Pull page-cited actuals from an industry report for a CFO deck

About this exercise

Your CFO wants 3 industry figures for a planning deck on regional grocery margins. You want exactly 3 numbered stats, each a 2025 actual for the Midwest region (not national, not forecasts), under 15 words, ending with the page in parentheses. Use the corrected figure where the report fixes itself, use only the report, plain text, nothing else.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Mixing regions. National and Midwest figures sit side by side, and the AI may grab either. Try: Say: "Midwest figures only."
• Including the forecast. Forecasts look like data, so the AI may count the 2027 margin. Try: Add: "2025 actuals only, no forecasts."
• Missing the correction. Corrections sit at the back of reports, and the AI copies the first number. Try: Add: "Use corrected figures where the report fixes itself."
• Leaving out pages. The CFO's team needs to trace every number to the report. Try: Show it: "End each with (p. N)."
• Not saying how many. The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more stats than you can use. Try: Be exact: "exactly 3 numbered stats."
• Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in the deck's notes. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the region
• Rules out forecasts
• Handles the correction
• Asks for pages
• Says exactly how many

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises

• Accept a job offer and confirm the exact terms (Writing AI · Job seekers)
• Alert sales to a competitor's price change, facts only (Research AI · Product managers)
• Answer a 'where is my order' email with the real new date (Writing AI · Customer support teams)
• Answer a big discount ask with two priced options (Writing AI · Sales and customer success)
• Answer a buyer's HOA questions from the bylaws (Research AI · Real estate agents)