google_workspace_prompting_guide_abridged_smbs_startups_september2024.pdf

An abridged special edition for startups and small businesses September 2024 1 Writing effective prompts From the very beginning, Google Workspace was built to allow you to collaborate in real time with other people. Now, you can also collaborate with AI using Ge...

An abridged special edition for startups and small businesses September 2024 1 Writing effective prompts From the very beginning, Google Workspace was built to allow you to collaborate in real time with other people. Now, you can also collaborate with AI using Gemini for Google Workspace to help boost your productivity and creativity without sacrificing privacy or security. The embedded generative AI-powered features can help you write, organize information, create images, accelerate workflows, have richer meetings, and much more, all while using your favorite apps like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Meet, Google Slides, and Gemini Advanced (the standalone chat experience available at gemini.google.com with enterprise- grade security). Gemini is accessible right where you are doing your work — with access to your personal knowledge base in Drive, Docs, Gmail, and more — so you can enhance and create powerful workflows across the Workspace apps with less tab switching and interruption. This guide provides you with the foundational skills to write effective prompts when using Gemini for Workspace. You can think of a prompt as a conversation starter with your AI-powered assistant. You might write several prompts as the conversation progresses. While the possibilities are virtually endless, you can put consistent best practices to work today. The four main areas to consider when writing an effective prompt are: Persona Task Context Format Here is an example of a prompt using all four areas that could work well in Gmail and Google Docs: You are a business owner in [industry]. Draft an outreach email to suggest a partnership with [persona or company] based on [relevant details about your business]. Use a formal tone. You don’t need to use all four in every prompt, but using a few will help! Always remember to include a verb or command as part of your task; this is the most important component of a prompt. Download the full Prompting guide 101 2 Here are quick tips to get you started with Gemini for Google Workspace: 1. Use natural language. Write as if you’re speaking to another person. Express complete thoughts in full sentences. 2. Be specific and iterate. Tell Gemini what you need it to do (summarize, write, change the tone, create). Provide as much context as possible. 3. Be concise and avoid complexity. State your request in brief — but specific — language. Avoid jargon. 4. Make it a conversation. Fine-tune your prompts if the results don’t meet your expectations or if you believe there’s room for improvement. Use follow-up prompts and an iterative process of review and refinement to yield better results. 5. Use your documents. Personalize Gemini’s output with information from your own files in Google Drive. 6. Make Gemini your prompt editor. When using Gemini Advanced, start your prompts with: “Make this a power prompt: [original prompt text here].” Gemini will make suggestions on how to improve your prompt. Ensure it says what you need, and then paste it back into Gemini Advanced to get an output. Prompting is a skill we can all learn. You don’t have to be a prompt engineer to use generative AI. However, you will likely need to try a few different approaches for your prompt if you don’t get your desired outcome the first time. Based on what we’ve learned from our users so far, the most fruitful prompts average around 21 words with relevant context, yet the prompts people try are usually less than nine words. Generative AI and all of its possibilities are exciting, but it’s still new. Even though our models are getting better every day, prompts can sometimes have unpredictable responses. Before putting an output from Gemini for Workspace into action, review it to ensure clarity, relevance, and accuracy. And of course, keep the most important thing in mind: Generative AI is meant to help humans but the final output is yours. The example prompts in this guide are meant for illustrative purposes. 3 Table of contents Writing effective prompts..................................................... Page 2 Introduction................................................................... Page 5 Project managers............................................................. Page 7 Small business owners and entrepreneurs................................... Page 11 Startup leaders............................................................... Page 15 Leveling up your prompt writing............................................. Page 20 4 Introduction Gemini for Google Workspace: Prompting 101 Gemini for Google Workspace is your AI-powered assistant integrated into the apps you use every day — Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Meet, Google Slides, and Gemini Advanced (the standalone chat experience available at gemini.google.com with enterprise-grade security). This means the apps you know and use will work together smoothly, so you can collaborate with Gemini right where you are. You can have fewer interruptions to your focus and workflow, helping you complete tasks and do things you might not have initially known how to do. You can access the features of Gemini for Workspace in multiple ways. Engaging with Gemini in the side panel of your Workspace apps allows you to create highly personalized generative AI outputs that are based on your own files and documents — even if they aren’t Google Docs. You can generate personalized emails in seconds referencing your own Docs to pull in relevant