email-drafter

What this skill does

# Email Drafter

## Overview

Draft clear, professional emails for any business scenario. Handles client communication, internal updates, cold outreach, follow-ups, apologies, requests, and announcements. Adapts tone from formal to casual based on context, audience, and relationship.

## Instructions

When a user asks you to draft an email, follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the email type and tone

| Type | Tone | Key Characteristics |
|------|------|-------------------|
| Client communication | Professional, warm | Clear expectations, polite, solution-oriented |
| Cold outreach | Concise, compelling | Short, value-focused, clear CTA |
| Internal update | Direct, informative | Scannable, action items highlighted |
| Follow-up | Polite, persistent | Reference previous context, add value |
| Apology/issue | Empathetic, accountable | Acknowledge problem, provide solution, timeline |
| Request | Respectful, specific | Clear ask, context for why, easy to say yes |
| Introduction | Friendly, professional | Brief background, purpose of connection |
| Announcement | Enthusiastic, clear | Key info upfront, details below |

### Step 2: Gather context

Before drafting, identify:
- **Recipient:** Who are they? What is the relationship?
- **Purpose:** What is the single main goal of this email?
- **Context:** Any previous conversations, meetings, or events to reference?
- **Desired action:** What should the recipient do after reading?
- **Constraints:** Urgency, sensitivity, formality level?

### Step 3: Write using email structure

```
Subject: [Specific, actionable subject line - under 60 characters]

[Greeting appropriate to relationship],

[Opening: 1 sentence of context or connection]

[Body: 2-4 short paragraphs covering the main points]
- Use bullet points for lists or multiple items
- Bold key dates, numbers, or action items
- Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences max

[Clear call to action: What do you need from them?]

[Closing],
[Name]
```

### Step 4: Apply tone rules

**Formal:** Full sentences, no contractions, titles (Mr./Ms./Dr.), "I would appreciate", "Please find attached"

**Professional:** Contractions OK, first names, "Thanks for", "Let me know if", "Happy to discuss"

**Casual:** Short sentences, friendly openers, "Hey", "Quick note", "Cheers"

### Step 5: Review checklist

- [ ] Subject line is specific and under 60 characters
- [ ] Purpose is clear within the first 2 sentences
- [ ] Only one main ask or CTA per email
- [ ] No wall of text (break into short paragraphs)
- [ ] Proofread for tone consistency
- [ ] Removed unnecessary qualifiers ("just", "I think maybe")

## Examples

### Example 1: Client follow-up after a meeting

**User request:** "Write a follow-up email to a client after a product demo"

**Output:**
```
Subject: Next Steps from Today's Demo

Hi [Name],

Thanks for taking the time to see [Product] in action today. It was great
hearing about your team's workflow challenges, especially around [specific
pain point discussed].

Based on our conversation, here's what I'd suggest as next steps:

- **Trial setup:** I can have a sandbox environment ready for your team
  by [day]. No commitment needed.
- **Custom integration:** Our engineering team can scope the [System]
  integration you mentioned. I'll send a brief questionnaire.
- **Pricing:** I'll put together a proposal based on the 50-seat
  configuration we discussed.

Would Thursday or Friday work for a 15-minute call to walk through the
proposal? Happy to work around your schedule.

Best,
[Name]
```

### Example 2: Cold outreach email

**User request:** "Write a cold email to a VP of Engineering about our dev tool"

**Output:**
```
Subject: Cut your team's PR review time by 40%

Hi [Name],

I noticed [Company] recently expanded your engineering team to 80+
developers. Scaling code review is usually one of the first bottlenecks.

We built [Tool] to automate the repetitive parts of PR review — style
checks, security patterns, and test coverage gaps. Teams like [Similar
Company] and [Similar Company] reduced their review cycle from 2 days
to under 4 hours.

Would you be open to a 15-minute call to see if this could help your
team? No pitch deck, just a quick look at how it works.

Best,
[Name]
```

### Example 3: Internal team announcement

**User request:** "Draft an email announcing a new deployment process to the engineering team"

**Output:**
```
Subject: New Deployment Process Starting March 1

Hi team,

Starting March 1, we're moving to a new deployment process. Here's what
changes and what stays the same.

**What's changing:**
- Deployments now go through the CI/CD pipeline (no more manual deploys)
- All PRs require passing staging tests before merge
- Rollbacks are automated — triggered if error rate exceeds 1%

**What stays the same:**
- Deploy schedule (daily at 2pm ET)
- Hotfix process for critical issues
- Your current branch naming conventions

**What you need to do:**
1. Read the updated runbook: [link]
2. Test your service in the new staging environment by Feb 25
3. Reach out in #deploy-help with any questions

I'll hold a 30-minute walkthrough on Feb 20 at 3pm ET. Calendar invite
incoming.

Thanks,
[Name]
```

## Guidelines

- One email, one purpose. If there are multiple unrelated asks, suggest splitting into separate emails.
- Front-load the important information. Busy people read the first 2 sentences and scan the rest.
- Subject lines should tell the recipient what the email is about and what they need to do.
- Avoid passive voice where possible. "I'll send the report by Friday" beats "The report will be sent by Friday."
- Keep emails under 200 words when possible. Every sentence should earn its place.
- For cold emails, keep under 125 words. Shorter emails get higher response rates.
- Never use "per my last email" or other passive-aggressive phrases.
- Match the formality of the relationship. When in doubt, start slightly more formal and adjust.
- Always include a specific, easy-to-answer call to action. "Thoughts?" is vague. "Does Thursday at 2pm work?" is actionable.
- If the user provides context about the recipient or situation, weave it into the email naturally.