You've mastered the TIP framework and learned to iterate systematically. These skills create effective prompts, but there's one more layer that can transform your results: examples.
Examples don't just show the model what to do, they teach it how to think about your specific requirements. This chapter introduces "shots", the strategic use of examples that bridge the gap between your instructions and the model's execution.
How Examples Enhance TIP
The TIP framework provides structure, but examples provide understanding. When you add examples to your TIP prompts, you're teaching the model how to interpret and apply each element:
Task + Examples: Instead of guessing what "professional email" means, the model sees exactly what professional looks like in your context.
Information + Examples: The model learns how to apply your context effectively rather than making assumptions about what matters.
Product + Examples: Format requirements become concrete demonstrations rather than abstract specifications.
Here's the difference in practice:
TIP Without Examples:
Task: Write a project update email
Information: Project 75% complete, on budget, team morale high
Product: 150 words, professional tone, optimistic
Generic Output: "The project is progressing well and is currently 75% complete. We remain on budget and team morale is positive. We expect to complete the project on schedule."
TIP With One Example: [Same TIP structure plus...]
Example: "Hi Sarah, Fantastic progress on the mobile redesign—we're 75% complete and right on budget! The team's energy has been incredible, especially after last week's user testing showed 40% better satisfaction scores. We're locked in for the March 15th launch with final testing next week. I'll send detailed metrics by Friday. Thanks for your support! Best, Alex"
Enhanced Output: The model now produces updates that open with enthusiasm, include specific metrics, mention concrete next steps, and maintain collaborative energy. One example taught the model how to think about professional optimism rather than bland positivity.
Examples transform your TIP prompts from instructions into blueprints for execution.
Zero-Shot Prompting
Zero-shot prompting means providing no examples—just your TIP-structured request. The model relies entirely on your instructions to understand what you want.
Here's a zero-shot prompt in action:
Prompt:
Task: Write a LinkedIn post announcing a company milestone
Information: Our design agency just completed our 500th project, a mobile app redesign for a healthcare startup. We want to celebrate this achievement while highlighting our expertise in healthcare design.
Product: Create a 100-word LinkedIn post with 2-3 relevant hashtags and a subtle call-to-action for potential clients. Use a professional but celebratory tone.
Output:
🎉 Milestone moment! We've just completed our 500th design project—a mobile app redesign for an innovative healthcare startup. This achievement represents years of creative problem-solving and client partnership across diverse industries. Healthcare design holds a special place in our portfolio, where user experience literally impacts lives. Each project teaches us something new about balancing aesthetics with functionality. Here's to the next 500 projects and the amazing clients who make this journey possible! Ready to transform your digital presence? Let's connect. #DesignAgency #HealthcareDesign #Milestone
This works well because the task is straightforward and the desired tone ("professional but celebratory") is widely understood. Zero-shot prompting is efficient for common business communications, basic analysis, or standard formats where conventional approaches suffice.
However, zero-shot falls short when you need specific stylistic nuances, unusual formats, or complex creative outputs where the model's educated guesses might not match your vision.
precision than zero-shot delivers.
Few-Shot Prompting
Few-shot prompting provides multiple examples (typically 2 to 5) to establish clear patterns. This approach works exceptionally well when you need to teach the model a specific structure, tone, or approach.
Example 1: Customer Response Templates
Prompt:
Task: Write customer service responses for common issues
Information: We're a subscription meal kit service. Responses should be empathetic, solution-focused, and maintain our friendly brand voice.
Product: Create responses that follow the pattern shown below.
Example 1:
Customer: "My delivery was late and some ingredients were spoiled."
Response: "I'm so sorry your meal kit arrived late and with spoiled ingredients—that's definitely not the fresh experience we want for you! I've issued a full refund for this order and added a $10 credit to your account for the inconvenience. I've also flagged this with our delivery team to prevent future issues. Your next kit should arrive perfectly fresh and on time. Thanks for giving us the chance to make this right!"
Example 2:
Customer: "I want to cancel my subscription."
Response: "I understand you'd like to cancel your subscription, and I'm happy to help with that. Before we process the cancellation, I'd love to know if there's anything specific that isn't working for you—sometimes we can adjust your plan or delivery schedule to better fit your needs. If you're sure about canceling, I can take care of that right now and you'll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours."
Now write a response for: "The recipe instructions were confusing and my meal turned out terrible."
