Stop Googling, Start Conversing: The Key to Talking to AI

I want you to be honest with me. When you open ChatGPT or Gemini, how do you talk to it?

Do you type something like: “Write a blog post about marketing trends.”

And then, when it spits out a generic, boring, soul-sucking article that starts with "In today’s fast-paced digital landscape...", do you roll your eyes and think, “See? AI isn’t that good”?

If that sounds familiar, I have some tough love for you. The problem isn’t the AI. The problem is that you are talking to it like it’s Google.

The "Search Engine" Trap

For the last 20 years, we have been trained to speak in keywords.

• “Best pizza NYC”

• “Marketing trends 2026”

• “How to fix leaky faucet”

We throw a few words at the search bar, and we expect a list of links in return.

But an LLM (Large Language Model) is not a search engine. It is a Reasoning Engine. It is designed to predict language based on context. If you give it zero context (i.e., a Google query), it will give you the most average, statistically probable answer.

And "statistically probable" is just a fancy word for "boring."

How to Talk to a Staff Member

To get high-quality work out of AI, you have to stop "querying" and start "conversing."

Imagine you hired a real, human intern named Steve.

If you walked past Steve’s desk and yelled "MARKETING TRENDS!" and kept walking, what would Steve do? He’d panic. He’d Google something generic. He’d give you a bad report.

But if you sat down with Steve and said: "Hey, I need to write a blog post for small business owners who are tired of social media. I want to talk about how 'print' is making a comeback. Can you find me 3 examples of brands doing this well, and keep the tone sassy but professional?"

Now Steve knows what to do.

The "Golden Prompt" Formula

You don't need to be a "Prompt Engineer" to get this right. You just need a better brief. Here is the simple 4-part formula I use for everything:

1. Role: Who is the AI? ("Act as a Senior Marketing Strategist...")

2. Context: Who is this for? ("My audience is overwhelmed Gen Z founders...")

3. Task: What do you need? ("Draft an outline for a blog post about...")

4. Constraint: What are the rules? ("No corporate jargon, keep it under 500 words, use short sentences.")

The Secret Step: The Reply

Here is the part most people miss.

When the AI gives you the first draft, don't just accept it.

If Steve the Intern handed you a draft that was a little bit off, you wouldn't fire him. You would say, "This is a good start, Steve, but the intro is too long. Cut the first paragraph and make the tone punchier."

You can do the exact same thing with AI.

• "That’s too formal. Make it sound more like a friend talking to a friend."

• "You missed the point about budget. Add a section on low-cost options."

• "Give me 5 more headline options, but make them funnier."

It is a conversation. The magic doesn't happen in the first prompt; it happens in the edit.

The Bottom Line

AI is a mirror. If you give it low-effort input, you will get low-value output.

But if you treat it with the same nuance, context, and conversation you would give a human team member, you will be shocked at how smart it suddenly becomes.

So, stop Googling. Start chatting.