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Build a low, base and high full-year range against plan

  • For FP&A and financial analysts
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Advanced

About this exercise

You're updating the full-year revenue outlook after October. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting "Low:", "Base:", "High:", "Gap to plan (base):" and "Flag for CFO:". Each case is year-to-date actuals plus a share of the Q4 plan, with the math. Use the revised Q4 plan. Show the base gap in dollars and percent of full-year plan. Under 110 words, with no advice on what to do.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old Q4 plan. The AI picks $3,400,000 from the deck mention. Try: Say: "Use the revised Q4 plan of $3,500,000."
  • Wrong plan base for the gap. The AI compares to YTD plus Q4 plan instead of the full-year plan. Try: Add: "Gap = base minus the $12,800,000 full-year plan, as a percent of plan."
  • Advice on the renewal. The AI suggests chasing the renewal or cutting the forecast. Try: Add: "Describe the risk. Give no advice."
  • 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

  • Names the five lines
  • Uses the revised Q4 plan
  • Shows arithmetic
  • Bans advice
  • Caps length

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