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Hey human!

I'm always looking for ways to provide more value to clients. 

One of the most important things I've learned over the years is the power of asking good questions. 

And by good, I mean kinda basic.

I’m not afraid to ask the “dumb” question. Questions help me to understand a situation better, gather valuable information . . . and also build rapport.

This brings me to our new pal ChatGPT, or Mr. Chatterbox to you.

I remember exactly where I was when I tried ChatGPT for the first time. I was driving through the outskirts of Austin in search of a pickleball court.

I didn’t really understand how it worked, so I just dove right in. 

Me: How big is the Pickleball industry?

Mr. Chatterbox proceeded to spit out paragraphs of information. (Unless       you’ve been under a rock, you already know that it’s HUGE!!!)

Me: OK, write a blog post about the growth of Pickleball.

Mr, Chatterbox proceeds to write a neatly formatted post complete with title, sections, bullets, and conclusion paragraph.

 I had an existential crisis right at that moment. I thought, if Mr. Chatterbox can do that – in seconds!!! – what the hell am I good for? I’m serious, it really unnerved me. Especially the writing part.

Thankfully, I realized Mr. Chatterbox isn’t the best writer. He’s highly repetitive, and I swear every single thing you ask him to compose starts with some form of “In a world, . . . “ 

 But, as time went on, I realized that the real power in ChatGPT lies in how it forces you to ask better questions (or to give better instructions, aka “prompts”) to get a good answer.

You see, at first, working with Mr. C really f-ing annoyed me. Because I was asking questions as if I was a robot. Weird, huh?

But then I started being truly curious, and using it for discovery . . .

Here are a few ways I've been using it:

To ask open-ended but obvious questions.

            Prompt: Why is it so hard for [company type] to grow subscribers?

To generate a list of questions: When I'm starting a new project or working on a complex problem, I'll often use ChatGPT to generate a list of questions to ask. This helps me to get a better understanding of the situation and identify the key information I need to gather.
 

To get feedback on my questions: Once I've developed a list of questions, I'll often use ChatGPT to get feedback on them. This helps me to make sure my questions are clear, concise, and relevant.

        Prompt: How can I improve this question? [Insert question]

To develop a comprehensive prompt for research: ChatGPT can be used to create a comprehensive prompt that covers all the topics and information I need to research. This helps make sure I'm not missing anything important.

      Prompt: Generate a prompt for research on [industry].

How do you know if you’re asking good questions or getting good answers? Well, it starts with actually reading what it writes! 

I’m not gonna lie, there can be a lot of nonsense in there. You have to use your spidey-sense first, and then your good old fashioned googling skills.

• Does the response make sense?
• Can you cross-check any claims or research that could get you into a ton of hot water?
• Are the sources legit?

ChatGPT is an outstanding tool for improving your questioning skills. So if you're looking for a way to develop these skills – which I highly encourage – give it a try.  

Here are a few tips for using ChatGPT to ask better questions:

• Be specific: The more specific your questions are, the more likely you are to get the information you need.
• Be open-ended: Don't be afraid to ask open-ended questions. These types of questions can help you to gather more information and get a better understanding of the situation.
• Be curious: Ask the questions behind the questions that you really want to know more about.

Thanks for reading to the end! Happy weekend. 

Ginger

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