Files & Artifacts

Claude becomes a document factory.

• Competitor pricing analysis spreadsheet (xlsx)
• One-page service menu PDF
• Proposal template (Word doc)
• You'll never write a basic business document from scratch again

Up till now Claude was a conversation partner.

You typed, it typed back. Fine for ideas. Bad for anything you actually need to hand to a customer.

Tonight it becomes a document factory.

End your prompt with the file type.

• "...output as a downloadable spreadsheet (xlsx or CSV)"
• "...output as a downloadable PDF"
• "...output as a Word doc artifact"
• "...output as a one-page artifact I can save"
• "...in a code block I can copy"

You don't edit it. You tell Claude what to change.

Drop the warranty column.
Add a column for [X].
Move the pricing section above warranty.
The 'why us' section is corporate — rewrite
   it more local.
Change asphalt to $8/sqft.

Same iteration habit you've used all course. Just point at the artifact.

Competitor pricing analysis.

From the competitor PDFs in your Project knowledge — generate a comparison table showing what they emphasize, what they hide, and what gaps you can exploit.

Look at the competitor websites I have in Project knowledge. For each competitor, build a row in a comparison spreadsheet with these columns:

1. Competitor name
2. URL
3. Services offered (roofing, solar, both, other)
4. Pricing visible on site (yes/no, and if yes, summary)
5. Warranty terms mentioned
6. What they emphasize
7. What's missing — opportunity for me
8. One specific thing I should copy or improve on

Then add one more row for my own (planned) site, [COMPANY NAME], so I can see the gaps.

Output as a downloadable spreadsheet (xlsx or CSV).

Iterate until the table feels useful. Download → competitor-analysis-v1.xlsx.

One-page service menu.

Customer-facing. Hand it to a homeowner at the kitchen table. Roofing services, solar services, the bundle, what to expect, why us, CTA.

Create a one-page service menu for [COMPANY NAME]. This is a customer-facing document — print it out, hand it to a homeowner at the kitchen table.

Sections needed:
1. Roofing services — what we install, materials, what's included
2. Solar services — system sizing, panels, batteries, what's included
3. The Bundle — roof + solar in one project. The "why bundle" pitch.
4. What to expect — 3-5 step process from quote to project complete
5. Why us — 3 short bullets
6. Get a free estimate — call-to-action with phone/website placeholders

Style: clean, scannable, not corporate. Looks like a small contractor made it.

Output as a downloadable PDF artifact or formatted document.

Iterate. Download → service-menu-v1.pdf.

The proposal template.

The document that gets signed. Header, scope, timeline, pricing, warranty, payment, signatures. [BRACKETS] for fields you fill in per job.

Create a proposal template for a roofing + solar project. This is what I send a customer after a site visit, before they sign.

Sections:
1. Header — company name/address/phone, date, customer info, proposal number
2. Scope of work — Roofing subsection, Solar subsection, Bundle line
3. Timeline
4. Pricing — itemized roof, solar, bundle savings, total, tax, financing note
5. What's included / what's not
6. Warranty — roofing, solar, workmanship
7. Payment terms — deposit, milestones, final
8. Signature block

Use [BRACKETS] for fields I'll fill in per customer.

Style: professional but readable. No legalese walls.

Output as a downloadable Word doc or PDF.

Iterate. Download → proposal-template-v1.docx.

Use [BRACKETS] for fields you fill in per job.

Marks them visually. Claude won't try to invent the data. You scan, fill, send.

Customer: [NAME]
Address: [STREET, CITY, ZIP]
Project: [SCOPE — e.g. "tear-off + architectural shingle"]
Square footage: [SQFT]
Estimated start: [DATE]
Total: [$]

Version everything.

v1, then v2, never overwrite. You'll thank yourself when v3 is worse and you want to roll back.

Print before you trust.

A document looks different on paper than on screen. If you'll hand it to a customer, hold it in your hand first.

Specifically watch for: misaligned columns, headers cut off, weird spacing, things that look fine in Word but bad as PDF.

Fill in the proposal template for a pretend job.

Friend's house. Your mom's house. Anyone's. Real address, real sqft, real materials. Save as proposal-test-1.docx.

Session 5 — Connectors

Claude starts doing the busywork itself. We hook it up to Gmail and Calendar. The session that saves the most time.

Bring: nothing. Make sure your Gmail is the one you actually use for business.