How to talk to AVA
4 min read · Updated June 2026
There is no syntax to learn. Ask the way you would ask a sharp colleague who already knows your business. A few habits make her answers better.
Be specific where it counts
- Name the app or platform when you know it: "in the Deals app," "from QuickBooks."
- Give the time frame: "last month," "since the renewal date."
- Say what you want back: a number, a list, a clean sheet, a PDF.
Let her restate
AVA will repeat your request back and ask a clarifying question before acting. This is a feature, not friction — it catches the difference between "deals that closed" and "deals that closed and were invoiced" before she spends a token on the wrong query.
She estimates before big work. For a large query she will tell you the record count and token cost up front and wait for your go-ahead, so nothing expensive happens by surprise.