context, generate Slides that are based on information directly from your own briefs or reports, and so much more. Understanding what makes an effective prompt and learning to craft prompts on the fly can boost your productivity and creativity. Gemini for Workspace can help you: Improve your writing Organize data Create original images Summarize information and surface insights Have better meetings with automatic note taking Research unfamiliar topics easily Spot trends, synthesize information, and identify business opportunities For 25 years, Google has built helpful, secure, and safe products that give users choice and control over their data. It’s a bedrock principle for us. This was the case back when we first launched Gmail in 2004, and it remains true in the era of generative AI. This means your data is your data and does not belong to Google. Your data stays in your Workspace environment. Your privacy is protected. Your content is not used for targeting ads or to train or improve Gemini or any other generative AI models. 5 How to use this prompt guide This guide introduces you to prompting with Gemini for Workspace. It includes strong prompt design examples to help you get started. Additionally, it covers scenarios for different personas, use cases, and potential prompts. You will notice a variety of prompt styles. Some prompts have brackets, which indicate where you would fill in specific details or tag your own personal files by typing @file name. Other prompts are presented without variables highlighted to show you what a full prompt could look like. All of the prompts in this guide are meant to inspire you, but ultimately they will need to be customized to help you with your specific work. To get started, use the role-specific suggested prompts as inspiration to help you unlock a new and powerful way of working. Next, learn how you can get started with different features by visiting g.co/gemini/features. 6 Project managers As the conductor of complex, ever-evolving projects, your mission is to navigate timelines, coordinate teams, and ensure your projects deliver the intended impact. This section will help you learn the basics of prompting and optimize your project management workflow. Getting started First, review the general prompt-writing tips on page 2 and the Prompting 101 section at the beginning of this guide. Each prompt below is presented with an accompanying scenario to serve as inspiration for how you can collaborate with Gemini for Google Workspace. The prompt iteration example shows how you could write follow- up prompts to build on the initial generated response. Prompt iteration example Use case: Generate user acceptance tests Your team just completed the registration form for a new website, and now you need to generate some user acceptance tests (UATs). To start a draft, you visit Gemini Advanced and type: Create a table with 10 user acceptance tests (UATs) for a website registration form. (Gemini Advanced) Persona Task Context Format Gemini Advanced 7 You think the results are a helpful starting point, so you select Share & export and Export to Docs before drafting an email to your colleague who is running the UATs. You want to explain what they need to do. You continue your conversation with Gemini Advanced. You type: Draft an email to [my colleague] who is running this UAT and explain what they need to do next. (Gemini Advanced) Gemini Advanced The drafted email provides a helpful starting point, so you export the results to Gmail, and you make edits directly before sending the message to your colleague. 8  Gemini in Gmail Example use cases Project Manager Use case: Report on project status You just had a lengthy call with all of your project stakeholders and now you want to summarize what was discussed and follow up with assigned action items. In the Google Doc with the meeting transcript, you prompt Gemini in Docs. You type: Summarize this call transcript in a short paragraph. In bullet points, highlight the action items, decisions made, and owners for each item. (Gemini in Docs) You need to update your manager based on the activity from the last call. You want to templatize how your project status updates are delivered. You open a new Google Doc, and you prompt Gemini in Docs by selecting Help me write. You type: Draft a project status update email template to send to my manager. Include sections for a summary of key accomplishments this week, any challenges faced, and the top three priorities for next week. (Gemini in Docs) 9 The team just hit its key milestones an entire week early. It’s been a challenging project, so you want to gather everyone to celebrate together. You open Gmail and prompt Gemini in Gmail by selecting Help me write. You type: Write an invitation for a team lunch to celebrate the progress made on a project and include [date, time, and location]. Thank them for all of their hard work and acknowledge that this has been a challenging project. (Gemini in Gmail) Use case: Develop an issue tracker and related communications You need to create a project issue tracker to keep track of risks and solve them in a timely manner. You want to create a template quickly, so you open a new Google Sheet and prompt Gemini in the Sheets side panel. You type: Create a spreadsheet to track project issues, including descriptions, status, assigned owner, and action items for resolution. (Gemini in Sheets) Before the project fully kicks off, you want to have standardized communication templates at your disposal. For example, you want an email that can be used if an issue arises. You open a new Google Doc and prompt Gemini in Docs by selecting Help me write. You type: Draft an email template to alert stakeholders when an issue arises and include causes, solutions, and timelines to resolve it. (Gemini in Docs) You like the template