1. Treat AI Like a Person: Whether it’s a super-smart intern, a consultant, or a tutor, engage with AI using natural language. Ask questions, provide feedback, and request different outcomes as you would with a human colleague. The more conversational your approach, the better your results. Remember, AI is a tool to enhance your work, not replace it – editing and refinement are still essential.

Lake Ridge Bank’s VP Digital Banking and Payments, Julie Zeimet, shared her experience with learning how to interact with ChatGPT. “My biggest hurdle, and what prompted the ah-ha moment, is really realizing that I need to interact with AI like a person. I’d have output that was good, but not great. I’d think to myself, ‘I need it to reformat with no bullet points, write at a 10th grade reading level, and include features and benefits for clients.’ I didn’t know how to get ChatGPT to do that. Then, I asked it to do just that and it did it for me. Just like talking to a person, I gave it the direction it needed to improve or finish a task and it did it!”

Key Prompts to Get Started

Prompts are the language of GenAI. The better you understand them and experiment with different approaches, the more proficient you’ll become and the more amazing your outputs will be. You can find numerous prompt ideas and concepts online. The reality is that through your own experimentation and usage you’ll find key ones that work best for you. Here are five essential prompts that I find invaluable and can kick start your GenAI results. Trying these prompts while you read the blog will help you learn to use generative AI. 

1. Prompt to act as: Give your AI tool a role to play so it can begin to get in the right “mindset” to help you. “Act as a financial marketer” sets a different tone than “act as a banking compliance officer”. Just like “act as an attorney” or “act as a comedian” are very different, help the AI tool to understand the perspective you want it to take with this simple prompt. 

“Act as a personal banker explaining to a client why laddering their savings between short-term and long-term terms is beneficial.”

“Act as a office manager and write an agenda to explain the basics of budgeting and saving to high school students”

“Act as a compliance officer and review a sales promotion the business banking team has requested.”

Each of these examples will help GenAI focus its efforts on more tailored output. 

2. State an Objective: Clearly state what you want the AI to achieve. Be specific: “Write a blog about home equity loans targeting empty-nest baby boomers looking to remodel” is more effective than “write a blog about home equity.” Be specific and you’ll have results that match your expectations. You may also want AI to brainstorm to find and create solutions. 

“Your objective is to persuade clients to visit the office.
“Your objective is to help beginners understand a complex topic.”
“Your objective is to help me think of creative new approaches.”

These examples can help you create a defined outcome for your GenAI session. 

3. Use a Tone: Specify the desired tone of voice to align with your brand’s personality. Options include serious, funny, educational, assertive, and many more. Experiment to find what resonates best with your audience.

“Use a tone that is helpful and educational.”
“Use a tone that is direct and supportive.”

Tone is a simple concept, but often left out of prompts. We’re all in the business of communicating and the right tone can positively or negatively amplify your message. 

4. Target an Audience: Tailor the content to your target demographic. Whether it’s Generation Z or baby boomers, understanding your audience helps the GenAI create more relevant and engaging content. One of the greatest writing benefits of artificial intelligence in banking is not only writing to an audience but writing to many audiences very quickly. 

“Your audience will be financial professionals.”
“Write for an audience of 18-year-old tellers who are new to banking.”
“This marketing is targeting baby boomers who are empty nesters.”

You’ll instantly improve your communication skills by communicating more clearly to your intended audience.

5. Format With: Specify the desired output format. Whether it’s a five-minute blog, a table with features and benefits, or an executive summary, formatting helps you get the information you need in a way that’s immediately usable. Thinking critically about your presentation can help you be more impactful with your presentation.

“Format as a blog and include three bullet points with features and benefits.”
“Write in a format that’s a presentation I’ll be giving.”
“Your format should be an executive summary.”

Formats can take many different forms, including PowerPoints slides, scripts, point counter point, tables, and more.

Great prompting takes time to develop, just like developing a relationship with a new team member.

Daryll Schmitz, Marketing Analytics Specialist with Lake Ridge Bank, has found success by thinking critically about how his prompts create different outcomes with AI. “I think the real magic starts to happen when you realize that the limiting factor with GenAI is yourself. When I’m not getting the results I want, I go back and rephrase my prompts. I find that just like working with a person, sometimes I need to ask questions or make different requests. Each person can understand topics and directions differently, and when I’m stumped with AI I remind myself of this.”

Ben is available for consulting and training to help you begin applying GenAI at your bank or credit union. Learn more.