What’s your AI prompting style?
When you use AI tools, do you fire off quick one-line questions or do you take the time to explain exactly what you need? Are you finding yourself using AI just for one thing and then suddenly for everything, or are you relying on AI to turn every idea into content? In this episode, I talk about different prompting styles and why the way you give instructions to AI matters more than you might think. You might be surprised at how a change in your approach could improve your results and help you use AI more authentically.
Listen to this new 7-minute episode for ideas on finding your own AI prompting style and tips to make your use of AI more genuine and effective.
If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at [email protected] or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.com
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View the full transcript on Alan’s site: https://alanberg.com/blog/
Summary:
In this episode I dive deep into the different styles people use when prompting AI whether you are just giving a single line instruction asking a quick question or you are someone who writes out detailed paragraphs for maximum context there are many different ways to interact with these tools I explore the concept of “prompting styles” which range from the one-liner to the over-explainer the systems architect the content machine the passive subscriber and the reluctant convert
I share examples from my own experience both as someone who uses AI for quick lookups and as someone who provides detailed prompts when I want specific results There is insight on how giving better instructions usually leads to better AI output and how your approach might shift depending on your needs I talk about how I once resisted using AI only to become a regular user after seeing its potential at a conference and what it means to be authentic and intentional when using AI for your own business content
Overall this episode is all about understanding your own AI prompting habits and considering how tweaking your style could get you more authentic useful results in your wedding business
What’s your AI prompting style? Ooh, what is he talking about? Listen to this episode, you’ll find out.
Hey, it’s Allen Berg. Welcome back to another episode of the Wedding Business Solutions podcast. I got an email today from IFTTT, If This Then That, and it’s a service where you connect different applets where if this happens, then that happens.
For instance, every time I post a new podcast like this, it goes to my Google Business page, and it’s done through little applets. And you can do this with Zapier, with little zaps and things like that.
But they have a newsletter that goes out, and this one was, what’s your AI prompting style? And I was curious, so I went in to see what they were talking about.
And the first one was the one-liner, where you just give it one line of text and you say, okay, here’s what I want.
And if you’ve ever done any AI prompting, you know that that’s usually not a good one. It’s good when you’re using it as a vending machine and you ask it a question. So if I say, you know, what’s the air filter I need on this year and model car? That’s a one-liner. That’s the thing.
And I remember being at a conference and the speaker asked, who gets better results from AI? People in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, whatever. And a lot of people were talking about the younger people.
And then he said, it’s actually people over 45 because you give better instructions. And the reality is, it’s not about age, it’s about giving better instructions.
But the funny thing is, when I had mentioned that to my assistant, who was a few years out of college, she said, yeah, I give it one line, you give it two paragraphs. And again, that’s part of the prompting style.
So the one-liner is fine for certain things. You ask it a question, you get an answer, and those are the types of things where they call it a vending machine.
Then you have the over-explainer, and the over-explainer gives a lot of instruction. Now, depending upon what you’re looking for it to do, that is often a very good thing, where you’re giving a lot of information because you’re going to get a better result towards the answer you’re looking for, the format you’re looking for, the length that you’re looking for, the tone and the voice and all those things. And that’s important.
And there are times when I definitely give a lot of that because there’s a specific way I want the output. Now, the reason I learned that is because of the times where I didn’t do that and didn’t get the answer anywhere near what I was looking for.
So the over-explainer is the opposite of that one-liner.
The systems architect is, they said, you don’t prompt it, you’re giving it a brief, like you’re briefing your team to do things. So you’re giving very specific instructions, but you’re saying, all right, team, here’s what we need to do, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, and then you go on, you move on.
The content machine, every thought becomes content, and you just throw every thought into AI. You can do this actually with different applets through IFTTT, or probably Zapier, where they had one where you could hashtag ChatGPT in your email.
And then it would take that information and put it into this database that just keeps growing, this library of content, and you can now just use every thought.
And it’s kind of like people would have a little notepad and write things down, or they would have a voice recorder and they would just record everything, and then you’re able to use that stuff. So that’s the content machine.
The passive subscriber, you prompt it to do things, and then it’s just kind of on autopilot. So every day the right news shows up in your newsfeed and you have different things.
Even before AI, there were things like I use Google Alerts for my name and I use Google Alerts for some of my clients’ names. So if it comes up anywhere in the news, it sends you an email and you can ask it daily, weekly, whatever.
The funny thing with me is where my name is not a very common name, but it’s a common name. And the most famous Allen Berg was actually killed by white supremacist neo-Nazi skinheads in 1984.
He was an outspoken liberal radio DJ in Denver, and he got gunned down in his driveway. So anytime something comes up about antisemitism or violence like that, he tends to pop up. So I get these alerts to that.