that Gemini in Docs creates, and you want to create an additional, slightly different email template. In the same Google Doc, you prompt Gemini in Docs by selecting Help me write. You type: Draft an email template to a stakeholder to escalate a critical project issue, outlining the impact and proposed solution. (Gemini in Docs) 10 Small business owners and entrepreneurs As the owner of a business, getting the most out of your working hours is critical when you’re juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. Understanding your market, delivering for your customers, and staying on top of many competing priorities is critical. This section introduces you to AI prompts designed to simplify complex choices with AI data analysis, streamline your email inbox, and help you stand out with creative marketing tactics. Discover how Gemini for Google Workspace can help you unlock deep insights, foster collaboration, and help propel your company to new heights. Getting started First, review the general prompt-writing tips on page 2 and the Prompting 101 section at the beginning of this guide. Each prompt below is presented with an accompanying scenario to serve as inspiration for how you can collaborate with Gemini for Workspace. The prompt iteration example shows how you could write follow-up prompts to build on the initial generated response. Prompt iteration example Use case: Create pricing comparison You are the owner of a local spa. You are evaluating offers you’ve received from two different cleaning companies. You want to find a company with the right price, flexibility, and level of service. You open a new Doc and prompt Gemini in the Docs side panel and tag relevant files by typing @file name in your prompt. You type: I’m a business owner and I’m trying to determine the right cleaning vendor using @[Company A Proposal] and @[Company B Proposal]. I need someone to come twice a week, and I want them to vacuum, mop, dust, clean the windows, and wipe down all surfaces. If available, include information about the booking and cancellation policy. Create a comparison table between the two companies’ proposals. (Gemini in Docs) Persona Task Context Format 11  Gemini in Docs Gemini returns a formatted table comparing the two proposals. After you make your decision, you go to your email and prompt Gemini in the Gmail side panel. You type: Write an email to Company A thanking them for their time and their proposal. Ask for a few times to meet to schedule cleanings. (Gemini in Gmail) Gemini in Gmail 12 Example use cases Owner Use case: Enhance personal productivity You have many important email messages to catch up on. You open your email and select an important thread. You open Gemini in the Gmail side panel, and it automatically summarizes the content. (Gemini in Gmail) Use case: Brainstorm and generate marketing content As the business owner, you are also responsible for marketing your services via your social channels, your email-based newsletter, and email marketing. You aren’t sure where to start, so you chat with Gemini Advanced. You type: I own a [type of business] in [location]. I am working on marketing materials to advertise [event/sale] on [services]. I want to focus on using this sale to bring in repeat customers who haven’t purchased in a while and new customers alike. I want the social posts to feel [inspirational] and [fun]. Suggest some social copy I can use on [social platform] with relevant hashtags, suggested newsletter copy, and two email drafts (one for existing customers and one for new customers). (Gemini Advanced) You like the suggestions Gemini provided, so you select Share & export and Export to Docs. You want to continue your brainstorm, so you ask Gemini: What are some other effective [event/sale] tactics I can use to bring in new customers? I don’t always want to offer discounts. Are there other incentives I am overlooking? (Gemini Advanced) You continue your conversation with Gemini and are able to create a solid list of marketing tactics to try. Use case: Develop a competitive analysis You started a company, and your online business is gaining traction. You have always dreamed of opening a brick-and-mortar store, and now might be the perfect time. You want a thought partner to help you better understand the current landscape. You open Gemini Advanced, and you type: I am an online business owner. I am considering opening a brick-and-mortar store. Conduct an analysis into the competitive landscape focusing on [focus area]. Provide the strengths and weaknesses of [key competitors] in this area, including their specific strategies, tactics, and results. Identify actionable insights and recommendations for how [my company] can improve its approach and gain a competitive advantage. (Gemini Advanced) 13 You gathered useful information from your discussion with Gemini Advanced. You want to go deeper in your brainstorming around two competitors in particular. You type: Generate a competitive analysis of [company] versus [competitor] within the current market landscape. (Gemini Advanced) You select Share & export and Export to Docs. Use case: Conduct fundraising and investor relations You’re ready to reach out to potential investors to make your brick-and-mortar store a reality. You want help getting started on an email to investors, so in the same Google Doc with your competitive analysis research, you prompt Gemini in Docs. You type: Draft a personalized email template to potential investors, highlighting [company’s] unique value proposition and recent progress on [initiatives]. Request a time to meet to discuss opportunities to collaborate in the next month. (Gemini in Docs) The email template gives you a starting place. You tweak the draft and continue to add a few personal touches before sending the email to the potential