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Decline a losing bidder politely with only two factual reasons

  • For Procurement
  • You practice Getting the tone right
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Write a prompt for an email declining a bid from Ridgeway Industrial. The first line is exactly "Subject: Your bid for warehouse shelving". Give exactly two reasons, both factual, from the evaluation figures. Do not name the winner or its price, do not criticize the vendor's people or references, and do not promise future business. Thank them and say they are welcome to bid on future requests. Plain text, under 120 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Sharing the internal comments. The AI mentions weak references or the pushy rep. Try: Say: "Do not mention references, the rep or past work."
  • Naming the winner. The AI reveals Summit's name and price to be transparent. Try: Say: "Do not name the winner or its price."
  • Vague reasons. The AI says 'another bid better fit our needs'. Try: Say: "Give exactly two reasons: the price gap and the delivery time."
  • No subject or greeting. The AI skips the subject line. Try: Say: "First line: Subject:" and address Colin Marsh.
  • Markdown extras and long output. AI adds bold, headings and bullets by default, which show up as stray symbols where this is pasted. Try: Say "plain text, no bold, no headings" and cap each line, for example "each line under 15 words".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for a subject and name
  • Limits to two factual reasons
  • Lists what to leave out
  • Invites future bids
  • Asks for plain text

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