ChatGPT is an AI system developed by OpenAI that can understand natural language prompts and generate human-like responses. It has shown immense potential in assisting with various writing tasks, including report writing. However, crafting effective prompts is key to getting the most out of ChatGPT.
This article will provide handy and practical prompt examples specifically for generating high-quality reports across different industries using ChatGPT.
What Makes a Good Prompt
When writing prompts for reports, it’s important to be clear, detailed, and specific about what you need. Good prompts act like a brief for ChatGPT, clearly stating the:
- Objective
- Format
- Length
- Tone and style
- Audience
- Any specific requirements
For example:
“Write a 1000-word quarterly sales report for the leadership team in a professional tone summarizing performance across regions and products. Include an executive summary, charts and graphs, and 3 key takeaways.”
Prompts for Different Report Sections
Here are some prompt examples for generating key sections of a data-driven business report using ChatGPT:
Executive Summary
“Provide a 250-word executive summary for a social media marketing report, highlighting 3 key metrics and recommendations.”
Introduction
“Write a 300-word introduction for a financial audit report. Give context on the purpose, time period, and scope.”
Methodology
“Explain the data collection methodology in 150 words for an HR report analyzing employee retention over the past 5 years.”
Findings
“Present the key findings from an environmental impact report in bullet points, using no more than 500 words.”
Data Visualizations
“Create 3 charts and graphs with captions to visualize website traffic data over the past year for an SEO report.”
Recommendations
“Provide 5 prioritized recommendations in paragraph format to reduce operating expenses by 10% for a operations report.”
Conclusion
“Summarize the key takeaways from a market research report on electric vehicles in 200 words using a professional tone.”
Helpful Prompting Tips
- Break down prompts into sections if requesting a long report
- Specify visual and data requirements upfront
- Set word counts for sections
- Use clear language to describe metrics and data sets
- Provide examples of preferred tone and formatting
Prompt Engineering for Common Report Types
Here are some prompt templates for various standard reports:
Sales and Marketing Reports
“Write a {length} sales and marketing report analyzing {metrics} over the past {timeframe}. Include an executive summary, charts, and {number} prioritized growth recommendations.”
Financial Reports
“Generate a {length} financial report summarizing the {company’s} {time-period} performance. Highlight {number} KPIs with graphs and provide {number} budget optimization strategies.”
Project Reports
“Create a {length} project status report for the {project name} detailing progress to date, next steps, and {number} risks with mitigation plans.”
HR and Culture Reports
“Write a quarterly {length} corporate culture report assessing employee satisfaction and retention rates compared to industry benchmarks. Outline {number} initiatives for improvement.”
Advanced Prompts for Tailored Reports
Take your ChatGPT reports to the next level by providing more context and requirements:
Include Examples
“Write a 500-word social media report similar in structure and format to this example report I have attached.”
Define Metrics
“Create a digital marketing dashboard reporting on CTR, bounce rate, lead conversion rate, and other key metrics defined as follows…”
Outline Comparisons
“Compare this company’s customer retention metrics over 5 years to industry averages in the telecom market.”
Set Qualitative Requirements
“Write an investigative report on recent data breaches in a neutral, journalistic tone using third-person language.”
The key is to find the right balance of direction and flexibility in your prompts. Test different prompting approaches to find what works best for your use case.
Useful Websites:
- https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
- https://writesonic.com/blog/chatgpt-prompts
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/06/12/the-best-prompts-to-show-off-the-mind-blowing-capabilities-of-chatgpt/