Intro | Send over a request and get back a deliverable-ready document—this takes only four steps. This article doesn’t cover theory; it only explains what to do at each step, what to say, and what you’ll have when you’re done. It uses the MuchSci Office Assistant as an example.
Step 1: State clearly what you need
After “make me a PPT,” add four things:
• What you need: PPT, Word, or Excel.
• Who it’s for: a client presentation or an internal sync.
• How long and how to structure it: for example, 12 pages, divided into three sections: current situation—problems—solution.
• What style: clean business style, or follow your company template’s color scheme.
A complete request is just one sentence: “Make a 12-page business-style PPT for a client presentation, divided into three sections: current situation—problems—solution.”
After this step, you’ll have a direction that won’t go off track. The easiest of the four to miss is “who it’s for”—client and internal audiences need different levels of detail and conclusion order.
Step 2: Give it the materials
First upload three things:
1. Source data: Excel, detailed tables. The numbers come from your tables.
2. Old template: reuse your existing color scheme, font sizes, and layout.
3. Reference materials: old reports, proposals. Keep terminology and wording consistent with your internal usage.
After this step, you’ll have a first version with matching numbers and consistent terminology. Conversely, if you provide no materials, what you get is a draft that “looks good but needs to be redone.”
Step 3: Review the outline first, then request the final product
For this step, just split the conversation into two rounds:
• First round: Ask only for structure—see what sections it divides into and what each section covers. If you’re not satisfied, say directly, “Split section two into two sections.”
• Second round: Once confirmed, say, “Produce the final product according to this outline.”
Why split it: Revising an outline takes about 5 minutes; revising a finished product takes about 1 hour and may also require redoing the layout. After this step, you’ll have a finished product whose structure doesn’t need rework.
Step 4: Check four items before delivery
1. Can it be edited: Can text, charts, and data be edited directly?
2. Are the numbers right: Key numbers match the source data item by item. You need to check this one yourself.
3. Is the terminology consistent: Terminology, units, and time ranges are consistent throughout.
4. Is the formatting consistent: Font sizes, color scheme, and page numbers are consistent from beginning to end.
You don’t need to fix formatting issues yourself—just say it clearly: “Unify the font size to 16 pt and switch the color scheme to the one in the template.” The PPTX, Word, and Excel files output by the MuchSci Office Assistant agent can all be edited further, and you can preview before finalizing—so whatever needs to be changed later doesn’t have to be redone.
After this step, you’ll have a document ready to deliver.
Say it differently, revise less
| Common request | What can go wrong | Say this instead |
| Make me a PPT | Direction is all guesswork; the first version will basically need to be redone | Make a 12-page business-style PPT for a client presentation, divided into three sections: current situation—problems—solution |
| Also put the data in while you’re at it | Numbers come from guesswork; you have to verify each one | Base the data on the table I uploaded |
| Make it first, then I’ll revise it | Rework happens at the most expensive stage | Give me the outline first; after I confirm, produce the final product |
| Help me adjust the formatting | If you can’t say it clearly, it can’t be adjusted accurately | Unify the font size to 16 pt and switch the color scheme to the one in the template |
| Output it as a PDF and send it to me | You can’t edit it later | Give me an editable PPTX first; export to PDF after finalizing |