Let’s talk about AI – and not just the basics everyone knows (AKA use it as your search engine tool).

I’ve noticed there are some seriously clever ways to use AI that most people haven’t caught onto yet.

Here are some recent things I’ve been trying that probably still don’t scratch the surface of what’s out there:

1. Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One AI Basket

You know how everyone defaults to ChatGPT? Well, that’s like only using Excel when you’ve got the whole Microsoft Office suite at your disposal.

Here’s what I’ve discovered:

• Need a creative writing buddy? Claude’s your guy. I recently used it to help write a newsletter, and it nailed the conversational tone I was going for.
• Working on a long, complex project? ChatGPT shines here. I had it help me break down a 20-page business proposal, and it kept track of every detail.
• Got stuff in Google Drive? Gemini’s search abilities are mind-blowing. It found a specific spreadsheet I made months ago in seconds!

Takeaway: Put the exact same input into various AI LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, etc.) and see which one gives you the best answer.

2. Break It Down Like You’re Teaching a Kid

Ever tried to give someone 20 instructions at once? Yeah, doesn’t work so well, right? Same with AI.

Instead of: “I need to launch a new line of sustainable water bottles. Please analyze the current market including competitors, pricing strategies, and consumer trends, then create a complete marketing plan including social media strategy, content calendar, and influencer outreach, plus design packaging that’s eco-friendly but premium-looking, estimate production costs and profit margins, develop a distribution strategy for both DTC and retail, create an email marketing funnel, and give me a 12-month budget breakdown. Also include customer service protocols and loyalty program ideas.”

Break it into focused, sequential questions where each answer informs the next:

1. Market Research First: “Analyze the current sustainable water bottle market. Who are the top 3 competitors and what are their main strengths and weaknesses?”
2. Once you have competitor info: “Based on these competitors, what price points and features would make our water bottle competitive while maintaining profitability?”
3. With pricing established: “What are the most effective sustainable packaging materials available within our target price range?”
4. With product details clear: “Create a month-by-month marketing plan for Q1, focusing on our key differentiators: [insert findings from previous responses]”
5. For distribution: “Based on our price point and packaging, what are the pros and cons of different distribution channels?”

By using prompt decomposition it:

• Creates a clear, logical progression
• Gets more detailed responses for each component
• Lets you course-correct if needed
• Uses previous answers as context
• Makes it easier to repeat or refine specific sections

See how much smoother that is?

Takeaway: Break your complex request into smaller, sequential questions. Then each answer becomes context for the next question.

3. Make AI Your Midnight Brainstorming Buddy

This is my favorite hack. Need to bounce ideas around at 2 AM? AI’s awake and ready to challenge your thinking.

Real talk: I was planning to launch yet another business, and instead of just nodding along, the AI asked me things I hadn’t even considered:

• “Have you thought about mobile vs. fixed location?”
• “What’s your plan for handling aggressive client?”
• “How will you deal with seasonal fluctuations?”

AI turned the tables back on me and forced me to really consider another one of my (crazy) business ideas.

Takeaway: Pitch your ideas or thoughts to AI and have it challenge you with probing questions.

4. Stop Paying for Features You Can Get Free

Here’s a money-saving trick: Take a look at your monthly subscriptions. Bet there’s some fancy features you’re paying for that AI could handle.

True story: I needed to analyze customer feedback but didn’t want to pay for expensive analytics software. So I:

1. Exported the comments to a spreadsheet
2. Asked AI to categorize them and find patterns
3. Got detailed insights in minutes, totally free

Takeaway: Question every paid feature or manual task in your stack: could you export that data and let AI handle it for free?

5. Talk to AI About Data Like It’s Your Tech-Savvy Friend

Struggling with spreadsheets? Stop Googling formulas and just tell AI what you’re trying to do.

Instead of: “How do I use VLOOKUP?” Try: “I need to match customer names from one sheet with their orders from another sheet”

It’s like having a patient Excel expert right there with you!

Takeaway: Talk to AI about spreadsheets like you’re explaining it to a colleague – simple explanations get better solutions.

6. Give AI Time to Think (Yes, Really!)

This might sound weird, but try this: Add “Take your time and think this through step by step” to your prompts.

I tested this with two identical questions about market research. The quick version was okay, but the “slow thinking” version? Gave me insights I hadn’t even considered asking for!

Takeaway: The next time you use AI, try it with the same question twice – once with this prompt, once without.

7. Let AI Play Devil’s Advocate

Before your next big meeting or pitch, let AI be your practice audience.

I recently used this before a client presentation: “Pretend you’re a skeptical client. What would make you hesitate about this proposal?”

The objections it raised helped me strengthen my pitch before the real meeting. Talk about coming prepared!

Takeaway: Just ask it to play devil’s advocate and raise every possible objection before the real meeting happens.

The Bottom Line

AI isn’t just a fancy calculator or writing tool – it’s more like having a super-smart colleague who never sleeps and is always ready to help. The trick is knowing how to talk to it and what to ask for.

What’s really cool is that these tips work together. You might start with one AI for brainstorming, switch to another for analysis, and use prompting techniques to get deeper insights from both.

Give these a try and let me know how they work for you! Or if you need some help with AI- you can always give me a buzz.