And then there’s other people. I think there’s a Jeffrey Allenberg who’s a judge somewhere that shows up in my feed. So it’s a Google Alert.
Now, you can do this with AI now, but even before AI, Google had these Google Alerts. So passive subscriber. I don’t remember when I signed up for that, but it just keeps happening.
The reluctant convert. The reluctant convert is you told yourself, I’m just going to use this for one thing. I’m just going to use this AI thing for one thing. And then one thing turned into another, to another, to another, to another. And now you just can’t stop using it.
There you go. So what’s your prompting style? The one-liner, the over-explainer, the systems architect, the content machine, the passive subscriber, or the reluctant convert. Which one is you?
I think for me, I’m a chameleon. I use a little bit of each of those at different times, but mostly for me, I’m the one-liner because I use, like Perplexity is my go-to over Google these days where I’m looking for something and I will just put that into Perplexity and say, here, like what’s the battery that I need for this remote in my car key, or what’s the filter I need for this refrigerator or something like that.
That’s the one-liner. What is this?
And then I’m also the over-explainer where I really want to get something deeper and I’m giving it examples and I’m giving it who the audience is and things like that. So I definitely would say I do those two mostly.
Content machine? Nah, every thought becomes content. I don’t think so. Passive subscriber, a little bit of that.
Reluctant convert. I am the ultimate reluctant convert because in 2024, beginning of the year, I didn’t use AI. And then I went to a conference, and if you’ve heard my other podcasts about you’ve got to just show up because the good stuff happens when you show up, I told myself I didn’t need anything, but I went to this conference anyway.
And the very first session were two speakers talking about using AI with your own content. And that just converted me completely to, I don’t need this tool, to wait a second, I have a lot of content, what could I do with my content?
And then I became the ultimate convert there because I’m like, okay, I’m going to use, oh, now this, now this, now this. And then in 2025, OpenAI said I was in the top 3% of all ChatGPT users, going from not using it to that.
But that’s what I teach now, is being more authentic with AI and how to use AI with your own voice and with your own content to be more authentic.
And wow, from not using it at all, and now I’m using that because I want people to be more authentic. I don’t want all of this AI slop that they call it now that’s out there.
So what’s your prompting style? You have one of these, you have a few of these, which one do you have? I thought it was interesting.
If you want to see that article more, just look up IFTTT. IFTTT, that’s the company. I’m sure it’s on their blog or their newsletter or something like that.
And yeah, I just thought it was interesting. Hope you did too. Thanks.
I’m Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you’d like to suggest other topics for “The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast” please let me know. My email is [email protected] or you can text, use the short form on this page, or call +1.732.422.6362, international 001 732 422 6362. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks.
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Question
What are the different AI prompting styles I can use?
Tags:
#AI #productivity #technology
Answer
There are six main AI prompting styles: the one-liner, the over-explainer, the systems architect, the content machine, the passive subscriber, and the reluctant convert. Each style offers a different approach—quick questions, detailed instructions, process-oriented tasks, nonstop idea capturing, set-it-and-forget-it automation, or hesitant use that grows over time.
Takeaway: Choose a prompting style that fits your workflow and goals.
Question
Is using one-line prompts effective with AI?
Tags:
#AI #productivity #tips
Answer
One-line prompts work well for simple, factual questions—think of it like a vending machine. You ask a direct question and get a direct answer. But for more complex needs, a one-liner usually won’t give you the best results.
Takeaway: Simple questions get simple answers.
Question
How does giving more detailed instructions impact AI results?
Tags:
#AI #communication #results
Answer
When I give AI more details—like tone, audience, length, or format—I get responses that are closer to what I actually want. More context generally means better results.
Takeaway: The quality of your input shapes the quality of AI’s output.
Question
Why do older users sometimes get better results from AI than younger ones?
Tags:
#AI #communication #experience
Answer
It’s not really about age. People with more experience tend to give clearer and more thorough instructions, which leads to better AI responses. It’s the quality of direction that matters, not your birth year.
Takeaway: Clear instructions beat youthful speed.
Question
What’s the “systems architect” approach to AI prompting?
Tags:
#AI #strategy #workflow
Answer
Think of the AI like part of your team. I brief it with step-by-step instructions, just as I would delegate tasks to people. This method is great for coordinating multiple actions or creating complex outputs.
Takeaway: Treat AI like a teammate for better results.
Question
What does it mean to be a “content machine” with AI?
Tags:
#AI #contentcreation #productivity
Answer
Every idea that comes to me, I turn into content using AI. I use tools or automation so all my inspiration ends up in a database of reusable ideas. It’s like always having a notepad or voice recorder handy—except supercharged.
Takeaway: Capture every idea; AI turns thoughts into content fast.
