AI is the ultimate “Draft 1” partner for your inbox. Most email stress comes from staring at a blank cursor or worrying if your tone is too blunt. Use AI to turn your rough, honest thoughts into professional, clear communication so you can get back to the work that matters.
⚡ Quick Win: The “Brain Dump” to Email
Use this when you know what you need to say but don’t have the “mental bandwidth” to polish it:
Try this:
“I’m going to provide a messy brain dump of some thoughts. Turn this into a clear, professional email with a logical subject line, bullet points for key actions, and a friendly closing. Keep it under 150 words.”
📸 Pro-Tip: Did you receive a long, complex email from a client or vendor? Snap a photo of the screen and ask:
“Summarize the 3 main things this person is asking for and draft a polite reply that tells them I’ll have an answer by Friday.”
✍️ Mastering Tone and Clarity
AI is like a “dial” for your personality. You can adjust your message depending on who is receiving it.
Try these:
- The Conciseness Check: “Here is a draft of an email. It’s too long. Rewrite it to be 50% shorter without losing the key information.”
- The Warmth Boost: “Rewrite this to sound friendly and approachable without being overly casual. I want to build a better relationship with this person.”
- The Executive Summary: “I am writing to a busy executive. Rewrite this update to put the ‘Bottom Line Up Front’ (BLUF) and use only three bullet points.”
🧹 Summarizing the “Mega-Thread”
Don’t get buried in a 20-message chain. Let AI find the needle in the haystack.
Try this:
“I’m pasting a long email thread below. Give me a 3-sentence summary of the current status, a list of any decisions made, and a list of who is currently responsible for the next steps.”
🧪 Audience Translation
AI can help you translate “technical speak” into “value speak” for clients or non-technical teammates.
Try this:
“I need to explain [Technical Issue, e.g., a server migration delay] to a client who isn’t technical. Rewrite this explanation to focus on the ‘Why’ and how it protects their data, rather than the ‘How’.”
Once your message is clear, here’s where to go next:
🧭 Next Steps
- Start fast: Try the Quick Win to clear out that one email you’ve been avoiding.
- Turn the email into a plan: If the email kicks off a project, visit Project Management with AI to build the roadmap.
- Starter Pack: Check out the Work Starter Pack for a full tutorial on clearing your plate.
⚠️ A quick note
AI can be a bit “wordy” or use overly formal “robot-speak” (like starting every email with “I hope this finds you well”). If it sounds too stiff, just tell it: “Make this sound more like a human wrote it—less formal, more direct”.