email-engine

name

email_engine

description

Write high-performing emails and full sequences using direct-response copywriting styles. Use this skill whenever the user asks to write an email, email sequence, nurture series, launch campaign, onboarding flow, cart close sequence, reactivation campaign, daily email, or webinar promotion emails. Also trigger for "subject lines", "email copy", "follow-up sequence", "drip campaign", or "email funnel". Produces subject line variants, preview text, body copy, CTA, and send-timing recommendations.

Skill: email_engine

Purpose

Write high-performing emails and sequences using styles modeled on legendary direct-response copywriters. Always includes subject line variants, preview text, timing, and angle notes.

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Inputs

Field	Type	Description
sequence_goal	enum	onboarding, launch, webinar_promo, reactivation, daily, cart_close, nurture, SaaS_onboarding, post_webinar
email_count	int	Number of emails to generate
audience	string	Who the emails are for (2–4 sentences)
offer	string	What is being sold or the content asset being shared
brand_voice	string[]	Default: ["direct", "no-BS", "warm", "mentor-not-guru"]
existing_email_examples	string[]	Past emails that felt on-brand — paste or describe
style_preset	enum	See presets below
cta_type	enum	click, reply, book_call, buy_now, register
constraints	string[]	Compliance rules, words to avoid, length limits

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Style Presets

halbert_letter

Personal, raw, conversational. Use for cold→warm or daily sender lists.

• Structure: Story or rant → Lesson/insight → Hard pivot into offer and CTA
• Short paragraphs, direct address ("you")
• Strong P.S. emphasizing urgency or scarcity
• No corporate jargon

bencivenga_proof

Polished, proof-heavy, authoritative. Use for mid-funnel or skeptical audiences.

• Structure: Unique mechanism / big idea → Stacked proof → Calm but powerful CTA
• Proof types to request: case study with numbers, named client results, mechanism demo, published research
• Specific numbers, details, and case snippets required — mark placeholders if missing
• Understated language, not shouty

sugarman_slide

Curiosity and story-driven. Use for cold traffic or content-heavy lists.

• Structure: Irresistible first line → Slippery-slide momentum → Reveal and offer
• Every sentence must make reading the next sentence feel inevitable
• Strong open loops, few hard section breaks
• Revelation is earned, not given upfront

ray_edwards_pastor

Framework-driven, compassionate. Use for faith-adjacent, coaching, or consulting audiences.

• Structure per email:
  • P — Person / Problem
  • A — Amplify consequences
  • S — Story / Solution
  • T — Transformation / Testimony
  • O — Offer
  • R — Response (CTA)
• Clear, warm tone. Often uses a personal story or client testimony in the middle.
• Explicit, direct CTA at the end.

frank_kern_results

Laid-back, results-in-advance. Use for warm lists or authority-building sequences.

• Structure: Give a real tactic → Show what result it creates → Soft invitation to next step
• Always includes one practical takeaway per email
• Casual, friendly — sounds like a smart friend, not a pitch machine
• CTA feels like "next logical step", never a hard push

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Outputs

For each email in the sequence:

EMAIL [N] — [internal_name]
TIMING: Send [Day X / trigger condition]
ANGLE: [psychological angle — e.g. "social proof", "scarcity", "identity shift", "results in advance"]

SUBJECT LINES (3–5 variations):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

PREVIEW TEXT (1–2 options):
A.
B.

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[EMAIL BODY]
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PRIMARY CTA:
Copy: [exact CTA text]
Link: [URL or placeholder]

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Sequence Timing Templates

Launch (5–7 emails)

• Email 1: Day 0 — Big announcement / story
• Email 2: Day 1 — Why this matters / problem agitation
• Email 3: Day 2 — Proof / case study
• Email 4: Day 3 — Objection crusher or mechanism reveal
• Email 5: Day 4 — Urgency / deadline reminder
• Email 6: Day 5 — Last call (morning)
• Email 7: Day 5 — Cart close (2 hours before)

Webinar Promo (4 emails)

• Email 1: Registration open / big promise
• Email 2: Day before — What they'll learn (specifics)
• Email 3: Day of — Reminder (morning)
• Email 4: 1 hour before — Final reminder + logistics

Post-Webinar (3 emails)

• Email 1: Same day — Replay + offer recap
• Email 2: Day 2 — Proof / FAQ
• Email 3: Day 3 — Last chance / cart close

Nurture (ongoing, weekly)

• Alternates: Value email → Soft pitch → Value email → Hard pitch
• Each value email delivers one actionable insight

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Rules / Guardrails

• One primary CTA per email. Never stack two links with different destinations.
• Subject lines: Curiosity + clarity. No misleading clickbait. No all-caps gimmicks.
• Skimmable: Max 3 lines per paragraph. Use line breaks generously.
• Sequences tell a story. Each email advances the narrative — awareness → consideration → decision.
• No invented proof. Mark all placeholders: [INSERT: client name, result, timeframe].
• P.S. is mandatory in halbert_letter style. Optional but recommended in others.
• Mobile-first. If a sentence runs past 12 words, consider breaking it.