What I Was Trying to Accomplish
I write a lot of emails.
Client updates. Project follow-ups. Internal requests. Customer replies. Most of them are fine. But some of them come out stiff. Too formal. Too wordy. Too robotic.
I don't want to sound like a robot. I want to sound like a person. But when I'm tired or rushed, I default to corporate speak. "Per our conversation." "Please be advised." "At your earliest convenience."
So I built a prompt to fix it. Five lines. It rewrites stiff emails into clear, human ones. It's not perfect. But it's saved me time.
Here's the prompt, some examples, and what I'd change.
The Prompt
Here's the exact prompt I use.
Rewrite this email to be clear and human.
Keep it under 150 words.
Use plain language. No jargon.
Keep the original meaning and any specific details.
End with a clear next step or question.
That's it. Five lines. I paste the email, add these lines, and get a rewrite.
Before and After
Here's a real example.
Before:
"Per our conversation earlier this week, I wanted to follow up regarding the status of the project deliverables. Please be advised that we are currently awaiting feedback from the client before proceeding. At your earliest convenience, kindly provide an update on the timeline. Thank you for your attention to this matter."
After:
"Following up on our conversation earlier this week. We're waiting on client feedback before moving forward. Can you share an update on the timeline when you have a chance? Thanks."
The rewrite is shorter. Clearer. More human. It doesn't sound like a legal document.
Here's another example.
Before:
"I am writing to request your assistance with the attached document. It has come to my attention that there may be some discrepancies in the data. I would appreciate it if you could review and provide your feedback at your earliest convenience. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions."
After:
"Could you review the attached document? I noticed some possible discrepancies in the data. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks."
Again, shorter. Clearer. More human.
What the Prompt Does Well
It shortens. Most of my emails are too long. The prompt cuts them down.
It removes jargon. "Per our conversation" becomes "following up." "At your earliest convenience" becomes "when you have a chance."
It adds a clear next step. The prompt forces the email to end with a question or a request. That makes it easier for the recipient to respond.
It keeps specific details. I was worried the AI would remove important details. It doesn't. It keeps names, dates, and numbers.
It's fast. Ten seconds per email. That's faster than rewriting by hand.
What Still Needs My Attention
The prompt isn't perfect. Here's what I still have to fix.
It can sound too casual. Sometimes the rewrite is too informal for a client email. I have to add back a little formality.
It can lose nuance. If the original email was careful or diplomatic, the rewrite can sound blunt. I have to add back the softness.
It can miss context. The AI doesn't know the relationship. It doesn't know if the recipient is a client, a boss, or a colleague. I have to adjust the tone.
It can miss urgency. The prompt says "clear next step," but it doesn't say how urgent. I have to add that myself.
It can sound generic. Sometimes the rewrite loses my voice. It sounds like a template. I have to add personality back.
The Math
Without the prompt: Rewriting a stiff email takes about 5 minutes.
With the prompt: Rewriting and editing takes about 3 minutes.
Time saved: About 2 minutes per email. Not a lot. But if you write 10 emails a day, that's 20 minutes.
What I'd Change
I'm still refining the prompt. Here's what I'm considering.
Adding a tone line. Something like "Use a friendly but professional tone." That might prevent the rewrite from being too casual.
Adding a relationship line. Something like "This is for a client" or "This is for a colleague." That might help the AI adjust.
Adding a length range. Something like "Between 80 and 120 words." That might give more control.
Adding a voice line. Something like "Keep it sounding like me." That's harder, but it might help.
My Question for You
What would you change about this prompt?
Do you have a different approach? Do you use a different structure? Do you skip AI and rewrite by hand?
I'm curious what works for other people. I've been using this prompt for a few months. It's not perfect, but it's better than sounding like a robot.