investors. After a successful meeting with them a month later, you want to draft a thank you message. You open your Google Doc with the meeting transcript and notes. You prompt Gemini in Docs to help you write an email draft. You type: Draft an email thanking a potential investor for the call and ask for time to schedule a follow-up meeting to address [questions and concerns]. (Gemini in Docs) Use case: Manage time off policies and tracking You have a lengthy handbook detailing all of your company’s policies and procedures. You want to make the time-off request policy easily digestible for new hires. You open the Google Doc with the handbook. You prompt Gemini in Docs by selecting Help me write. You type: Generate a step-by-step checklist summarizing the company’s time-off request policy. Ensure it is written in plain language and easy for employees to understand. (Gemini in Docs) You need a quick way to track staffing each week because many of your employees are shift-based. You open Gemini in the Sheets side panel. You type: Create a table that tracks weekly staffing. Create columns for date, name, shift (AM or PM), and notes. (Gemini in Sheets) 14 Startup leaders You thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments where you can wear many hats and make a tangible impact. You’re driven by a passion for innovation, a desire to learn and grow, and a tolerance for risk. Your work is unique in its variety, its potential for high reward, and its direct connection to the company’s success. You’re not just executing tasks; you’re building something from the ground up, shaping the future of your company, and potentially disrupting entire industries. Gemini for Google Workspace can help you redefine productivity and foster meaningful connections with investors, customers, and coworkers. This section provides practical prompts and real-world use cases designed specifically for you and your team. Learning to write effective prompts with Gemini for Workspace will help improve your productivity and streamline your everyday tasks, giving you more time to focus on strategic work. Getting started First, review the general prompt-writing tips on page 2 and the Prompting 101 section at the beginning of this guide. Each prompt below is presented with an accompanying scenario to serve as inspiration for how you can collaborate with Gemini for Workspace. The prompt iteration example shows how you could write follow-up prompts to build on the initial generated response. Prompt iteration example Use case: Brainstorm business and strategy You just had a productive planning and strategy brainstorming session with colleagues and you took many notes physically on a whiteboard. You snap a quick image with your phone and upload it directly to Gemini Advanced. You type: I am a founder at a startup focused on [industry]. I was brainstorming with colleagues about [topic], and we took notes on this whiteboard. Turn these notes into text. (Gemini Advanced) Persona Task Context Format 15  Gemini Advanced Now you want to proactively continue brainstorming before you recap all of the ideas and notes for the group in a follow-up email. You continue the conversation and type: Suggest follow-up items we could discuss for our [topic of brainstorm session]. What was not covered that could have been, and what are we potentially missing? (Gemini Advanced) Gemini Advanced 16 You save all of your notes by clicking Share & export and Export to Docs. You are ready to send the recap message to the team, so you open your email and prompt Gemini in the Gmail side panel and tag the relevant file of notes by typing @file name. You type: Use @[Brainstorm Notes and Ideas 9/1/24] to write a meeting recap to the team using an upbeat and friendly tone. Share some of the ideas I have for our next meeting to discuss [topic]. (Gemini in Gmail) Gemini in Gmail Example use cases Founder Use case: Create an elevator pitch (speech to text) You’re scheduled to present to a group of prospective investors. This will be your first time discussing your business with this audience. You need to work on your elevator pitch, so you chat with Gemini Advanced using your voice to prompt. You select the microphone icon and say: I’m the founder of [startup] in [industry], and I need help creating a short elevator pitch for [company and product description]. I need to make the pitch relevant to [audience] and I want to especially highlight [key features of product] because I want them to [take this action]. Include a compelling hook and anticipate questions an investor might have. Make the tone professional but relaxed and confident. (Gemini Advanced) 17 Use case: Develop your personal brand As your company grows, you’re working on increasing your social media presence, so you want to define and hone your personal brand. To brainstorm, you turn to Gemini Advanced. You type: Help me grow my personal brand. I am the founder of [a startup] in [industry]. I am passionate about [topics]. I want to inspire [audience] with business tips and lessons I’ve learned from starting my own company. My goals are to build a following so that I can [generate more media] for the business. What are some ideas you have for how to accomplish this? (Gemini Advanced) Gemini returns insights into how you can begin to build messaging and content that aligns to your personal brand and that can help you achieve your goals. Head of Operations Use case: Communicate and negotiate with vendors You’ve received a quote from two different manufacturers to create packaging for the company’s new product. You want to compare and contrast the offers before you negotiate. You open a new Doc and prompt Gemini in the Docs side panel and reference relevant files by typing @file name. You type: I need to make a vendor decision for packaging manufacturing. Create