Prompting Skills playbook/Module 4 · Documents & data

Day 35 / 100 · Documents & data · Tables and spreadsheets

Numbers need rules.

AI can analyse your data well, but only once it knows what each column means and how you define your terms.

Describe the columns

Rule 01

What each column holds, the units and the currency.

SAY

“Amount is in rand, excluding VAT.”

Define the terms

Rule 02

Business words mean different things in different teams.

SAY

“Active = billed in the last 30 days.”

Ask for formulas

Rule 03

Formulas recalculate and can be checked. A typed answer can't.

SAY

“Give me the Excel formula.”

Check a total

Rule 04

Reconcile to one figure you already trust.

SAY

“Does it match the finance report?”

Define the terms. Get the formula. Check the total.