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Pre-mortem a big renewal with dated prevention steps
- For Sales and customer success
- You practice Asking for a format you can use
- Time about 5 minutes
About this exercise
Your largest account, Tallgrass Foods, renews on March 31. Imagine it's April 1 and they didn't renew. Write exactly 4 numbered reasons from the account notes, each as 'Reason: ... | Prevent by: action - date', with every date before March 31. One worry from last quarter is already solved, so leave it out. Plain text, under 160 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Listing a solved worry. SSO appears in the notes as a complaint, so the AI includes it. Try: Add: "SSO shipped Feb 6 and they turned it on. Leave it out."
- No dates on actions. The AI suggests 'build a relationship with the new director' with no deadline. Try: Add: "Each Prevent by has a date before March 31."
- Generic churn reasons. The AI lists textbook reasons like 'poor ROI' instead of what's in your notes. Try: Add: "Use only the risks in my notes."
- Letting the AI pick the shape. The AI writes a long risk analysis with headings. Try: Show it: "1. Reason: ... | Prevent by: action - date". Plain text.
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting words, so a total word cap usually lands over. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 22 words."
What a strong prompt includes
- Frames it as a pre-mortem
- Shows the line shape
- Drops the solved risk
- Dates every action
- Caps the length
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