PM-201a · Module 3

The Complete Instruction

4 min read

Every component covered in this course has a specific job. Role activates domain behavior. Context provides situational grounding. Constraints define boundaries. Format specification ensures the output is usable. The discipline is assembling these components into a single instruction that leaves nothing to inference. This lesson works through a complete before-and-after transformation of a vague, common prompt into a production-ready instruction.

Do This

  • BEFORE → AFTER: "Write a follow-up email to the prospect" becomes a complete instruction with role, context, constraints, format, and tone
  • State role before task — role frames everything that follows
  • Separate each component with a clear label so nothing is ambiguous
  • Test the complete instruction against the production-ready criteria from PM-101

Avoid This

  • Do not write one-sentence prompts for any deliverable that matters
  • Do not blend context and constraints into the same unlabeled paragraph
  • Do not add components after the fact as an afterthought — design the structure first
  • Do not ship a prompt that still has open questions about what the output should look like
───── BEFORE (vague prompt) ─────────────────────────────────────
"Write a follow-up email to the prospect after the discovery call."

Problems:
- No role (who is sending this email?)
- No context (what was discussed? what company? what stage?)
- No constraints (length? tone? what NOT to include?)
- No format (subject line included? how long? CTA or not?)
- No tone specification


───── AFTER (production-ready instruction) ──────────────────────
[ROLE]
You are a senior enterprise sales executive writing on behalf of a B2B AI consulting firm. You write direct, credible, low-pressure sales emails.

[CONTEXT]
You just completed a 45-minute discovery call with the VP of Operations at a 400-person manufacturing company. The prospect's primary pain point is manual invoice processing (currently 3 FTEs, 6-day turnaround). They are evaluating three vendors. Budget is approved for Q3. No blockers were mentioned. They asked to see case studies from similar companies.

[TASK]
Write a post-discovery follow-up email that confirms the call's key takeaways, references their specific pain point, and proposes a concrete next step.

[CONSTRAINTS]
Must:
- Reference the invoice processing pain point specifically
- Propose one specific next step with a timeframe
- Include a subject line

Must not:
- Mention pricing
- Reference competitor names
- Use "I just wanted to follow up" as an opener
- Exceed 150 words in the email body (subject line excluded)

Prefer:
- First paragraph: confirm what we heard (their problem, not our pitch)
- Second paragraph: proposed next step
- No more than one CTA

[TONE]
- First person singular ("I")
- Direct, no hedging language
- No enthusiasm inflation ("excited," "thrilled," "honored")
- Professional but not formal — contractions allowed
- No filler phrases

[FORMAT]
Subject: [subject line text]
Body: [email body]

A complete instruction is not verbose — it is comprehensive. Every component earns its place. The role clause could not be shorter without losing behavioral specificity. The context block contains exactly the information that changes the output. The constraints prevent every failure mode that experience has identified. The format specification makes the output immediately usable. When you can say that about every component, the instruction is done. Not before.