Tips for Using ChatGPT to Write Effective Emails

There's plenty of information online about how to use ChatGPT and why it is so important, so let's skip the basics and dive straight into how to make the most of this tool for writing emails. 

In this article, we'll focus on email writing, and in future posts, we'll explore other benefits in different aspects and areas.

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Before diving into specific prompts, let’s look at some general recommendations which will help you get what you want from ChatGPT. 

1. Be Specific in Your Prompt

Provide detailed information about the tone, audience, and purpose of the email. The more details you give ChatGPT, the more accurate the result will be. For example, instead of saying "write an email to my boss," you could say, "write a formal email to my boss informing him about a current server issue that needs quick action, without sounding too alarmed."

2. Clarity in the Message

Make sure the email is clear and direct. Specify the main message you want to convey. For instance, in a meeting request email, clearly state the reason for the meeting and suggest specific dates and times.

3. Human Review

Always review the generated email to ensure it meets your expectations and fits your communication style between you and the recipient of the message. While ChatGPT can generate accurate texts, a final review can help personalize and perfect the message. It may seem tedious, but ChatGPT and AIs are not perfect, and are known to “hallucinate” information.

4. Personalization

Add personal touches to ensure the email doesn't feel generic. Include specific details that show you have put time and effort into the message. For example, mentioning a specific detail from a recent meeting or ongoing project can make your email more personal and relevant.

5. Tone Adjustment

Clearly indicate the tone you want, whether formal, professional, approachable, friendly, etc. This helps ChatGPT adjust the language and style of the email accordingly. For instance, "write a friendly yet professional email inviting a client to a follow-up meeting."

6. Copy and Improve

You can copy an email you've drafted and ask ChatGPT to improve it. For example:

Please help me improve this email, make sure the tone is formal, but approachable, my boss is always busy so make it as concise as possible. I need to emphasize the urgency without sounding too stressed. Here is the email:

“Hey Frank, 

How are you? Apologies for the inconvenience, I know that you are extremely busy with important tasks but there is something that we should attend to as soon as possible and without your permission there are decisions that I do not feel responsible for being able to make. Security systems personnel are reporting a failure in the data clients with their credit cards, we would need to pause the server even for 2 hours to be able to solve this problem before it becomes more serious, I tried to contact you by phone but I did not receive a response, I am waiting for your response to be able to give the notice. If you need more information you can call me or organize a meeting and I will be there when you need it.

thank you,

John"

Here is the answer from ChatGPT:

Subject: Urgent Attention Required: Security System Issue

Hi Frank,

I hope you're doing well. I apologize for the interruption, knowing how busy you are, but we have an urgent issue that needs immediate attention. Our security systems personnel have reported a failure in the client data system involving credit cards. To address this problem and prevent it from escalating, we need to pause the server for approximately two hours.

I've tried reaching you by phone without success and need your approval to proceed with this critical action. Please let me know your decision at your earliest convenience. If you need more details, I'm available for a call or meeting at your convenience.

Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
John

As we can see, in an instant it rearranged my email, making it more understandable without losing the need for urgency. If we want to change any words, tone, or whatever we want, we can write to you again with our new requirements.

7. Keep the Conversation Going

If you keep a specific conversation with ChatGPT about "emails," the more messages and details you provide about your requirements, the better it will remember your preferences. This way, it will know how you like to end your emails, which words you want to use, which you don't want to use, and other important aspects.

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Now that we have our foundations ready, let’s look at examples of some prompts. 

Prompts to Write Emails with ChatGPT

Using ChatGPT to write emails can be very effective if you provide detailed instructions. Here are examples of how you could structure your prompts, including details about the tone, audience, and purpose of the email.

Example 1: Email to a Boss about a Server Issue

Prompt: "I need to write an email to my boss informing him about a server issue that requires quick action. I want to stress the importance of addressing this promptly without sounding overly stressed. Also, I know my boss is busy, so the email should be clear and concise."

Generated Email:

Hi [Boss's Name],

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to inform you about an issue we've identified with our current server. While it's not an immediate emergency, it's crucial that we address it promptly to prevent potential problems with our clients.

The problem seems to be [brief description of the issue]. I believe it would be beneficial for us to act quickly to resolve it and keep our operations running smoothly.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I'm available to discuss it in more detail whenever you have a moment.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Example 2: Meeting Request with a Client

Prompt: "I want to write an email to a client requesting a meeting to discuss a new project. The tone should be professional but approachable, highlighting the importance of the meeting and suggesting a few possible dates and times."

Generated Email:

Hi [Client's Name],

I hope you're well. I'd like to schedule a meeting with you to discuss a new project we're working on that I believe you'll find very interesting.

Could we possibly meet next week? Would Tuesday the 15th at 10 AM or Thursday the 17th at 2 PM work for you? If these times aren't convenient, please let me know your availability, and we can adjust accordingly.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your response.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]

Example 3: Thank You Email after a Meeting

Prompt: "I need to write a thank you email after a meeting with a potential business partner. I want to thank them for their time and express my excitement about the possibilities of collaboration. The tone should be warm and professional."

Generated Email:

Hi [Partner's Name],

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. It was a pleasure discussing the opportunities for collaboration between our companies. I'm very excited about the potential we have moving forward.

I look forward to continuing our conversations and exploring how we can work together to achieve our shared goals.

Thanks again for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]

These are some basic examples to know how ChatGPT responds to different prompts.

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Pro Tips for Crafting Emails with ChatGPT

1. Practice with Multiple Iterations: Don't hesitate to adjust and refine your prompts to get better results. If the first result isn't exactly what you need, ask ChatGPT to make specific changes or try a different tone.

2. Use Predefined Formats: Define email structures that you can reuse and adapt as needed. For example, have templates ready for meeting requests, follow-ups, and thank-yous.

3. Experiment with Different Tones: Try different tones to find the one that best fits your audience. You can ask for the email to be more formal, friendly, or direct as necessary.

4. Seek Feedback: Ask colleagues or friends for feedback on the generated emails to continuously improve. Sometimes, a second opinion can help identify areas for improvement that you might have missed.

5. Tone the Message: Adjust the tone of the message as needed, ensuring it fits the audience and purpose of the email.

Using these examples and tips, you can make the most of ChatGPT to write effective and natural emails that fit various professional situations.

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