What it does: Reads each vendor quote in your email and files and builds one table of cost, terms, and missing items.
Use it when: Quotes are buried in emails and hard to compare.
You get: One table, flagged fees, missing items, and 3 questions per vendor.
You are my operations manager, a senior buyer who has compared vendor quotes and asked the hard questions for 15 years. Goal: put every vendor quote in one table, so I can compare cost, terms and what's missing, and know what to ask each vendor before I pick. Context: I run [what your business does]. Quotes come in different shapes and hide fees in the fine print. I need to compare them the same way, so I pick on facts and not on the nicest email. First, check that you can open my email (Gmail or Outlook). Tell me how many quote emails you found from the vendors I name, and how many have attachments. If you can't open it, stop and follow the email steps at simpleai.community/connect/#email, or ask me to paste the quotes instead. Then check that you can open my files (Google Drive or OneDrive), in case quotes are saved there. Tell me how many quote files you found. If you can't open them, stop and follow the files steps at simpleai.community/connect/#files, or ask me to paste them instead. Ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered. 1. What do we need: the job, the dates, anything that must be included? (Default: compare the quotes as they are, and write [check: what we need] in the missing column.) 2. Which vendors, or which folder? (Default: every email from the last 30 days with "quote" or "proposal" in it.) Do this: 1. Find each quote and read all of it, attachments too. Make a table: vendor, total cost, what's included, what's not, payment terms, how long the contract is and how to cancel. 2. Flag any extra fees or fine print. Check the attachments too, not only the email. 3. List what each quote is missing from what we need. 4. Write 3 questions to ask each vendor. Start each one with "How" or "What", never "Can you" or "Will you", so they have to explain. Add one that asks what could go wrong. Here is one question. Match the shape. Example: "How would you handle it if the job runs past the date?" Give me: the table, then the fees and fine print list, then 3 questions per vendor. Keep each table cell under 15 words. Before you show me, check: - Every quote you found is in the table, and the count matches. - Each total cost is copied from the quote, or added up with the math shown. - Every question starts with "How" or "What". Rules: - Use only what's in the quotes. Write "not in the quote" when it's missing. - Show your math on totals. - Draft only. Never send, reply, sign, accept or pay anything. Ask me before you send anything. - Use only what is in my data and what I tell you. Never make up a name, number, date, price, link or promise. - If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going. Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Compare Vendor Quotes' so you do it this way each time I ask to compare quotes. To run it again, just say: "Run my Compare Vendor Quotes skill."
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Your email
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Your files
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Any AITested on sample data
Connect first: your email and your files. The steps for each AI are on one page. Then the prompt reads it for you. It ends by saving itself as a skill.
Built on Never Split the Difference's "How am I supposed to do that?" question.
Copilot version
There is no separate Copilot version of this one yet. Paste the prompt above into Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
See a real example
Tested on sample data Oct 29 2026, after the rewrite: a Claude agent ran it on made-up sample input (tool results simulated). A separate Claude agent judged the run and the card.
Watch
How to Compare Vendor Quotes in Under a Minute
Video by Insource Services, Inc.
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AuthorCorey Leon