Report-deck playbook

Recurring report decks (monthly client reviews, status updates) are the deck type that automates well — same sections every time, new values every time (Slide decks on autopilot: when it works explains the split). This playbook makes an AI draft the narrative parts while the structure stays locked.

The playbook

# PLAYBOOK: Drafting the [monthly client report] deck

## THE JOB
Draft slide content for our recurring report deck from this period's data.
Structure is FIXED — never add, remove, or reorder sections.

## THE DECK STRUCTURE (fixed)
1. Summary — the period in 3 bullets
2. [Results/metrics section — e.g. "Campaign performance"]
3. [Work completed section]
4. [Issues & risks section]
5. Next period — priorities, 3 bullets max

## INPUTS
I'll paste: this period's numbers, a list of completed work, and any notes.

## NUMBER RULES
- Use ONLY numbers I provide. Never compute, extrapolate, or estimate.
- Every number appears with its comparison ("vs last period") when provided.
- If a number seems missing for a fixed section, write [NEEDED: description].

## NARRATIVE RULES
- Each section gets at most 2 sentences of commentary: what changed and what
  we recommend. Insight, not restatement ("Calls rose 22% after the new
  booking flow" — not "the number went up").
- Voice: [your voice rules]. Confident, no spin — bad news stated plainly
  with the response we propose.

## OUTPUT FORMAT
Slide-by-slide: SLIDE N — [title] / bullets / speaker note (1 line).

## EXAMPLES
GOOD commentary: [paste one real example from a past deck]
BAD: "Another great month!" (spin, no information)

Making it stick

The NUMBER RULES section is non-negotiable — invented numbers in client decks is the one failure you can’t walk back. Keep numbers computed in your source spreadsheet or dashboard and let the AI narrate only. When assembly (not drafting) becomes the bottleneck, template the deck itself: Automating proposals, reports, and PDFs.