look like this:

• • Write an email/LinkedIn message to {persona} about {purpose}
  • Personalize the email below based on {data points}
  • Generate {5/10/15} variants of subject lines for an email
  • Suggest a P.S. text for the email below in {language}
  • Translate the email below to {language}
  • Improve email to follow the {style/format} of the {example}
  • Rewrite the email below in {style/tone/language}
  • Make the email below shorter than {number} words
  • Write an email follow-up based on the call summary {notes}

And this is perfectly fine! As long as you get what you need and include any important details, as discussed above. 

For example, the ready-to-use prompt we would use to create a targeted cold email would be: “Write a cold email to a prospect in the {industry} industry and with job title {job_title}. Find problems related to this industry and generate solutions based on value proposition {value_proposition}. Keep the email within 100 words. I know prospect data — use it for personalization: company is {company}, first name is {first_name}, last name is {last_name}. Act as salesperson, name – {user_name}, company – {user_company}.“

However, there are situations where you will have to get creative and use more sophisticated frameworks to get the job done with AI. Here are some examples of such prompts from sales and AI practitioners.

Thibaut Souyris, one of our favorite sales AI experts (and invited speaker at our upcoming Sales AI Marathon) shared his set of go-to prompts for prospecting in a recent LinkedIn post.

• Find prospect problems: Act like [prospect name], the [job title] at [company]. List your top 3 challenges for 2023. Bullet point and concise answer only.
• Find problem symptoms: Now list 3 symptoms for each challenge above. Bullet points and short answers only.
• Generate email subject lines: Here are 10 email subject lines that got my attention: [examples] Act like a top-performing SDR and generate 10 new outbound prospecting email subject lines based on the ones above. Be short and creative, and focus on teasing the prospect’s curiosity.
• Generate cold outbound messages: Now I’d like to build a 9-touchpoint outbound sequence in order to get [prospect name] to reply to my prospecting. I use the following framework for each message: [framework] Based on the framework I shared, build a cold outreach message for each symptom listed above. 
• Turn a marketing resource into a prospecting resource: Act like an online marketer and turn the following content into a playbook: {summary}

Another outstanding expert, Heather Murray, shares her creative Chain of Thought prompting technique for ICP research. 

1. Start with a pretty straightforward prompt: “Act as a business consultant. I’m the Director at a lead generation agency, and I’m looking to launch a new high-end lead generation product for the aerospace industry. Let’s start by discussing some initial ideas that would work — ask me any relevant questions to flesh this out into a strong idea and the beginnings of a plan to launch it.”
2. Build on this with the second prompt in the same thread: “Great, now let’s explore the people that would be most interested in this new product. What job titles would they have, and why might they be interested in the product?”
3. Dig a bit deeper: “Tell me more about the pain points of people with these job titles in the aerospace industry. List pain points commonly experienced, and match my solution to their pain.” 

If you need, you can go on like that, building on each previous response in the same chat until you have all the responses you need. This is a perfect approach for optimizing your value proposition and targeting, brainstorming new approaches, or fine-tuning your current tactics. 

Lastly, Jake Dunlap, CEO of Skaled Consulting (and an expert speaker at the Sales AI Summit) shared various prompt scenarios in his recent webinar on LinkedIn. 

He points out that ChatGPT is mostly used for research and writing messages, but this isn’t the only use case sales teams can benefit from. Instead, he suggests incorporating ChatGPT into your SDR onboarding/training strategy. There are a few possible scenarios here.

• Objections handling: “Act as {buyer persona} and give me 5 objections which I will try to counter.” After that, you can also ask AI to tell you how you did and come up with some more objections for you to handle.
• Role-playing: “I want you to impersonate {role} in {industry} and I want to role-play a sales meeting with you. A typical sales meeting looks like this {summary}. Here’s what our product does {value prop}. Let’s go!”
• Scenario planning: “I have a call coming up with {persona} discussing {topic}. I’m trying to think of any reasons they might say no. Help me think through navigating a meeting where I’m talking about {proposal}.” 

How can you keep AI tools from sounding too generic?

Sometimes, AI can sound like that coworker who speaks in buzzwords and clichés—it gets the job done but doesn’t leave an impression. 

The good news?

You have more control over the AI’s tone and style than you might think. The trick is in how you guide it. With the right approach, you can make AI-generated responses feel natural, tailored, and genuinely engaging.

