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Rewrite a finance paragraph in plain words for a non-finance director

  • For FP&A and financial analysts
  • You practice Getting the tone right
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

You're helping the CFO explain results to a board director who isn't a finance person. Write a prompt for a plain-text rewrite of 3 short sentences or fewer, under 60 words, that keeps the figures exactly and does not use the words EBITDA, bps, YoY, sequential or accretive. Start the rewrite with "In plain terms:". Don't repeat the rumor from the draft. No bullets or numbering.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Keeping the jargon. The AI keeps EBITDA or bps with a short gloss. Try: Add: "Do not use the words EBITDA, bps, YoY, sequential or accretive."
  • Repeating the rumor. The AI includes the competitor sale sentence. Try: Add: "Leave out the competitor sentence entirely."
  • Changing figures. The AI rounds $1.4M to 'about $1 million'. Try: Add: "Keep $1.4M, 20% and $22.0M exactly."
  • Markdown extras. The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Sets the opener
  • Keeps the figures
  • Bans the jargon
  • Leaves out the rumor
  • Caps length

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