The TEC Prompt Blueprint

A Fill-In-The-Blank Format That Produces Better AI Output Without Guesswork

Most “bad AI output” starts with a vague prompt.

People type one sentence, hope the tool reads their mind, and then blame the model when the response is generic, overly confident, or unusable.

The fix is simple: stop treating prompts like one-off requests and start using a repeatable structure.

This post gives you the TEC Prompt Blueprint: a fill-in-the-blank prompt format you can reuse for emails, SOPs, proposals, meeting recaps, and internal planning, plus five before/after upgrades you can copy today.

Why It Matters

When a prompt is unclear, AI fills gaps with assumptions. That’s where problems come from:

• Outputs that sound polished but miss the point

• “Helpful” details that were never true

• Wrong tone for the audience

• Extra fluff instead of usable structure

A strong prompt doesn’t just ask for an answer. It defines the job:

• Who it’s for

• What success looks like

• What to include and avoid

• How the output should be formatted

TEC Tip: If you want reliable output, don’t ask AI to “write.” Ask it to follow a specification.

A Quick Real-World Scenario

A team member needs to email a client about a change request. They type:

“Write an email about the change request.”

The draft comes back wordy, over-confident, and it invents a timeline.

They rerun the request using the TEC Prompt Blueprint. The new draft:

• matches the client tone

• includes only confirmed facts

• clearly lists next steps and approvals

• avoids accidental commitments

Same tool. Different prompt.

The TEC Prompt Blueprint (Fill-In-The-Blank)

Copy, paste, and fill this in. The bracketed fields are the only parts you change.

TEC Prompt Blueprint “Help me create a [deliverable].

Audience: [who this is for]

Goal: [what this should accomplish in 1 sentence

]Context: [2–5 bullets of relevant background, no sensitive identifiers]

Must Include: • [required point #1] • [required point #2] • [required point #3]

Must Avoid: • [things that would be risky, inaccurate, off-brand, or inappropriate]

Constraints: • Do not invent facts. If information is missing, write ‘Not specified’ and ask clarifying questions. • Keep commitments conservative (no promises on timelines, pricing, or scope unless provided).

• Keep it professional and on-brand.

Output Format: [bullets / table / email draft / step-by-step / outline]

Length: [short / medium / long]

Tone: [neutral / friendly / firm / executive]

Quality Check: Before finalizing, list any assumptions you made and any details that should be verified.”

TEC Tip: The “Must Include / Must Avoid” section is where prompts become safe and repeatable.

Five Before/After Prompt Upgrades (Copy These)

1) Email Draft (Client Update)

Before: “Write a client update email.”

After: "Help me create a client update email.

Audience: Client sponsor

Goal: Provide status and next steps without overpromising

Context:

• Project is on track overall

• One deliverable is delayed due to [reason provided]

• Next milestone depends on client feedback

Must Include:

• Current status in 3 bullets

• Next steps with owner and date placeholders

• A clear ask for the client

Must Avoid:

• Guarantees on dates

• Blame language

Output Format: Email draft with subject line + 2 tone options

Tone: Professional, calm, confident

Quality Check: List assumptions and items to verify.”

2) SOP Draft (Internal Process)

Before: “Create an SOP for onboarding.”

After: "Help me create an SOP.

Audience: Internal team members

Goal: Standardize onboarding so tasks don’t get missed

Context:

• Roles involved: [IT], [HR], [Manager]

• Tools: [email], [ticketing], [M365], [device management]

Must Include:

• Steps grouped by owner

• Required approvals

• A checklist at the end

Must Avoid:

• Tool-specific instructions we don’t use

• Anything that assumes admin access

Output Format: Numbered steps + checklist

Tone: Clear and direct

Quality Check: Identify any missing inputs.”

3) Proposal Outline (Scope First, Details Later)

Before: “Write a proposal for our services.”

After: "Help me create a proposal outline.

Audience: Prospective client decision-maker

Goal: Define scope and outcomes clearly

Context:

• Client needs: [brief bullets]

• Constraints: [budget/timeline if provided]

Must Include:

• Objectives and success metrics

• Scope and out-of-scope

• Assumptions and dependencies

• Next steps

Must Avoid:

• Pricing or timelines not provided

• Overpromising outcomes

Output Format: Structured outline with headings

Tone: Executive and practical

Quality Check: List assumptions and questions to clarify.”

4) Meeting Recap (Actionable, Not Fluffy)

Before: “Summarize these notes.”

After: “Help me create a meeting recap.

Audience: Internal team

Goal: Capture decisions, actions, and risks clearly

Context: Notes below

Must Include:

• Decisions

• Action items (Owner + Due Date placeholder)

• Risks/blockers

• Next meeting info

Must Avoid:

• Inventing decisions or owners

• Long paragraphs

Output Format: Bullets with clear sections

Tone: Neutral, concise

Quality Check: Flag anything that needs verification.”

5) Troubleshooting Response (Ticket Reply)

Before: “Respond to this ticket.”

After: "Help me create a ticket response.

Audience: End user

Goal: Provide clear steps and set expectations

Context:

• Issue: [summary]

• What we tried: [bullets]

• Environment: [device/app if relevant]

Must Include:

• Step-by-step actions

• When to reply back

• What we’ll do next if it doesn’t work

Must Avoid:

• Blame language

• Unsupported root-cause claims

Output Format: Short email-style reply

Tone: Helpful and calm

Quality Check: Identify assumptions.”

Practical Steps To Make This Stick

Step 1: Make The Blueprint The Default

If your team uses AI weekly, don’t rely on memory. Put the blueprint where work happens:

• A pinned note in Teams/Slack

• A shared doc

• A snippet in your ticketing tool

Step 2: Teach One Habit

When someone says “AI gave me something weird,” ask one question:

• “What did you tell it to do, exactly?”

That quickly shifts the culture from “AI is random” to “prompts are specifications.”

TEC Tip: The goal isn’t perfect prompts. It’s consistent prompts.

How TEC Can Help

• Build role-based prompt blueprints for email, tickets, proposals, SOPs, and leadership updates

• Create safe prompt libraries that reduce improvising and accidental commitments

• Train teams on practical prompting habits that improve output quality fast

• Align prompt workflows with review standards so AI drafts don’t bypass approvals