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Break down a margin drop into two branches that add up

  • For Consultants
  • You practice Giving the right context
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

A client's gross margin fell from 42% to 38%. Build a simple issue tree in plain text with exactly two top-level branches, Price/mix and Cost, each with exactly two sub-questions that can be checked with the data listed in the notes. Number them 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 2a, 2b. Each line is under 18 words. The last line is Check first: followed by exactly one of Sales by product line, Supplier invoices or Freight bills.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Needing unavailable data. The AI asks about competitor prices. Try: Say: "Only questions answerable with the listed data."
  • Wrong structure. The AI adds branches or sub-branches. Try: Say: "Two branches, two sub-questions each, numbered 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 2a, 2b."
  • No first step. The AI skips the starting data. Try: Say: "End with Check first: and one data source."
  • Markdown. The AI uses nested bullets. Try: Say: "Plain text with the numbering given."
  • 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."
  • 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 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Branch names
  • Numbering
  • Data limit
  • Check first line
  • Plain

Practice this now ↑

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