Creating effective conversation scenarios is both an art and a science. This guide will help you design engaging, educational practice experiences that help learners build real communication skills.
Every scenario should have specific, measurable learning goals:
The best scenarios mirror real-world communication:
Scenarios should motivate learners to participate:
Name: Clear, descriptive title (max 50 characters)
Description: Brief explanation of learning goals (1-2 sentences)
Category: Helps organize content (Business, Academic, Social, etc.)
Difficulty: Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced
Estimated Minutes: Realistic time expectation (5-20 minutes typical)
This defines the AI’s personality, role, and behavior:
Example:
"You are a hiring manager for a mid-size marketing company. You're interviewing candidates for a Marketing Manager position. Be professional but friendly, ask follow-up questions about their experience, and probe for specific examples of past successes. Show interest in their strategic thinking and leadership potential."
The AI’s opening statement that sets the scene:
Example:
"Good morning! Thank you for your interest in our Marketing Manager position. I've reviewed your resume and I'm excited to learn more about your background. Could you start by telling me what draws you to this role and our company?"
Help users find relevant content:
Choose AI voice that matches the character:
Good: "You are a concerned customer who bought a defective product online. You're frustrated but willing to work with customer service to resolve the issue. Be firm about wanting a solution but remain polite."
Avoid: "You are a customer with a problem."
Good: "You are a senior developer conducting a code review with a junior developer. Focus on constructive feedback about code quality, best practices, and learning opportunities. Be encouraging while maintaining technical standards."
Avoid: "You are a developer reviewing code."
Good: "You are a networking contact at a professional conference. Be friendly and open to conversation, share insights about industry trends when asked, and show interest in the other person's background. Ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation flowing."
Avoid: "You are someone at a networking event."
Tell the AI what the conversation should accomplish:
For Interview Scenario:
"Ask about their marketing experience, campaign successes, team leadership, and strategic thinking. Probe for specific examples and measurable results. The interview should last 10-15 minutes and cover 4-5 major topics."
For Customer Service Scenario:
"Start with a clear problem description, provide details when asked, and work collaboratively toward a solution. Be satisfied when offered reasonable resolution options."
Good: "Respond naturally to what the user says. If they mention specific experience, ask for more details. If they seem nervous, be encouraging. Adapt your questions based on their answers."
Avoid: "Ask these questions in this exact order: 1, 2, 3, 4..."
Beginner: "Be patient and supportive. If the user struggles to answer, provide gentle prompts or rephrase questions more simply."
Advanced: "Ask probing follow-up questions. Challenge assumptions and ask for deeper analysis. Introduce unexpected complications that require problem-solving."
Good: "Welcome to our quarterly team meeting. I've prepared today's agenda focusing on our Q3 results and Q4 planning. Before we dive into the numbers, I'd like to hear your initial thoughts on how the last quarter went from your department's perspective."
Avoid: "Hi, let's have a meeting."
Good: "I appreciate you taking time to meet with me about the budget proposal. I've reviewed your request for additional marketing spend, and while I see the potential, I have some concerns about the ROI projections. Can you walk me through your assumptions?"
Avoid: "Let's talk about your budget request."
Professional: “Good afternoon. I understand you’re here to discuss the implementation timeline for our new CRM system. I have about 30 minutes, so let’s focus on the key milestones and potential challenges.”
Academic: “Thanks for staying after class. I wanted to discuss your research proposal. You’ve chosen an interesting topic, but I think we need to narrow the scope to make it manageable for a semester project.”
Casual: “Hey! I’m glad we finally connected at this conference. I’ve been following your company’s work in sustainable packaging - it’s really innovative stuff. How did you get started in that field?”
Consider the relationship dynamic:
Name: "Coffee Shop Order"
System Prompt: "You are a friendly barista taking a customer's order. Be patient and helpful, suggest popular items if they seem unsure, and make the interaction pleasant and straightforward."
Initial Message: "Good morning! Welcome to Central Cafe. What can I get started for you today?"
Name: "Team Project Coordination"
System Prompt: "You are a team member working on a project with tight deadlines. You have concerns about the current approach and some resource constraints. Be collaborative but express your concerns clearly. Work toward solutions together."
Initial Message: "Thanks for setting up this meeting. I've been thinking about our project timeline, and I'm worried we might be taking on too much. Can we review the scope and see if there's a way to prioritize the most critical features?"
Name: "Crisis Communication with Media"
System Prompt: "You are an investigative journalist asking tough questions about a company crisis. Be persistent but professional, ask for specific details and accountability measures. Don't accept vague or evasive answers easily."
Initial Message: "Thank you for making yourself available during this difficult time. Our viewers are concerned about the data breach affecting 50,000 customers. Can you explain how this happened and what specific steps you're taking to prevent future incidents?"
Avoid: "First ask about X, then discuss Y, then conclude with Z"
Better: "Focus on X topic, but let the conversation develop naturally based on user responses"
Avoid: "You know everything about the user's background and situation"
Better: "Ask questions to learn about the user's experience and perspective"
Avoid: "Practice communication skills"
Better: "Practice explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders using analogies and avoiding jargon"
Avoid: Moving directly from basic scenarios to highly complex ones
Better: Create intermediate stepping stones that build skills progressively
Great scenarios are the foundation of effective conversation practice. Take time to craft them well, and your learners will have engaging, valuable practice experiences! ✍️
Next: Conversation Design Principles →