Write a difficult email (rejections, pushback, bad news)

Step-by-step walkthrough

1. 1

   Describe the situation and tone

   Tell the AI exactly what happened, who the recipient is, and what tone to strike.

   💬 Prompt to use:

   Write a professional email declining a vendor's proposal. We liked their approach but chose a competitor on price. Keep it warm but firm. Don't leave them thinking we might reconsider. Recipient: Sarah, sales rep at TechVendor Inc.

2. 2

   Read it out loud

   If it sounds like a robot wrote it, ask: "Make this sound more natural and less formal." If it is too soft, ask: "Be more direct about the final decision."

3. 3

   Personalize it

   Add one specific detail that shows you read their proposal — it makes a form rejection feel human.

4. 4

   Send without over-editing

   Resist the urge to rewrite everything. The AI gave you 90% of the work. Edit lightly, hit send.

   💡 Pro tip: For truly sensitive messages (layoffs, performance issues), always have a human review before sending.