{"id":"sales-discount-approval-memo-recommendation","audience":"sales","category":"sales-work","technique":"constraints","track":"sales","level":"advanced","title":"Write a discount approval memo that leads with a recommendation","free":false,"task":"Your rep asks to give a 12% discount on a seat expansion. Write a memo for the sales director. Line 1 is \"Recommendation: Approve\" or \"Recommendation: Decline\" (pick exactly one). Then exactly 3 numbered reasons, each showing the math in the line, and nothing else. Use the discount policy in the notes. Under 140 words, plain text. Start each numbered reason with one tag in brackets, in this order: [Policy], [Math], [Term].","materialLabel":"Deal request and discount policy (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"REQUEST (from rep Alicia): Larkspur Foods wants to add 40 seats to their 60-seat plan. List price is $30/seat/month. She asks for 12% off the new 40 seats to close this quarter. Larkspur says Competitor Zentro quoted them $26/seat.\n\nDISCOUNT POLICY (Sept 2026):\n- Up to 8% off: rep can approve.\n- 8% to 12%: director approves only if the term is 24 months or longer.\n- Above 12%: VP approves.\n- Floor price: never below $25.50/seat/month.\n- Existing seats are not discounted retroactively.\n\nDEAL DETAILS: Larkspur's current contract runs 12 more months. Alicia says they would co-terminate and sign a new 24-month term for all 100 seats if the discount is approved. Larkspur has paid on time for 3 years.\n\nNote: Zentro's quote was verbal; no document was provided.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Hedging the decision","why":"The AI writes \"it depends\" or approves and declines.","fix":"Add: \"Line 1 must be exactly Recommendation: Approve or Recommendation: Decline.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Skipping the math","why":"The AI says \"price is fine\" with no numbers.","fix":"Add: \"Show the discounted price and compare it to the floor.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Ignoring the policy conditions","why":"The AI misses that 12% needs a 24-month term.","fix":"Add: \"Check the term requirement in the policy.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Extra sections","why":"The AI adds headings and a summary.","fix":"Add: \"Exactly 3 numbered reasons and nothing else, plain text.\"","checks":["numberedItems","plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Leads with the verdict","patterns":["recommendation","approve or decline","first line"]},{"label":"Fixes the number of reasons","patterns":["3 (numbered )?reasons","three reasons","exactly 3"]},{"label":"Asks for the math","patterns":["math","show the (price|numbers|calculation)","floor"]},{"label":"Applies the policy","patterns":["policy","24.month","director"]},{"label":"Treats the competitor quote carefully","patterns":["verbal","unconfirmed","competitor quote"]}],"hint":"Fix the first line, the number of reasons, and tell the AI to test the request against each policy rule.","rubricLabels":["Line 1 is exactly \"Recommendation: Approve\" or \"Recommendation: Decline\" and contains no other text","One numbered line shows the discounted price math: 30 x 0.88 = 26.40 per seat, which is above the 25.50 floor","One numbered line says 12% is within director approval only because the term is 24 months or longer (or notes the 24-month commitment is not yet signed), and no line treats the verbal Zentro quote as confirmed, and the three reasons start with the tags [Policy], [Math] and [Term] in that order"]}