The AI assistant handles two types of requests: questions that retrieve information and actions that change or create data. Understanding the difference helps you get exactly what you need.
Questions (read-only)
Questions retrieve information without changing anything. The AI searches your CRM data and returns answers.
Question patterns
- "What..." - What's the deal value for Acme?
- "How many..." - How many deals closed this month?
- "Show me..." - Show me my pipeline
- "When..." - When did I last talk to Sarah?
- "Who..." - Who's the main contact at Globex?
- "List..." - List all deals in negotiation
Question
"What's my total pipeline value?"
Question
"Show me deals closing this quarter"
Question
"How many calls did I have last week?"
Question
"What did we discuss in the Acme call?"
Actions (write operations)
Actions create, update, or send things. The AI makes changes to your CRM or performs tasks on your behalf.
Action patterns
- "Create..." - Create a deal for Acme
- "Update..." - Update the deal to Proposal stage
- "Send..." - Send the proposal to John
- "Add..." - Add a note to this contact
- "Schedule..." - Schedule a meeting with Sarah
- "Remind me..." - Remind me to follow up Friday
Action
"Create a new deal for Initech, $50k"
Action
"Send John the enterprise pricing doc"
Action
"Move Acme deal to Negotiation"
Action
"Log my call notes for Globex"
Key differences
| Questions | Actions | |
|---|---|---|
| Changes data? | No | Yes |
| Confirmation needed? | No | Sometimes |
| Can be undone? | N/A | Most actions |
| Example verbs | What, show, how many, when | Create, send, update, add |
When the AI asks for confirmation
For certain actions, the AI will ask you to confirm before proceeding:
- Sending emails - Shows draft for review
- Bulk updates - Confirms the scope
- Deleting records - Always confirms first
- Ambiguous requests - Asks for clarification
You can say "yes" to confirm or provide additional details to modify the action.
Example: "Send Sarah a follow-up email" → AI shows draft → You say "yes" or "make it shorter" → AI acts accordingly.
Combining questions and actions
You can combine both in a single request:
- "What's Acme's deal value and send John the proposal" - Answers the question, then takes the action
- "Show me deals in negotiation and remind me to follow up on each" - Lists deals, creates tasks for each
The AI handles these sequentially, showing you results along the way.
Tips for clear requests
- Be specific - "Update Acme deal to $75k" is clearer than "change the deal"
- Include context - "Send Sarah from Acme the proposal" helps identify the right contact
- Use action verbs - Start with "create," "send," "update" for actions
- Use question words - Start with "what," "how," "when" for questions
Was this article helpful?