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Turn a metrics table into a 30-second talk track

  • For Executives
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Your CEO, Ravi Menon, will say the Q3 numbers out loud on an investor call. Turn the table into a spoken script: exactly 4 sentences, plain text, under 80 words. Write numbers the way a person says them, with the word percent instead of the % sign and rounded to whole numbers or one decimal, and no symbols. Use the restated gross margin, not the old one.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old margin. The AI picks 74.0% because it appears in the note. Try: Add: "Use the restated 71.5 percent gross margin."
  • Leaving symbols in. The AI writes $18.4M and 108% which are hard to read aloud. Try: Add: "Spell numbers as spoken and use the word percent."
  • Too many metrics. The AI reads out every row, including headcount. Try: Add: "4 sentences: revenue, margin, retention and new customers, cash."
  • Leaving the format to chance. The AI picks its own length and layout unless told the exact shape. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold or headings."
  • 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 part instead, for example "each line under 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the speaker
  • Sets the sentence plan
  • Uses the restated margin
  • Says how to write numbers
  • Caps length

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