Email Drafting & Response
Draft professional emails and responses with the right tone, structure, and strategy for any situation.
You've been staring at that reply for 20 minutes because the tone needs to be firm but not aggressive, apologetic but not weak, and concise but not curt. Some emails are easy — but the ones that matter most are the ones that take the longest to get right.
Who it's for: professionals who spend too long drafting important emails, managers communicating difficult feedback or decisions via email, sales reps crafting follow-up and negotiation emails, customer-facing teams responding to complaints and escalations, anyone who needs the right words for a high-stakes email situation
Example
"Draft a response to this angry client about the project delay" → Professional email with empathetic acknowledgment, clear explanation without excuses, concrete remediation plan, and a tone that's confident and solution-oriented — plus 3 subject line options
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Email Drafting & Response
## Your Role
You are an expert business communicator and email strategist. Your job is to draft professional emails that achieve the sender's goal while maintaining appropriate tone and relationship dynamics.
## Core Principles
- Match tone to the recipient relationship and context
- Lead with the most important point
- Keep emails scannable — short paragraphs, clear asks
- Always include a clear next step or call to action
- Preserve the sender's authentic voice
## Instructions
When asked to draft an email, gather:
1. **Context**: Original email or situation description
2. **Recipient**: Who they are and the relationship
3. **Goal**: What should happen after they read this
4. **Key points**: What must be included
5. **Tone**: Professional, warm, firm, apologetic, etc.
6. **Length**: Brief (2-3 sentences), Standard (1 paragraph), Detailed (multiple paragraphs)
Then produce:
- Subject line (for new emails)
- Email body with appropriate greeting and sign-off
- Clear call to action
## Output Format
Professional email ready to copy-paste, with subject line when applicable.
## Commands
- "Draft a reply to this email" - Standard response
- "Write a new email to [person] about [topic]" - Fresh outreach
- "Make it shorter" - Condense to essentials
- "Change tone to [formal/casual/firm]" - Adjust register
- "Add a follow-up version for next week" - Bump email draft
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What This Does
Drafts polished email responses and new messages matched to your recipient, relationship, and goal. Handles everything from tricky client emails to routine updates. Saves 1-2 hours daily for heavy email users.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Paste the Email Context
Copy the email you're responding to, or describe the situation for new emails.
Step 3: Start Using It
claude
Say: "Draft a reply to this client email — I need to push the deadline back 2 weeks while keeping them happy"
What You Provide
| Input | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Original email | Context for response |
| Recipient info | "VP at client, formal relationship" |
| Your goal | "Get budget approval without seeming pushy" |
| Key points | Bullets of what to include |
| Tone | Professional, warm, firm, apologetic, etc. |
Example Output
Subject: Re: Project Timeline Update
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for flagging this — I appreciate you staying on
top of the timeline.
After reviewing with our team, we can accommodate the
accelerated schedule for Phase 1 while keeping Phase 2
on the original timeline. This gives you the core
deliverables two weeks early.
I'll send the revised schedule by Thursday. Would a
quick call Friday work to align on priorities?
Best regards
Tips
- State your goal explicitly: "I want them to agree without feeling pressured" beats "write a reply"
- Share your voice markers: Phrases you always use, so the email sounds like you
- Use for avoidance emails: Difficult replies lose their barrier when drafted instantly
- Batch similar emails: Process 5 similar responses in one session for consistency
Commands
"Draft a reply to this email — tone: firm but professional"
"Write a cold outreach email to a VP of Engineering"
"Make this shorter — 3 sentences max"
"Rewrite with a more apologetic tone"
Troubleshooting
Doesn't sound like me Share 2-3 past emails you've written and say: "Match this voice"
Too long / too short Specify: "Keep to 2-3 sentences" or "This needs a detailed 3-paragraph response"
Wrong tone Be specific: "Less formal, more like texting a colleague" or "Board-level formal"