Evaluate a feature request that sales says will close a deal
A clear-eyed assessment of a deal-driven request, plus a reply to sales that protects the roadmap and the relationship.
The prompt
Help me evaluate a feature request that sales says is needed to close a deal.
The request: [WHAT THE PROSPECT ASKED FOR]
Deal details: [ACCOUNT SIZE, STAGE, CLOSE DATE, COMPETITORS IN THE DEAL]
How many other customers or prospects have asked: [COUNT AND WHO - or "unknown"]
Fit with our strategy and roadmap: [MY VIEW]
Rough effort: [ESTIMATE]
What we would delay to do it: [ITEMS]
Assess:
1. Is the request the real blocker, or a proxy for something else (risk, integration, security, price)? Questions to ask the prospect via sales.
2. Generalizability: would this serve our target segment, or become a one-off we maintain forever?
3. Cost of yes: build, maintenance, opportunity cost, precedent for future deals.
4. Cost of no: deal size, likelihood it truly kills the deal.
5. Middle paths: existing workaround, configuration, partner integration, API, a roadmap commitment with no date, a paid custom engagement.
Return:
- A recommendation (yes / no / not now / alternative) with the deciding reasons.
- A reply to the sales rep under 150 words that explains the decision, offers what we can do, and asks for the information we still need.
- Commitment language sales can and cannot use with the customer.
Never suggest promising dates or features we have not committed to.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Thinking & Decisions prompts
What to fill in
- WHAT THE PROSPECT ASKED FOR
- ACCOUNT SIZE, STAGE, CLOSE DATE, COMPETITORS IN THE DEAL
- COUNT AND WHO - or "unknown"
- MY VIEW
- ESTIMATE
- ITEMS
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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