Library › Research AI › Sales and customer success
List the mandatory RFP requirements with section numbers
Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're deciding whether to bid on a county RFP for staff scheduling software. You want exactly 5 numbered lines, one per mandatory requirement (the "must" items only, not "should" or "may"), each under 15 words and ending with its section number. Apply Addendum 1 where it changes a requirement, use only the RFP text, and output nothing else in plain text.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Mixing must and should. The AI lists every requirement it finds, so optional items look mandatory. Try: Say: "Only 'must' items. Skip 'should' and 'may'."
- Missing the addendum. The changes come after the main text, so the AI often copies the original numbers and dates. Try: Add: "Apply Addendum 1 where it changes a section."
- Getting a bid opinion. The AI notices your 1,500-account limit and starts advising whether to bid. Try: Say: "Output only the 5 lines, no opinion."
- Not saying how many. The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more lines than you can use. Try: Be exact: "exactly 5 numbered lines."
- Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in your bid checklist. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Asks for must items only
- Applies the addendum
- Asks for section numbers
- Says exactly how many
- Asks for plain text
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)