Here’s how.

1. Set the scene with context

Imagine asking someone to write you an email, but you don’t tell them who it’s for or what it’s about. Chances are, their response will feel vague and disconnected. AI is the same. If you don’t give it enough background, it can’t deliver something specific or meaningful.

Instead of just saying: “Write an email to a potential customer,” try painting a fuller picture:

“Write a follow-up email for a small business owner who attended our webinar on e-commerce solutions. They’re interested in our website optimization tools but seemed unsure about how the integration works.”

See the difference? Suddenly, the AI has a clear audience and purpose to work with, and its response will feel more relevant and personal.

2. Make the tone personal and relatable

You wouldn’t use the same tone of voice with a friend as you would in a formal business meeting, right? The same applies to AI prompts for sales. 

If you don’t specify how you want it to sound, the AI might default to something overly formal or, worse, bland.

Think about the vibe you’re going for and spell it out. For example:

1. “Make this email sound warm and friendly, like I’m reaching out to an old colleague.”
2. “Keep it professional but approachable, like a trusted advisor sharing insights.”
3. “Use a conversational tone, kind of like how Basecamp writes their product updates—clear, straightforward, and human.”

By giving tone-specific instructions (or even pointing to examples you like), you make it easier for the AI to hit the right note.

3. Focus on what your audience cares about

Here’s a little secret: no one really cares about features. What they care about is how those features solve their problems. 

If your AI prompts for lead generation focus too much on generic product descriptions, they’re going to sound like every other sales pitch out there.

Instead, frame your prompt around the challenges your audience is facing. Instead of saying: “List the features of our software,” you could ask for:

• “Explain how our software can save small business owners hours of manual data entry every week.”

Or even:

• “Write about how our CRM helps busy sales teams follow up with leads before they go cold.”

When you get specific about the pain points, the AI can craft a message that resonates with your audience on a deeper level.

4. Give examples to guide the AI

Sometimes, the best way to get the AI to understand what you’re looking for is to show it. Sharing examples of the kind of language or structure you like can be a game-changer. It’s like giving the AI a cheat sheet to follow withing AI agent prompts.

For example, you might say:

• “Start the email with a question, like ‘Are you spending too much time managing your team’s workflows manually?’”
• “Use an engaging call-to-action, like ‘Let’s set up a quick demo to show you how this works.’”

When the AI knows what success looks like, it’s much more likely to deliver something that feels right.

5. Treat it like a conversation, not a one-and-done

Here’s the thing: even the best AI tools might not nail it on the first try. And that’s okay! 

Think of this as a collaborative process. If the first draft feels off, give the AI some feedback to steer it in the right direction.

For example, if the output feels too stiff, you could say: “This is a good start, but can we make it sound more conversational?” or “The opening doesn’t grab attention. Let’s try starting with a statistic or a surprising question.”

The more you engage with the AI, the better the output becomes. It’s all about refining and tweaking until you get something that works.

6. Add a personal or local touch

Want your message to stand out? Make it feel specific. 

Generic responses happen when the AI isn’t given enough to work with. By adding details about your audience to your ChatGPT prompts for sales—like their location, industry, or unique circumstances—you can make the response feel like it was written just for them.

Instead of saying: “Write a LinkedIn post about our new feature,” you could say:

• “Write a LinkedIn post announcing our new inventory management feature, focusing on how it helps Canadian retailers streamline cross-border shipping.”
• “Target this post to SaaS founders in Boston and reference the city’s vibrant startup ecosystem.”

These little details go a long way in making your messaging feel authentic and relatable.

How do you combine AI with a human touch?

AI can work wonders in sales—it’s fast, efficient, and great at scaling repetitive tasks. But here’s the thing: sales is ultimately about people. It’s about building trust, solving problems, and creating connections. 

To truly succeed, you need a blend of AI’s capabilities and the warmth of a human touch. Here’s how you can strike that perfect balance.

1. Let AI handle the heavy lifting, but add your personal flair

Picture this: you need to write 50 follow-up emails in a day. Without AI, that’s an exhausting task. But with AI, you can generate drafts in seconds. 

The catch? Those drafts might feel a little mechanical or generic.

That’s where you come in. Use AI prompts for sales to draft the basics—things like structure, key points, or a polished layout—but make sure you tweak it to sound like you. Add a friendly opener, reference a recent conversation, or throw in a little humor if it fits.

