The problem isn't how many emails you have
It's that every single one feels like it needs to be written from zero. New blank screen. New attempt to sound like a human being. Ten minutes gone for something that should take two.
AI doesn't write your emails. It removes that part. You give it three sentences of context, it hands you back a solid draft, you spend two minutes making it yours. That's it.
Before anything else - give the AI a briefing
Most people skip this step. That's why their AI emails sound like they could be from anyone. Spend 10 minutes on it once and it pays off on every single email after that.
In ChatGPT, go to Settings → Personalization → Custom Instructions and paste it there. It kicks in for every conversation. In Claude, just paste it at the top of a new chat.
You are my email writing assistant. Here is my context: Name: [Your name] Business: [What you do in one sentence] Typical clients: [Who you help] My tone: [e.g. warm and direct, professional but relaxed, friendly and clear] Things I never say: [e.g. "I hope this email finds you well", "Please don't hesitate to reach out"] When writing emails for me: - Keep it short - most emails should be under 150 words - Sound like a real person, not a corporate robot - Always end with one clear next step - No fluff, no filler phrases
The 3-sentence brief - this is the whole method
Once the briefing is set, every email you need starts the same way. Three sentences to Claude or ChatGPT. That's the entire process.
Write an email to [who] about [what]. Context: [one sentence of background - what happened, what they need, where things stand]. Goal: [what I want them to do after reading this email].
Example 1 - Following up on a proposal
Write an email to Sarah about the proposal I sent last Tuesday for her website project. Context: She said she'd think about it and I haven't heard back - it's been 5 days. Goal: Get her to either confirm she wants to move forward or tell me if she has questions.
Example 2 - Re-engaging an old lead
Write a short email to Marcus, who inquired about my AI consulting service 3 months ago but never booked. Context: He said he was "not ready yet" at the time and I haven't reached out since. Goal: Check in gently and see if his situation has changed - invite him to a free call if so.
Do all your outreach in one hour, once a week
Pick a time - Sunday night, Monday morning, whatever works for you - and knock out every email you need to send that week in one block instead of picking at it all day.
- List everyone who needs an email. Names, one per line.
- Write the 3-sentence brief for each one. About 2 minutes per person.
- Paste each brief into Claude or ChatGPT. Draft comes back in seconds.
- Paste, tweak a line, send.
I've been doing this for two years. What used to eat my whole morning now takes 45 minutes once a week. And because I did it all in one block, I'm not thinking about email for the rest of the week.
Speak your brief out loud - Wispr Flow transcribes it into clean written text. Paste into Claude. You haven't typed anything.
Save the emails you write over and over as templates
Any email you write more than twice a month doesn't need to be written again. Ask Claude or ChatGPT to write 3 versions, keep the one that sounds most like you, save it in a Google Doc. From then on, fill in the name and hit send. I keep 50 of these ready to copy in my free prompt pack.
The ones worth saving first:
- First reply to a new inquiry
- Proposal follow-up at 3 days and 7 days
- Post-call summary email
- Checking in with a past client you haven't spoken to in a while
- Asking a happy client for a referral
- Turning down a project without burning the relationship
When the draft doesn't sound like you
Don't rewrite it. Just tell the AI what's wrong and ask for another version:
"Make this shorter - aim for 3 sentences max" "Less formal, more like I'm texting a colleague" "Remove the opener, start with the main point" "The tone is too sales-y, make it more of a check-in" "Add one specific detail to make it feel more personal: [the detail]"
One or two of those and it's right. Brief, draft, tweak, send - under 3 minutes once you've done it a few times.
To be honest with you
AI is not writing your emails. You're still the one deciding what to say and who to say it to. All of that is still yours. The only thing that changes is you're not sitting there staring at a blank screen anymore.
My clients still get replies saying the email felt personal. That's because it was - I just didn't spend half an hour on it.
