11 ChatGPT Examples for Business Users
Open-source artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for years, but in November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT. People had strong opinions about this tool, and some on the Unito team were a bit skeptical at first. If a free, online tool can write killer content in seconds, what did that mean for my job?
However, over the past few months, I’ve integrated ChatGPT into my regular work cadence, and you should, too. No, it’s not going to do everything perfectly for you, but it’ll help you work smarter and faster.
People shouldn’t be afraid of ChatGPT replacing their roles, but they should be watching out for people who know how to use it to their advantage. If you’re not sure how to do this, read on — you’ll get useful ChatGPT examples and a quick guide to using them the right way.
What is ChatGPT?
Asking ChatGPT to explain itself is entertaining, so we had it break down what exactly it is.
If you asked a human colleague to justify themselves and why they’re important, you’d likely spark an existential crisis, but this AI tool is more than happy to oblige.
ChatGPT currently has a free version that anyone can use – you just need to create a profile and login – or you can pay to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus (which uses GPT-4), for $20 per month.
The difference? ChatGPT Plus is much faster, smarter, less biased, and isn’t limited by “peak use times” which users of the free version often deal with.
If you’re new to ChatGPT, play around with the free version first to see what it’s capable of and how it can help you work before upgrading to the paid version.
Now, let’s look at different examples of how ChatGPT can help you at work.
11 ChatGPT examples for all sorts of business users
ChatGPT Example #1: Brainstorm new ideas
If you need help with content creation, ChatGPT can help. It will brainstorm blog ideas, social media campaigns, or outreach initiatives to help you achieve your goals.
Example #2: Rewrite text to cater to specific audiences
Knowing who your audience is and how to communicate with them in an effective way is crucial. If you’re sending an email to a corporate client, a non-profit, and an HR manager, your tone should be different. Gone are the days of copying and pasting the same email and hitting send. Now, you need to cater your message appropriately, and asking ChatGPT for help will allow you to communicate effectively.
ChatGPT Example #3: Translate text from one language to another
Need to translate some information from one language to another? Just ask ChatGPT to “translate this paragraph from English to Spanish [copy and paste text]” and it will do the work for you. Now you never have to worry about language barriers again!
Example #4: Reformat text
This is one of our favorite ChatGPT examples. Reformatting blocks of text can be tedious and time-consuming. This is why I love asking ChatGPT to do it for me, especially when I have to take rows of data, including dates, from Excel or Google Sheets. Be specific with the new format you want to see and watch as the work is done in seconds.
ChatGPT Example #5: Write basic code
ChatGPT can very quickly write basic code for you. However, you need to be able to recognize that what it creates is accurate. It’s a good jumping-off point if you’re experimenting with something new, but the information it provides always needs to be reviewed by a professional.
Before you ask it to write any code, make sure you know what programming language is needed, and provide it with any necessary details about what you want the code to do or be used for.
Example #6: Help debug code
Yes, ChatGPT can both write and debug code for you. If you copy and paste your code and explain the issues you’re experiencing, it will analyze everything and provide some solutions.
Here’s a simple example of how it works, and the type of response it gives:
ChatGPT Example #7: Shorten or summarize text
Need to shorten a report or summarize the main points of a project? Trying to edit your own work can be difficult, so why not get ChatGPT to do it for you? Simply copy and paste your text into the tool and ask it to summarize the main points in a bulleted list or shorten everything to a maximum of 500 words.
You might need to play around with the responses a couple of times before you get exactly what you want, but that’s part of learning how to work with ChatGPT.
Example #8: Create interview questions
Sitting in on an interview for the first time and don’t know what to ask? Ask ChatGPT for some inspiration!
Example #9: Write email subject lines
Writing a catchy email subject line can be tricky, especially if you’re trying to increase your conversion rates. Use ChatGPT to help brainstorm and get your creative juices flowing.
ChatGPT example #10: Edit and copywrite
Don’t have time to edit your own work? Copy and paste your report into ChatGPT and ask it to check for grammar and spelling. If you need to ensure a certain style guide is followed, specify that, too.
Example #11: Do math for you
Yes, you can use fancy Excel formulas or a calculator to do math, but if you’re not familiar with Excel or get intimidated by numbers, ChatGPT can be your guide. Ask it to calculate percentages, averages, and help forecast budgets and future KPIs.
Best practices for using ChatGPT successfully
Now you’re ready to start using these ChatGPT examples to help improve your work. But how exactly do you ensure you’re using it to its full advantage? Anyone can open the tool and ask it to do something – the trick is to know exactly what it can and can’t do, and use that information to your advantage.
- Be specific. If you ask ChatGPT to “explain what theoretical physics is” it’s going to spit out a lengthy explanation. Instead, ask it to highlight the most important parts of theoretical physics in under 200 words to get a more concise answer. If you want to really have some fun, ask it to explain theoretical physics in a way a child would understand. The more specific you are with your instructions, the better the result will be.
- Fact-check what it tells you. ChatGPT only knows information up to 2021, so if you’re looking for it to compile more relevant facts, it can’t. In some cases, it will tell you it’s unable to complete the request, but if you’re dealing with technical or time-sensitive information, do your due diligence.
- Provide context and examples so it better understands the assignment. If you ask ChatGPT to “write an email to a client explaining how our product would help them” and provide no additional details, it’s going to create a very generic email template that may or may not apply to your specific situation. Instead, copy and paste blocks of text that highlight your product’s unique selling point, who your client is, and include some URLs to relevant websites where it can get information from. This will provide more context and result in a more defined, targeted email template.
Remember, it’s a tool, not a lifeline. Never, ever take what ChatGPT gives you and use it as-is. Yes, at surface level it’s an amazing tool, but at the end of the day it is just a tool. AI doesn’t have human emotions and can’t write text that connects with other people on the same level you can. It’s also biased, doesn’t have recent information, and has the potential to generate incorrect responses. So use these ChatGPT examples to help you brainstorm and refine your work, but don’t rely on it to do your job for you.