For example, an AI-generated draft might say:

• “Thank you for attending our webinar. We’d love to show you how our software can streamline your workflow.”

You can elevate that with a personal touch:

• “Hi Sarah, it was great chatting during the webinar! I noticed you’re curious about streamlining workflows—I’d love to share some tips and show how we can help.”

This blend of AI efficiency and personal connection makes the communication feel human and thoughtful.

2. Use AI to gather insights, then lead with empathy

AI is fantastic at analyzing data, spotting trends, and providing insights about your customers. It can tell you things like, “This customer struggles with tracking inventory,” or “They’ve visited your pricing page three times this week.” 

But insights alone aren’t enough—you need empathy to make those insights meaningful.

For example, if AI flags a potential pain point, don’t just parrot the data. Use it as a springboard for a conversation. Instead of saying: “Our records show you struggle with inventory management,” try: “Many of our clients find inventory management overwhelming. Does that resonate with you? If so, I’d love to explore how we can help simplify things.”

This approach shows that you’re not just relying on numbers—you’re listening and engaging on a human level.

3. Let AI personalize at scale, but you make it truly authentic

AI excels at personalization—it can plug in names, company details, or even specific pain points across hundreds of messages. But there’s a difference between personalization (knowing someone’s name) and authenticity (knowing their story).

For example, AI (based on your AI prompts for lead generation) might draft a personalized email like this:

• “Hi John, I saw you’re the founder of a tech startup. Our solution could help your team work more efficiently.”

You can take it further by referencing something unique about them:

• “Hi John, I saw you’re the founder of InnovateTech. Congrats on your recent product launch! I’d love to explore how our platform can help your team scale without sacrificing efficiency.”

By adding details that AI might miss—like a recent accomplishment or shared experience—you create a message that feels genuine and memorable.

4. Use AI for speed, but lean on humans for creativity

AI can write quickly, but creativity is where humans shine. For example, let’s say you’re crafting a subject line for an email. The AI might suggest something safe and functional, like:

• “Learn How Our Software Can Help You Today.”

But with a little human creativity, you could spin it into something more engaging:

• “Too Many Tabs Open? Let’s Fix That.”

The best results come when you use AI to generate ideas, then refine them with your own creative instincts. Think of AI as a brainstorming partner—it gets you started, but you bring the spark.

5. Let AI organize, but show up for the real conversations

AI can schedule meetings, send reminders, and even answer basic questions through chatbots. This frees up your time to focus on what really matters: the deeper, more meaningful interactions that build relationships.

For instance, a chatbot might handle the initial inquiry: “What are your subscription options?”

But when it comes to negotiating a deal or addressing a unique concern, stepping in personally makes all the difference. 

A message like: “Hi Emily, I saw you’re exploring our premium plan. I’d love to hop on a call to answer any questions and discuss how we can meet your needs.” shows that you’re not just a faceless company—you’re a partner invested in their success.

6. Use AI to measure, but humans to adapt

AI is great at measuring performance—click-through rates, response times, or lead conversion rates. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. 

It takes a human touch to interpret those metrics and adjust your strategy.

For example, if AI shows that a certain email sequence has a low open rate, it’s up to you to figure out why. Is the subject line too bland? Does it feel too salesy? 

AI can point out the problem, but your intuition and creativity will guide the solution.

7. Keep the human in follow-ups

Let’s say AI drafts a solid follow-up email after a meeting. It might look something like this: “Thank you for your time today. I’ll follow up next week with additional details.”

That’s fine, but imagine you add a quick, personal note:

“Thank you for your time today, Lisa! I loved hearing about your plans for expanding into the healthcare market. I’ll follow up next week with some specific ideas tailored to that goal.”

That one extra sentence takes the interaction from routine to relationship-building. AI gets you started, but your human touch closes the loop,

Over to you

As you can see, there’s nothing too difficult about AI prompting. Once you know the basics and play around with your AI tool of choice, you can find the magic formula to get the desired output.

If you’re not into experiments or don’t have the time to learn effective AI prompting, you can choose AI tools that offer a more seamless user experience. 

For example, one of the latest product enhancements for Jason AI — our built-in sales email assistant — is a smooth, intuitive way to optimize your prompts so you can get exactly what is needed every time.

The feature is available in Beta at the moment, but you can sign up with Reply anyway to explore the available AI-powered capabilities and be the first to know when it goes public.