How to Write a Difficult Email Without the Stress

Ben Dixon

Ben Dixon

ā€” 2 min read

Hi, Ben here.

We all have to send them. The emails that make you procrastinate. Maybe you need to tell a client you're behind schedule, ask a colleague for help on a project they don't want to do, or politely say "no" to a request from a friend.

Writing these is hard because you're trying to balance being clear with being polite, and it's easy to get the tone wrong.

This is one of my favorite uses for AI. It acts as a calm, professional assistant that can draft the email for you, removing the stress and giving you a perfect starting point that you can edit and make your own.

What You'll Need

  • Tool: Anthropic Claude (or any major chatbot)
  • Time: 2 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy

Step 1: Define Your Goal and Key Points

Before you write anything, just state what you need to achieve in simple terms. Don't worry about being polite yet, just be clear.

Let's imagine our goal is this:

  • I need to tell my client that the project is going to be a week late because of an unexpected issue.
  • I need to apologise, explain briefly, and tell them the new delivery date.

Step 2: Copy the "Magic" Prompt

This prompt is designed to give the AI all the context it needs to write a great draft. It specifically asks for a professional and empathetic tone.

Copy this entire block of text:

Act as a professional communications expert. I need to write a difficult email, and I want to make sure the tone is polite, confident, and empathetic.

Please write a draft of the email for me.

My goal is: [Describe the goal of your email]
The key points I need to include are: [List your key points]

Step 3: Use the Prompt in Claude

  1. Go to the Claude.ai website.
  2. Paste the "Magic" Prompt into the chat box.
  3. Replace the bracketed parts with your own goal and key points from Step 1.
  4. Hit Enter.

Step 4: Get Your Professional Draft

Instantly, Claude will provide a well-written draft that you can use. Based on our example, it will look something like this:

Subject: An update on the [Project Name] timeline

Hi [Client Name],

Iā€™m writing to give you a quick update on our progress with the [Project Name].

We've encountered an unexpected issue with [mention the area, e.g., 'the data integration part'] which has unfortunately caused a slight delay. We've already put a solution in place, but it means our delivery timeline will need to be adjusted.

I sincerely apologise for this delay. We are now on track to deliver the completed project to you by [New Date].

We're fully committed to delivering a high-quality result, and I'll be sure to keep you updated if anything changes. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Ben

And there you have it. A clear, professional email written in seconds, with none of the stress. All you have to do is fill in the specific names and dates, and hit send.

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