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An invented Christchurch builder needs
to update a homeowner about their quote.

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The first prompt says: write
something about a quote.

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That gives Claude very
little to work with,

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so the draft can fill
the gaps with guesses.

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A start date. A price.

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Neither came from you.

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A useful prompt carries the facts,

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and describes the finished draft.

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Write your source notes
first, then the instruction.

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Keep them separate, so you
can see which parts are facts.

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Claude's own help pages say the same:

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be specific, avoid vague requests,

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and include relevant context.

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Start with the task: draft
an email to the homeowner.

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Add the context: the
site visit is complete,

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and the quote is still under review.

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Give a role: an office administrator,

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drafting for the manager to review.

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A role guides the writing.

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It doesn't give Claude
professional qualifications.

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Then describe the output: a subject line,

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and a body under a hundred words,

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in New Zealand English,
with a friendly tone.

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Name the audience as well: a homeowner
who isn't in the building trade,

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so plain words beat jargon.

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Now the boundary. Do not invent a price,

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a due date, or a guarantee.

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That one line protects the business.

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Examples help too. One invented
sentence can show your office's tone.

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For a table, give one made-up example row,

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so Claude copies the structure.

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Don't use real customer
emails as examples.

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Then read the draft against the facts,

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sentence by sentence.

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Underline every claim you could check,

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and compare each one with your notes.

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Say the draft promises: your
quote will arrive on Friday.

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Friday wasn't in your notes.

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If a claim has no source, remove it,

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or mark it as a question
for the person responsible.

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When you ask for a change, be specific.

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Not, make it better.

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Instead: shorten the body to sixty words,

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keep the facts, and
remove the added deadline.

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Changes to style can also change meaning,

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so check again after every revision.

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A tidy answer still needs a human review.

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When a prompt works, keep the pattern.

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Leave empty spaces for the task,

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audience, source and limits, and fill
them with approved facts next time.

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Never save private information
in your prompt library.

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A saved prompt is a starting
point for judgement,

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not permission to skip the check.

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Try the before-and-after
exercise in the next lesson.