How to Use AI to Write Better Business Emails

Do you spend more time worrying about the "tone" of your emails than actually running your business? For many small business owners, sitting down to write a professional proposal or a difficult message to a vendor can feel like a heavy chore.

Claude and ChatGPT are the perfect "writing partners" for your business. Instead of staring at a blinking cursor, you can describe what you want to say, and the AI will help you find the perfect words in seconds.

For example, our friend Robert runs a local landscaping company. He needed to tell a long-time customer that his prices were going up due to the cost of fuel. He was worried about sounding greedy, but AI helped him draft a warm, honest letter that explained the situation clearly. Every single customer stayed with him!

Step 1: Open Your Digital Writing Friend First, you need to decide which tool to use. At AIAnswered.com, we often recommend Claude for business writing because it sounds very natural and professional.

Open your web browser and go to Claude.ai or https://www.google.com/search?q=ChatGPT.com. You’ll see a simple box at the bottom where you can start your conversation. Think of this as sitting down at a desk with a helpful assistant who is ready to take dictation.

Step 2: Give Your AI a "Role" Before you ask for help, tell the AI who it should be. This helps it choose the right level of professionalism for your specific business.

In the message box, type something like: "I want you to act as a professional office manager for my small plumbing business." This gives the AI a "hat" to wear, ensuring it doesn't sound too casual or too much like a computer.

Step 3: Provide the "Ingredients" In our book, AI for Boomers, we call your instructions a "recipe." For a great email, you need to provide the basic facts and the "feeling" you want to convey.

Type your request like this: "Please write a 3-paragraph email to a vendor. Tell them their latest shipment was late and I need a discount on my next order. Make it firm but stay very polite because we have worked together for ten years." Press Enter, and watch the draft appear.

Step 4: Refine and Personalize The AI's first draft is a great start, but you are still the boss. You should always read through the email to make sure it sounds like "you."

If the email feels too long, simply type, "Can you make that shorter?" If you want it to sound more local, say, "Add a sentence wishing them a happy holiday season." Once it looks perfect, copy the text and paste it into your regular email program like Outlook or Gmail.

Learning this skill takes about 10 minutes but can save you hours of "writer's block" every single week. You've got this!

Need a Helping Hand? If you're feeling stuck or want someone to show you the ropes, we are here for you. At AIAnswered.com, we help business owners master these tools so they can stop worrying about paperwork and get back to their customers.

Try this today: Find one email you’ve been "putting off" and ask an AI to help you write a first draft.