Question
How can AI power passive automation in my business?
Tags:
#AI #automation #business
Answer
I set up systems where AI automatically feeds me news, updates, or data without constant prompting—just like Google Alerts. It runs in the background, delivering value without extra effort.
Takeaway: Automated AI keeps you informed with almost zero effort.
Question
What is a “reluctant convert” when it comes to adopting AI?
Tags:
#AI #mindset #change
Answer
You might start out intending to use AI for just one thing. But after seeing its capabilities, it turns into another task, then another, and suddenly you can’t imagine your workflow without it. That’s the reluctant convert’s journey.
Takeaway: It’s easy to go from skeptic to super-user once you try AI.
Question
Which AI prompting style do you recommend for most people?
Tags:
#AI #productivity #advice
Answer
I actually use a mix, but I rely most on one-liners for quick answers and detailed prompts when I want tailored results. The best style depends on what you’re trying to achieve—so don’t feel you have to stick to just one.
Takeaway: Mix your prompting styles to match your goals.
Question
What’s a common mistake people make with AI prompts?
Tags:
#AI #mistakes #communication
Answer
Too many people treat AI like a vending machine and expect great results from minimal input. Lazy prompts get lazy answers—give more direction to get better outcomes.
Takeaway: You get out of AI what you put in.
Question
How did your approach to AI change after attending a conference?
Tags:
#AI #learning #growth
Answer
At first, I didn’t see the need for AI. But a conference session about using AI with your own content changed my mind. Now, I use it constantly and even teach others how to get more authentic results with their own voice.
Takeaway: Staying open to new tools can transform your business.
Question
How can I use AI to sound more authentic?
Tags:
#AI #authenticity #marketing
Answer
Don’t let AI replace your voice—use it to enhance your message. Feed it examples of your content and specific instructions, so your personality comes through in the results.
Takeaway: AI should amplify, not erase, your unique voice.
Question
Why should tasks be matched to different AI prompting styles?
Tags:
#AI #workflow #efficiency
Answer
Different tasks call for different approaches. Quick facts need short prompts. Creative projects or specific outputs demand more detail. Matching the prompting style to the task saves time and improves results.
Takeaway: Adapt your prompt to the job for maximum efficiency.
Question
Can AI help organize all my thoughts and notes automatically?
Tags:
#AI #organization #contentcreation
Answer
Absolutely. I use tools that push every note or email tagged a certain way straight into a content database. AI helps categorize and store my ideas so nothing gets forgotten.
Takeaway: AI turns scattered ideas into organized resources.
Question
Do you need to be a tech expert to benefit from AI prompting?
Tags:
#AI #simplicity #business
Answer
Not at all. Many powerful prompting styles—like the one-liner or simple automation—require little to no technical skill. Consistency and clarity matter more than complexity.
Takeaway: Simplicity and clear instructions beat tech skills every time.
Question
How can I stop AI from producing generic or “sloppy” content?
Tags:
#AI #contentquality #bestpractices
Answer
Give AI specific details about your audience, tone, and intent. The more context you provide, the less likely it’ll spit out generic fluff. Don’t accept “AI slop”—be intentional with your prompts.
Takeaway: Specific prompts keep your content sharp and original.
Question
How did you become a frequent user of AI after years of not using it?
Tags:
#AI #change #personalstory
Answer
At first, I never touched AI. After one event shifted my thinking, I went from zero use to being in the top 3% of ChatGPT users. The right insight can spark big changes.
Takeaway: One aha moment can reshape your entire workflow.
Question
What’s the value of combining AI prompting styles instead of sticking to one?
Tags:
#AI #adaptability #productivity
Answer
I use different styles depending on what I need—a quick fact, a detailed process, or idea collection. Mixing styles keeps my workflow flexible and effective.
Takeaway: Flexibility with AI leads to better, faster results.
Question
How do you avoid overwhelm when using AI for lots of tasks?
Tags:
#AI #focus #productivity
Answer
Stick with a few prompting approaches that fit your most common tasks. Don’t try to master every technique at once; adapt as your needs grow. It’s about what works for you.
Takeaway: Start simple—expand only when you see real value.
Question
Why is it important to use your own content with AI?
Tags:
#AI #branding #authenticity
Answer
Using your own material ensures the AI output actually sounds like you. It protects your brand and keeps your messaging authentic—not just another bland, AI-generated answer.
Takeaway: Feed AI your voice for results that reflect your brand.
Question
How can I learn more about AI prompting styles?
Tags:
#AI #resources #learning
Answer
Check out IFTTT’s blog or newsletter for more details on different AI prompting approaches. Real-world examples can help you decide what fits your style.
Takeaway: Learn from others to refine your own prompting style.
