Session 4 Preview: Copilot Prompt Engineering

The following is an extract from Session 4 of the Copilot for FDI Attraction Toolkit Course.

"Welcome to Session 4 .  

Are you ready to take your FDI attraction to the next level with Gen AI? 

Session 4 is your gateway to mastering prompt engineering skills - equipping you with the precision and confidence to transform your FDI work. 

In this session, you’ll learn how to write smarter, sharper prompts that deliver the insights you need and learn how to use advanced data analysis. 

You’ll also get hands-on with a Prompt Log - a simple but powerful way to track your progress, reflect on what works, and build your confidence in using AI to support your day-to-day tasks. 

And we’re not stopping there.  

You’ll learn how to build your own Copilot AI Agent— to enhance your BD, pitching, and client alignment. 

You’ll have a personal AI assistant, built to boost your business development impact. 

Whether you're new to this or you're already running investment projects, this session is for IPA professionals across the board. 

And the best part? It’s designed with you in mind. 

Whichever sector you’re working in Session 4 gives you tools that plug directly into your FDI workflows. 

So - what are you waiting for? Dive into Session 4 now and start shaping the future of investment promotion with AI by your side. 

In Session 4 Part 1 I will present Copilot prompt engineering best practice. Using advanced data analysis I will highlight prompt engineering output types, formats and observations along with knowledge, skills and benefits from Sessions 1 to 3. 

In Part 2 I will share with you the Prompt Log template taking you through each step highlighting five benefits. I will provide you with two prompts to help illustrate its application to your work. 

In Part 3 I will provide a step-by-step guide to create an AI agent for FDI business development if you have access to this capability."

FutureBuilt Podcast Episode: "The 3 Secrets of Great FDI Prompt Engineering"

Session 4 of the Copilot for FDI Attraction Toolkit Course includes a lively Workshop to be facilitated by an IPA Copilot Champion either in person or virtually.  

The workshop is suitable for staff who have watched Session 4 of the Copilot for FDI Attraction Toolkit online course and completed the Session 4 Worksheet. 

The Session 4 Workshop includes two activities and two exercises. These exercises are based on two fictitious podcast episodes. The podcast show is called "FutureBuilt: Where GenAI Meets Global Growth."

This first episode is entitled "The 3 Secrets of Great FDI Prompt Engineering." This is the first of six FutureBuilt Podcast episodes that feature throughout the Course.

Two volunteers read the transcript and are encouraged to get into character. The two podcasters are called Jay and Talia.

Jay and Talia met during a cross-sector GenAI pilot - she was the brand consultant, he was the IPA sceptic. They clashed, then clicked. Now they’re co-hosts and creative collaborators who respect each other’s worlds - public and private, strategic and creative - and love sparring over how to make AI actually work in real life. ​

Character 1: Jay

• Former Investment Promotion Agency Investment Director ​

• Now: GenAI strategist, podcast co-host of FutureBuilt 

Jay spent a decade in the trenches of international investment attraction, pitching his region to every kind of investor - from solar giants to SaaS unicorns. He’s seen the slide decks, lived the airport layovers, and wrestled with ghosted follow-ups more times than he can count. Two years ago, he pivoted - fell in love with GenAI, quit his IPA role, and now advises public agencies and economic development teams on how to actually use AI to move the needle. 

Character 2: Talia

• Former Marketing Agency CEO ​

• Now: GenAI entrepreneur, brand provocateur, podcast co-host of FutureBuilt ​

Talia built a boutique B2B marketing agency into a regional powerhouse, helping brands punch way above their weight. She was always obsessed with storytelling, audience psychology, and the tech that could make things scale. When GenAI broke through, she didn’t just adopt it — she rebuilt her whole agency model around it. Now she’s consulting, creating, and yes — podcasting with her former IPA client-turned-friend, Jay. ​

The workshop notes include personality and tone descriptions for the two characters as well as vocal direction.

​Once the transcript has been read out loud the facilitator reads out a scenario-based exercise provided by Jay and Talia to help participants practice their Copilot prompt engineering. This is followed by a reflective team discussion.

