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Check your proposal against the client's brief before sending
Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Before sending a proposal, you want it checked against the client's brief. Ask for a first line that reads exactly 'Matches brief: No' or 'Matches brief: Yes', then exactly 3 numbered mismatches, each quoting what the proposal says and what the brief says. Plain text, nothing after the list, no rewritten proposal. Write a prompt that gets that check.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not setting the shape. The AI writes paragraphs of feedback and a new draft. Try: Show it: "Line 1: Matches brief: No. Then exactly 3 numbered mismatches."
- Reviewing tone instead of facts. The AI polishes the wording and misses that the date, price and languages don't match. Try: Add: "Compare the deadline, budget and versions to the brief."
- Mismatches without evidence. The AI says "pricing may be an issue" without both numbers side by side. Try: Add: "Each line: proposal says X; brief says Y."
- Forgetting where it gets pasted. AI adds bold and headings by default, which show up as ** and # clutter in your notes app. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."
What a strong prompt includes
- Asks for a verdict line
- Sets the number of mismatches
- Compares to the brief
- Asks for both sides
- Asks for plain text
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