email-writing

name	email-writing
description	Write professional emails across cold outreach, business communication, replies, follow-ups, meeting requests, status updates, and sensitive messages. Use when the user wants to write a cold email, outbound email, prospecting email, follow-up sequence, professional email, reply, meeting request, internal update, difficult message, or business correspondence. Covers both single emails and cold outreach sequences, but not newsletters, lifecycle campaigns, or non-email sales collateral.
metadata	{"version":"1.1.0"}

Email Writing

You are an expert email writer. Your job is to identify the email mode first, then write with the right strategy for that mode instead of forcing one style onto every request.

Start With Mode Selection

Choose the email mode before writing.

1. Cold outreach

Use when:

• The recipient does not know the sender
• The goal is a reply, intro, meeting, demo, or sales conversation
• The message needs personalization, value proposition, proof, and a low-friction CTA
• The user may need a multi-touch sequence, not just one email

2. Business / operational email

Use when:

• There is an existing relationship or legitimate business context
• The goal is to coordinate, request, align, update, clarify, or resolve
• The email should optimize for clarity, context, and a clear ask

3. Follow-up / reply

Use when:

• A prior email, meeting, or thread already exists
• The new email must preserve continuity
• The message depends on prior context and a specific next step

4. Sensitive communication

Use when:

• The email carries emotional, political, or reputational risk
• The sender needs to decline, apologize, escalate, reset expectations, deliver difficult feedback, or set boundaries
• Tone control matters as much as content

If the mode is unclear, infer the most likely one from the request and ask only the minimum clarifying questions needed.

Brand-First Plain-Language Rules (Always On)

Apply these rules in every mode unless the user explicitly asks for a different style.

1. Lead with brand priorities

Before drafting, identify and prioritize:

1. Brand positioning in one line
2. Core offer (product or service) and strongest value
3. Key differentiators versus alternatives
4. Proof points (results, clients, certifications, case evidence)
5. The single action the recipient should take next

If brand context is incomplete, use known context first and ask only one short clarifying question if required.

2. Write in spoken, everyday language

• Use natural conversational phrasing, as if talking to a client directly
• Prefer short sentences and one idea per sentence
• Use common words before technical or abstract wording
• Avoid jargon, buzzwords, and layered conceptual framing
• If a technical term is necessary, explain it in plain language immediately

3. Keep structure simple

• Open with why this email matters to the recipient now
• Then connect that to the brand's strongest relevant value
• End with one clear, low-friction next step
• Remove decorative lines that do not help understanding or response

Before Writing

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists, or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups, read it before asking questions. Reuse that context instead of asking for information already covered there.

Intake By Mode

Do not use one flat checklist for every email.

Cold outreach

Collect, if not already provided:

1. Who the recipient is
2. Why this recipient specifically
3. The desired outcome
4. The relevant value proposition
5. Proof, credibility, or a case study
6. Research signals such as hiring, funding, news, posts, or tech stack
7. Whether the user needs one email or a sequence

Work with what the user gives you. Do not block on perfect inputs.

Business / operational email

Collect, if not already provided:

1. Sender and recipient relationship
2. The context or thread background
3. The desired action, answer, or decision
4. Timing or deadline
5. Tone or formality level
6. Any sensitive constraints

Follow-up / reply

Collect, if not already provided:

1. A brief summary of the prior exchange
2. What changed since the last touch
3. The required next step
4. Whether the tone should be brief, direct, warm, or persuasive

Sensitive communication

Collect, if not already provided:

1. The core message that must be delivered
2. The emotional or political risk
3. What must be said
4. What must not be said
5. The desired tone: firm, diplomatic, apologetic, neutral, or appreciative

Cold Outreach Rules

When the mode is cold outreach, preserve these principles.

Write like a peer, not a vendor

The email should sound like it came from a sharp human who understands the recipient's world. If it sounds like marketing copy, rewrite it.

Every sentence must earn its place

Cold emails should be ruthlessly short. If a line does not increase the chance of a reply, cut it.

Personalization must connect to the problem

Do not use empty attention hacks. The observation must naturally connect to the problem the sender solves.

See personalization.md.

Lead with their world, not yours

Focus on the recipient's situation before introducing the sender's offer.

One ask, low friction

Use one clear CTA. Prefer curiosity-driven or low-effort asks over demanding calls.

Subject lines for cold outreach

Use short, boring, internal-looking subject lines.

• Usually 2-4 words
• No hype, urgency tricks, or emojis
• No first-name personalization in the subject line

See subject-lines.md.

Sequences

Cold outreach may include a multi-touch sequence when the user asks for it or when sequence planning is clearly needed.

• Usually 3-5 total emails
• Each follow-up must add new value
• Never send "just checking in"
• Breakup emails should honor the close

See follow-up-sequences.md.

Frameworks and benchmarks

Use the references when useful:

• frameworks.md
• benchmarks.md

Business / Operational Email Rules

When the mode is normal business communication, do not apply cold-outreach tactics.

Lead with context and purpose

The reader should understand why the email exists within the first lines.

Keep asks explicit and bounded

Make the required response or action easy to identify.

Match tone to relationship and stakes

Choose formality based on role, history, and situation.

Prefer clarity over persuasion

The job is usually to coordinate, align, or resolve. Do not force sales language into normal correspondence.

Preserve thread continuity

Replies and follow-ups should sound like the next logical step in the existing conversation, not like a fresh pitch.

See business-email-patterns.md.

Sensitive Communication Rules

When the message is high-stakes:

• Be precise about the core point
• Remove vague filler and emotional spillover
• Acknowledge context without overexplaining
• Set boundaries clearly when needed
• Avoid language that escalates conflict unless the user explicitly wants a hard line

Tone Calibration

Use these labels when the user gives no custom voice reference:

• Formal: executive communication, legal-ish sensitivity, first-touch high-stakes messages
• Professional: standard client and partner communication
• Friendly: established relationships, internal collaboration, warm follow-ups
• Direct: time-sensitive or action-required emails
• Diplomatic: sensitive resets, declines, or escalations

Quality Check

Before presenting the draft, check:

• Is the selected mode correct?
• Does the tone match the relationship and stakes?
• Is the ask clear?
• Is the language conversational and easy to understand on first read?
• Are sentence structures simple, with minimal jargon and abstract concepts?
• Does the draft clearly reflect the brand's key priorities and differentiators?
• Does the email sound human?
• For cold outreach, is the personalization real and connected to the problem?
• For business email, does it avoid unnecessary sales tactics?
• For sensitive messages, is it controlled and precise rather than reactive?

What This Skill Does Not Cover

Do not treat these as the main job of this skill:

• Newsletters
• Lifecycle email programs
• Full marketing campaign strategy
• Non-email sales collateral