​Podcast Title: "FutureBuilt: Where GenAI Meets Global Growth“

Episode: The 3 Secrets of Great FDI Prompt Engineering​

[INTRO MUSIC FADES IN — upbeat, tech-vibe] ​

JAY (Host 1): Welcome back to FutureBuilt, where GenAI meets global growth. I’m Jay — former IPA investment director turned full-time GenAI evangelist, here with my co-host...

TALIA (Host 2): Talia! Ex-marketing agency CEO, part-time storyteller, full-time prompt whisperer. ​

JAY: Today - ouch - we’re tackling a hot one: the three secrets of crafting killer prompts for Foreign Direct Investment biz dev. ​

TALIA: This one’s for all the IPA peeps out there still writing emails like it’s 2022. Sorry — tough love. ​

JAY (laughs): It’s true! GenAI isn’t just a tool — it’s your second brain. But to get magic out of it, you need to know how to prompt it like a pro. Especially when you're trying to engage C-suite investors. ​

SECRET #1 — Start With the Real Goal ​

JAY: Let’s kick off with the first secret — and it sounds obvious, but it’s the one most people botch: know the real goal. Not “write me an email.” No. What do you actually want? ​

TALIA: Exactly. Your prompt should say: “Help me get a busy CEO to call me back after I followed up post-event and heard crickets.” ​

JAY: Intent over instruction. AI responds to clarity. It needs to know what success looks like. I saw an IPA prompt last month that said “Draft an outreach message.” Flat. No emotion. No context. No direction. That’s like asking a barista for “some liquid.” ​

TALIA (laughs): Like I always say: don’t ask for “a message.” Ask for a breakthrough. ​

JAY: Exactly! Be specific with stakes. Say, “I need to re-engage a life sciences investor who ghosted me after a strong lead — help me win them back with credibility and urgency.” ​

TALIA: Quick Takeaway: “Be clear about the outcome, not just the output.” ​

SECRET #2 — Make It a Scene, Not a Spreadsheet ​

TALIA: Secret two: Storytelling mode ON. Prompt like you’re briefing a screenwriter, not filing a report. ​

JAY: Yes! The more texture, the better. Folks, we’re not writing tax memos — we’re designing scenarios. Investors don’t respond to data dumps, they respond to relevance and narrative. Try:

“Act as an IPA BDM who just met a CEO at a green energy forum in Amsterdam. You followed up. No reply. Now what?” ​

TALIA: Boom — the AI knows who it is, where it is, and what it wants. Now the AI has stakes. A setting. A vibe. Suddenly, it’s not just generating — it’s inhabiting. ​

JAY: We call this scene-setting. It brings emotion into the machine. Use tone, time, tension. That’s when Copilot stops sounding like a robot and starts sounding like you on your best day. ​

TALIA: Quick Takeaway: “If you want real-world results, build a real-world moment.” ​

SECRET #3 — Design for Dialogue, Not Monologue ​

JAY: Secret three: don’t just ask AI to talk at you. Invite it into a conversation. ​

TALIA: Right? Close your prompt with something like: 

“Now ask me what my market can offer.” 

Boom — you’ve got engagement, not just output. ​

JAY: When I was still at the IPA, my best AI prompts were the ones that gave Copilot a voice and invited mine back in, like: “We met at X. Here’s what I want. Now push me with the next step.” ​

TALIA: AI that challenges you — that’s the good stuff. Don’t build a vending machine, build a dance partner. ​

JAY: Quick Takeaway: “Write for back-and-forth. That’s where insight lives.”​

[OUTRO MUSIC – fades in softly beneath] ​

JAY: Let’s bring it home. The three secrets? ​

TALIA: One — Start with the real goal. Two — Prompt like a storyteller. Three — Dialogue, not dump. ​

JAY: And if you remember one thing: 

“A great prompt isn’t a command — it’s a conversation starter.”​

TALIA: Love that. The better you set it up, the better your AI — and your investor — shows up. ​

JAY: Alright, friends — That’s a wrap — see you next time on FutureBuilt, where FDI biz dev goes full throttle with AI agents in the pilot seat. ​

[OUTRO MUSIC RISES — 3 seconds, then fades out] 

Book a Demo Call Today with Greg Rogers, the Course Trainer to find out how the Copilot for FDI Attraction Toolkit Course will help your agency to attract more high value FDI faster.

Get in touch with Greg at: info@marketentryleaders.com​