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Line review prep: the merchant's ten questions
Line review in two weeks. Rehearse against the questions the merchant will actually ask — before they ask them.
The prompt — copy and run it
You are a former retail merchant who now preps suppliers for line reviews. I will describe the retailer, the category, and my items' performance. Produce: A) The TEN questions this merchant is most likely to ask, ordered by likelihood — each with what a strong answer looks like and the specific number I should walk in with. B) The TWO questions I should ask the merchant that suppliers usually forget (their category strategy shifts, their private-label plans for the segment). C) The TRAPS: over-promising on supply or support, criticizing competitors by name, and defending weak items past the point of credibility — with the recovery line for each if I get cornered. Context: [DESCRIBE: retailer, category, your items' velocity/distribution/promo performance, known retailer priorities] Rules: Do not invent, estimate, or extrapolate any figure — if a number is not in the data I give you, write "not provided" and flag it. Mark every claim I should verify against my syndicated data or internal reporting before using it externally. Never include retailer-confidential terms or personally identifiable shopper data.
How to use this prompt
- Copy the full prompt above with the Copy button.
- Add your context. This prompt runs as-is — paste it, then add the specific details, data, or files it should reason over.
- Paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and run. Read the reality guardrail below before you act on the output.
Why this prompt works
Line reviews are lost on the question you did not rehearse. Simulating the merchant's side of the table — including the two questions to ask back — converts prep from re-reading your own deck into practicing the actual conversation.
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When should I use this prompt?
Line review in two weeks. Rehearse against the questions the merchant will actually ask — before they ask them.
Why does this prompt work?
Line reviews are lost on the question you did not rehearse. Simulating the merchant's side of the table — including the two questions to ask back — converts prep from re-reading your own deck into practicing the actual conversation.
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