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Build a unit margin table and mark the lowest margin percent

  • For FP&A and financial analysts
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

You're comparing three products for the product manager. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Product, Price, Unit cost, Margin $ and Margin % (whole percent) ordered by Margin % lowest first (ties keep the listed order), followed by a last line starting "Lowest margin %:" with the product name. Use the current unit cost for each product. Facts only. Under 70 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the October cost for Beta. The AI keeps $60 and gets 25%. Try: Say: "Use the current unit cost: Beta is $56."
  • Margin on cost. The AI divides margin by cost instead of price. Try: Add: "Margin % = margin $ / price."
  • Hiding the tie. The AI names only one lowest product. Try: Add: "If tied, name every tied product."
  • Wrong columns. The AI drops a column or changes the row order. Try: Add: "Columns Product, Price, Unit cost, Margin $, Margin %, in the listed order."
  • 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

  • Names the columns
  • Uses the updated cost
  • Defines margin percent
  • Asks for the last line
  • Caps length

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