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Compare printer leases on your real monthly print volume
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're choosing a printer lease. Your office prints about 5,000 pages a month, and 1,000 of those are color. Write exactly 3 numbered lines, one per option, each showing lease + page costs = monthly total, then one unnumbered last line: Pick: [option]. Plain text, under 80 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not giving your volume. The AI guesses usage or believes the rep that nobody prints color, and picks A. Try: Add: "5,000 pages a month, 1,000 in color."
- Not asking to see the work. Per-page math is easy to fumble. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. A: $120 + 4,000 x $0.01 + 1,000 x $0.08 = $240"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 18 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in an email to your office manager. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives your volume
- Asks to show the math
- Asks for one pick
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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