Output:
"I'm really sorry the recipe instructions weren't clear and your meal didn't turn out as expected—there's nothing more disappointing than spending time cooking and not getting delicious results! I'd love to send you a replacement kit for this recipe plus a bonus dessert kit to make up for the frustration. I'm also sharing your feedback with our recipe team so we can improve those instructions for everyone. Cooking should be fun and rewarding, and we'll make sure your next meal is exactly that!"
One-Shot Prompting
One-shot prompting provides a single, strong example. This approach often hits the practical sweet spot—enough pattern recognition for the model to understand your expectations without the complexity of multiple examples.
Example: Executive Summary Writing
Prompt:
Task: Write an executive summary for a quarterly business review
Information: Our marketing automation company had mixed Q2 results: revenue up 15% but customer acquisition costs increased 23%. We launched two new features but faced integration challenges with a major client platform.
Product: Create a balanced executive summary that acknowledges challenges while maintaining confidence in our direction.
Example:
Topic: Q1 results for e-commerce platform
Summary: "Q1 delivered solid growth with revenue reaching $2.3M (up 12% YoY), driven primarily by our new mobile checkout feature and expanded payment options. However, customer support tickets increased 18% as users adapted to interface changes, requiring additional training resources and extended support hours. While short-term friction was expected, early indicators suggest improved user retention and higher transaction values. Moving into Q2, we're prioritizing user education and interface refinements while building on our strong revenue foundation."
Now write the executive summary for our Q2 marketing automation results.
Output:
"Q2 showcased strong revenue momentum with $3.8M (up 15% YoY), reflecting growing market demand for our automation solutions and successful adoption of our newly launched workflow builder and advanced analytics dashboard. However, customer acquisition costs rose to $890 per customer (up 23%), primarily due to increased competition and the temporary integration issues we experienced with HubSpot's latest API changes. While these challenges impacted our efficiency metrics, our customer lifetime value remains strong at $4,200, and we've resolved the integration issues that affected 12% of our enterprise clients. Looking ahead to Q3, we're implementing targeted cost optimization strategies while capitalizing on the solid foundation our new features have created."
This one example teaches structure, tone, and allows adaptation to new content. The model learns to balance positive and negative information, use specific metrics, and maintain professional confidence—all from one well-crafted demonstration.
One-shot prompting is practical for busy professionals: easier to find one great example than curate multiple ones, yet providing significantly more guidance than zero-shot prompting.
When to Use Each Approach
Zero-shot: Maximum flexibility for straightforward, widely understood tasks.
One-shot: Clear quality standard with contextual adaptation needed.
Few-shot: Specific patterns, complex structures, or consistent tone across varied content.
Remember that models are flexible and sometimes surprising—don't hesitate to experiment. What works for one task might not work for another, even within the same domain.
Structuring Effective Examples
• Label clearly: Use consistent formatting like "Example 1:" or "Input/Output:" to help the model identify patterns.
• Match your target: Examples should closely resemble your actual task. Don't use formal reports when you need casual emails.
• Show, don't tell: Let examples demonstrate tone and style rather than describing them. An actual professional-but-approachable response beats the description "professional but approachable."
• Keep it relevant: Every detail teaches the model something. Irrelevant information can mislead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Inconsistent formatting: If examples use different structures, the model won't know which pattern to follow.
• Unrelated examples: Don't use product descriptions when teaching email formatting—the model gets confused about what pattern matters.
• Too many shots: Beyond 3-4 examples, you're usually adding noise rather than clarity.
• Weak examples: Don't use examples you wouldn't want replicated. Poor samples produce poor results.
• Missing context: Provide enough information so the model understands both format and reasoning.
Closing: Why Examples Matter
Examples don’t just show the model what to produce—they teach it how to think. When paired with a solid TIP structure (Task, Information, Product), examples transform a basic prompt into a demonstration of successful execution.
Use examples with intention:
Zero-shot: Fast and functional—best for simple tasks or initial tests
One-shot: High impact with minimal effort—your default for most professional prompts
Few-shot: Greater precision and consistency—ideal for complex or variable-heavy tasks
Examples enhance, not replace, your core TIP instructions. Clear goals and specifications remain essential. Think of examples as refinement tools: they help the model bridge the gap between what you describe and what you actually want, especially for style, structure, or tone.
Start with one-shot prompting to strike the right balance between efficiency and quality. As your intuition grows, you’ll learn when examples make a real difference—and when they’re unnecessary.
What you've learned here is foundational. In Chapter 6, we’ll build on it—combining examples with structured steps to guide models through complex, multi-step reasoning that goes far beyond a single prompt-and-response.
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