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Review a year-end appeal letter for the ask and the facts
Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Your year-end appeal letter goes to print Friday. Ask for exactly 3 numbered notes labeled 'Ask:', 'Proof:' and 'Story:', in that order, each under 25 words, plain text. The Ask note must catch any vague or buried ask, and the Proof note must catch any statistic that doesn't match your current numbers. No rewritten letter. Write a prompt that gets that review.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking for general feedback. The AI comments on everything and hands back a new letter. Try: Show it: "Exactly 3 numbered notes: 1. Ask: ... 2. Proof: ... 3. Story: ..."
- Not checking the numbers. The AI praises the stats without comparing them to your annual report. Try: Add: "Check every number against our current numbers."
- Missing the weak ask. The AI likes the warm tone and misses that the letter never asks for an amount. Try: Add: "The Ask note must flag a vague or buried ask."
- Getting a rewrite. AI ends with a polished version of the whole letter. Try: Add: "Only the 3 notes. No rewrite. Plain text."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives the labels
- Checks the numbers
- Checks the ask
- Bans a rewrite
- Asks for plain text
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