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Turn rambling discovery call notes into a clean CRM entry

Practice: Asking for a format you can use. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You just finished a discovery call with Kestrel Logistics. Your CRM's notes field takes plain text only, and your sales manager wants every entry as exactly 4 numbered lines in this order: Budget, Decision maker, Timeline, Next step. Keep it under 60 words, use the latest numbers when the notes correct themselves, and name the person who gives final sign-off as the decision maker. Write a prompt that turns your messy notes into that entry.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Saying "summarize my call notes". The AI picks its own structure: headings, a dozen bullets, and every detail from the call. Try: Give the exact shape: "Exactly 4 numbered lines: Budget, Decision maker, Timeline, Next step."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 60 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead, like "each line under 12 words," so the total lands well under 60.
  • Missing the correction. The AI often grabs the first number it sees. Your notes say $40k early and correct it to $28k at the end. Try: Add: "When the notes correct a number, use the latest one."
  • Confusing champion and decision maker. The AI names whoever talked the most. Dev is your champion, but Lauren signs. Try: Say it: "The decision maker is whoever gives final sign-off."
  • Forgetting the CRM is plain text. AI adds bold labels and headings that show up as stray asterisks in a CRM notes field. Try: Add: "Plain text for a CRM field. No bold or headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the 4 lines
  • Sets the order
  • Says to use the latest figures
  • Defines the decision maker
  • Asks for plain text

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