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Ask the right questions before scoping a vague request
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Sales sent a vague request, and you want to clarify it before scoping. Write exactly 4 numbered questions back to the sales rep, each about one of the unknowns in your notes, each under 20 words, plain text. Don't propose solutions or estimates in the questions, and don't ask about anything the request already answers.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking for 'questions to ask'. The AI writes 10+ discovery questions in sections. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered questions, one per unknown. Plain text."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each question instead: "each question under 18 words."
- Generic questions. Without your list of unknowns, the AI asks broad questions about everything. Try: Add: "One question each: who's asking, what decision, what's useless, how they do it today."
- Solutioning in questions. AI tends to ask 'Would a custom dashboard work?', which commits you early. Try: Add: "No solutions, estimates or dates in the questions."
What a strong prompt includes
- Targets the unknowns
- Bans solutions
- Skips what's known
- Sets the number of questions
- Sets a word limit
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