a table that compares the two proposals I’ve received @[Company A’s Proposal] and @[Company B’s Proposal]. (Gemini in Docs) Gemini creates a table comparing the two different proposals. You make a decision, but now you want to see if you can negotiate with your preferred vendor. You go to your inbox and start a new email draft. You prompt Gemini in the Gmail side panel. You type: Create an email draft to [selected vendor] telling them that I’ve decided to move forward with them as the [packaging] vendor, but I would like to negotiate [a bulk pricing discount]. Use a collaborative tone. (Gemini in Gmail) Gemini in Gmail returns a drafted message that is ready to send. You select Insert and send the email. Use case: Plan and track budgets You’re in planning mode and you first want to understand where previous years’ budgets were spent. You have all of this data in a Sheet. You decide to chat with Gemini Advanced. You upload the Sheet and prompt Gemini by typing: Using the attached spreadsheet, identify trends and patterns in our expenses by category over the last three years. Identify areas where costs have increased significantly and investigate potential reasons. (Gemini Advanced) 18 Gemini returns a response that helps inform your budget proposal for next year. Head of Product Use case: Develop a product launch plan Your team is creating a new product, and you want to conduct research to inform your launch plan in collaboration with the marketing team. Using Gemini, you want to simulate different launch scenarios based on factors like pricing, marketing strategies, and target audience. You go to Gemini Advanced to conduct research and type: I am head of product at [startup] in [industry] industry. We are building a product launch plan for [product]. I want to brainstorm a few different scenarios. We are considering offering the [product] at two different price points [A and B] and we are considering launching in [December or January]. Provide pros and cons of each scenario and suggest different ideas we may not have considered. (Gemini Advanced) You want to continue market research brainstorming. You type: How do these prices compare to [competitor products’] prices? Detail what pricing strategies [competitors] use for [products], and list any common tactics they use (such as free trials, discounts, etc.). Summarize how they position the product to [audience]. Cite your sources. (Gemini Advanced) Your research helps you refine your pricing structure and go-to-market strategy for your most important target audience. Use case: Develop product strategy and roadmap You want to refine your product strategy and roadmap. You’ve collected user feedback in a spreadsheet, and you want to clean it up so that it is ready for deeper analysis. You chat with Gemini Advanced and upload a file. You type: Help me clean my [user feedback] survey spreadsheet. Specifically, fill any blank values in the name column with “Anonymous,” then if the [recommend] column shows [Yes], replace that with [Y]. Finally, remove any rows where the satisfaction column is blank. Please generate a new file for me with my cleaned data. (Gemini Advanced) 19 Gemini returns a clean file for you to conduct deeper analysis on, and from this file, you notice a few trends. You have alignment from the team on features to address recurring user feedback, and now you want to build a high-level roadmap that you can use as a starting point. You continue your conversation with Gemini Advanced. You type: I am head of product at [startup] in the [industry] industry. We are adding [features] to our [product] to address recurring user feedback, including [feedback trends]. Build a high-level roadmap that will keep us on track for a Q4 delivery. Put it in a table format. (Gemini Advanced) Gemini returns a helpful starting point. You want to save the work so you click Export to Docs. Leveling up your prompt writing This guide is meant to serve as inspiration, and the possibilities are nearly endless with Gemini for Google Workspace. Build on your prompt-writing skills using these tips. Break it up. If you want Gemini for Workspace to perform several related tasks, break them into separate prompts. Give constraints. To generate specific results, include details in your prompt such as character count limits or the number of options you’d like to generate. Assign a role. To encourage creativity, assign a role. You can do this by starting your prompt with language like: “You are the head of a creative department for a leading advertising agency …” Ask for feedback. In your conversation with Gemini Advanced, tell it that you’re giving it a project, include all the relevant details, and then describe the output you want. Continue the conversation by asking questions like, “What questions do you have for me that would help you provide the best output?” Consider tone. Tailor your prompts to suit your intended audience. Ask for outputs to have a specific tone, such as formal, informal, technical, creative, or casual. Say it another way. Fine-tune your prompts if the results don’t meet your expectations or if you believe there’s room for improvement. An iterative process of review and refinement often yields better results. Generative AI and all of its possibilities are exciting, but it’s still new. Even though our models are getting better every day, prompts can sometimes have unpredictable responses. Before putting an output from Gemini for Workspace into action, review it to ensure clarity, relevance, and accuracy. And of course, keep the most important thing in mind: Generative AI is meant to help humans, but the final output is yours. The example prompts in this guide are meant for illustrative purposes. 20 Stay up to date workspace.google.com workspace.google.com/blog Download the full Prompting guide 101 21