The Biggest Mistake Business Owners Make With AI

By Marie Ryan, who is a marketing and AI trainer based in Ireland. 

Over the last two years, AI has gone from something most people had barely heard of to something almost everyone has tried at least once. Tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are now part of everyday business conversations, and most business owners have experimented with them to see whether they can save time, improve productivity or generate new ideas. However, many people walk away disappointed after their first few attempts.

Optimal ways to use AI

When I ask those business owners what they actually typed into the AI tool, the answer is usually something quite broad: “Give me marketing ideas”, “Help me write a social media plan”, or “What should I do about payroll?” They then receive a generic answer and decide that AI isn’t particularly useful. In reality, the issue isn’t the technology. The issue is that the AI has almost no information to work with.

AI doesn’t know whether you’re a sole trader in Sligo, a growing SME in Tipperary or a company with 80 employees. It doesn’t know who your customers are, what products you sell, what challenges you’re facing or what you’ve already tried. When you ask a general question, it can only provide a general answer.

One analogy I often use in training is to think of AI as a new employee. Imagine hiring someone and, on their first morning, telling them to “sort out the marketing” before walking away. They would have no idea where to begin. You would normally explain what the business does, who the customers are, what success looks like and what has already been tried. Only then would you expect useful work from them. AI works in much the same way. The quality of the output depends heavily on the quality of the information you provide.

I also compare the process to painting a wall. If you’re changing a dark blue wall to bright yellow, you don’t simply paint yellow over the top and hope for the best. You prepare the surface first. AI requires similar preparation. Before asking it to solve a problem, you should provide context about your business, your customers, your products and your goals. The more relevant information you give it, the better the results become.

One technique I regularly recommend is asking the AI to interview you before making recommendations. A prompt such as “Before making any recommendations, ask me 10 questions about my business” works surprisingly well. Within a few minutes, the AI develops a much clearer understanding of your situation, which allows it to provide advice that is tailored to your business rather than generic advice that could apply to anyone.

The businesses getting the best results from AI aren’t necessarily using the most advanced tools. They’re simply using them differently. They provide context, ask specific questions and treat AI as a capable assistant rather than a magic answer machine. They understand that AI can help generate ideas, draft content, analyse information and improve efficiency, but that it still requires direction and human judgement.

Most business owners don’t need a different AI tool. They simply need to use the one they already have more effectively. By providing more context and asking better questions, they can dramatically improve the quality of the answers they receive and unlock far more value from the technology.

Author Bio

Marie Ryan is a marketing and AI trainer based in Ireland. She works with SMEs and professionals through Local Enterprise Offices and UCD Professional Academy, helping organisations use AI, SEO, LinkedIn and digital marketing more effectively. Find out more: marieryan.com

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