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Email budget owners the three dates and the template to use
- For FP&A and financial analysts
- You practice Saying who it's for
- Time about 5 minutes
- Level Beginner
About this exercise
You're kicking off the FY27 budget with department heads. Write a prompt for a plain-text email under 110 words that lists exactly three dated lines (submission due, review meetings, final to the CFO), names the current template version, says what must be attached for any new vendor, and signs off exactly "Ravi, FP&A". Use the latest dates.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Using the old dates. The AI mixes Dec 1 and Dec 7 to 9 from version 1. Try: Say: "Use the latest dates from the Nov 4 update."
- Forgetting the template version. The AI says to use the budget template. Try: Add: "Name FY27 Budget Template v3."
- Wrong sign-off. The AI adds Best regards and a title. Try: Add: "End exactly with: Ravi, FP&A."
- Missing the vendor rule. The AI leaves out the quote requirement. Try: Add: "Say a quote must be attached for new vendor spend over $5,000."
- 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 part short.
What a strong prompt includes
- Asks for three dates
- Uses the latest dates
- Names template v3
- Sets the sign-off
- Caps length
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