Pro Email Composer

A comprehensive skill for drafting professional emails — covering business correspondence, follow-ups, escalations, meeting requests, client communications, and internal announcements with appropriate tone calibration for any recipient relationship.

When to Use This Skill

Choose Pro Email Composer when you need to:

• Draft professional emails with the right tone for the audience
• Write follow-up emails that get responses
• Compose difficult emails (rejections, escalations, complaints)
• Create email templates for recurring communications
• Adapt communication style between formal and casual contexts

Consider alternatives when:

• You need marketing email campaigns (use an email marketing skill)
• You need to set up email servers or SMTP (use a DevOps skill)
• You need automated email sequences (use a CRM/automation skill)

Quick Start

Copy
# Draft a professional email
claude "Write a follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded to our proposal in 2 weeks. Tone: polite but direct. Include a soft deadline."

Copy
Subject: Following Up — Project Proposal for Q1 Launch

Hi Sarah,

I hope this finds you well. I wanted to circle back on the
proposal we sent over on December 1st for the Q1 product
launch project.

I understand these decisions take time, and I'm happy to
address any questions or adjust the scope to better fit
your needs. If it would help, I can set up a 15-minute
call to walk through the key deliverables.

To keep things moving toward your January timeline, it
would be great to have your feedback by Friday, December
20th. That gives us enough runway to finalize the
statement of work and begin onboarding in early January.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Core Concepts

Email Structure

Component	Purpose	Guidelines
Subject	Get the email opened	Specific, under 50 characters
Opening	Establish context and tone	1 sentence, skip filler
Body	Deliver the message	2-3 short paragraphs max
Ask/CTA	State what you need	One clear action, with date
Closing	End professionally	Match opening tone level

Tone Calibration Matrix

Copy
## Tone by Relationship and Purpose

| Recipient     | Good News       | Neutral Info    | Bad News         |
|--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| Executive    | Concise + data  | Bullet points   | Lead with impact  |
| Client       | Warm + specific | Professional    | Empathetic + plan |
| Peer         | Casual + congrats| Direct         | Honest + support  |
| Report       | Encouraging     | Clear + context | Private + growth  |
| Vendor       | Appreciative    | Transactional   | Firm + factual    |

## Formality Levels
- **Formal**: "Dear Ms. Chen, I am writing to inform..."
- **Professional**: "Hi Sarah, I wanted to follow up on..."
- **Casual**: "Hey Sarah — quick update on the project..."

Email Templates by Type

Copy
## Meeting Request
Subject: Meeting Request: [Topic] — [Proposed Date/Time]

Hi [Name],

I'd like to schedule [duration] to discuss [specific topic].
I'm available [2-3 time options]. Would any of these work?

If not, happy to work around your schedule — feel free to
suggest a time that works better.

## Escalation Email
Subject: Escalation: [Issue] — Action Needed by [Date]

Hi [Name],

I'm escalating [issue] because [reason: timeline risk,
unresolved blocker, etc.].

**Background**: [2-3 sentences of context]
**Impact**: [What happens if unresolved]
**Ask**: [Specific decision or action needed by date]

I've cc'd [relevant parties] for visibility.

## Rejection (Vendor/Candidate)
Subject: Update on [Position/Proposal]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for [submitting your proposal / interviewing
for the role]. After careful consideration, we've decided
to [move forward with another candidate / go in a
different direction].

[One specific positive note about their work/proposal.]

We'll keep your information on file for future
opportunities. Thank you again for your time.

Configuration

Parameter	Description	Example
recipient	Who the email is addressed to	"client" / "manager"
purpose	Email purpose	"follow-up" / "request"
tone	Desired tone level	"formal" / "professional"
urgency	Urgency level	"high" / "normal"
include_cta	Include clear call-to-action	true
max_length	Maximum word count	200

Best Practices

1. Write the subject line last — After composing the email body, summarize the key point in the subject. Specific subjects ("Q1 Proposal Feedback by Dec 20") get 40% higher open rates than vague ones ("Following Up").

2. Front-load the ask — Put your request or key information in the first two sentences. Many people read emails on mobile and see only the preview text. If the important part is buried in paragraph three, it won't get seen.

3. One email, one ask — Emails with multiple unrelated requests get partial responses. If you need three different things, consider whether they belong in one email or three. When in doubt, separate them.

4. Match the recipient's communication style — If they write short, direct emails, don't send three paragraphs. If they're formal, don't use casual greetings. Mirror their length and tone for better reception and faster responses.

5. Remove filler phrases before sending — Delete "I just wanted to," "I was wondering if," "I hope you don't mind," and "Sorry to bother you." These phrases weaken your message and add nothing. Replace "I was wondering if you could review the document" with "Please review the document by Friday."

Common Issues

Follow-up emails don't get responses — The most common mistake is rewriting the same email and resending it. Each follow-up should add new value: a simplified ask, additional context, or a concrete deadline. After three unanswered follow-ups, switch to a different channel (phone, Slack, or through a mutual contact).

Tone comes across as aggressive when you intend to be direct — Text lacks vocal tone and body language cues. Add softening phrases strategically: "When you get a chance" (low urgency), "I'd appreciate your input on" (collaborative framing), or "To make sure I'm not missing anything" (humble framing). Read the email aloud before sending.

Emails are too long and get skimmed — If your email exceeds 200 words, most recipients won't read it fully. Use bullet points for multiple items, bold the key ask or deadline, and move detailed context to an attachment or linked document. The email body should contain only what's needed to understand the ask and take action.