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Win two hires from a CFO who only approves payback math
- For FP&A and financial analysts
- You practice Keeping the AI to your sources
- Time about 5 minutes
- Level Intermediate
About this exercise
The hiring freeze starts Friday, Nov 20, and the CFO, Elena Ward, approves a hire only with payback math. Write the email from you, Priya Shah (Implementation Manager), asking for 2 hires. Plain text, under 190 words. Line 1 is the ask itself. Then four labeled lines: COST, SAVINGS, PAYBACK and IF NOT APPROVED, each with the math shown in numbers from the notes only. End with a DECISION line: one decision and one date. Make no emotional appeal. Leave out names of staff, and say nothing about the other request.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Pleading instead of proving. The AI writes about a stretched, exhausted team and how much they deserve help. Try: Add: "Make no emotional appeal. Use numbers from the notes only."
- Made-up ROI. The AI invents a productivity gain or a percent return that is not in the notes. Try: Add: "Use only numbers from the notes. Show the math in COST, SAVINGS and PAYBACK lines."
- Payback left out. The AI compares the salary cost to the savings in a sentence and never says how many months it takes to pay back. Try: Add: "PAYBACK: total cost divided by the monthly savings, in months."
- Burying the ask. The AI opens with background and ends with "let me know your thoughts", with no date. Try: Add: "Line 1 is the ask. End with a DECISION line: one decision and one date."
- Leaking staff details. The AI uses the staff notes, including who is looking at other jobs. Try: Add: "Leave out names of staff and anything about burnout."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI adds a greeting, a subject line and bold text when you only say "an email". Try: Say "under 160 words, plain text" and give each line a label.
What a strong prompt includes
- Says who it is for
- Puts the ask in line 1
- Asks for the math shown
- Says what happens if not approved
- Ends with one dated decision and no pleading
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