Reply draft in your voice

Use this for one email or a short batch of related replies.

Find what is being asked

Read the full thread. Write down, in one line each, what the sender wants, by when, and what the principal has already said. If the ask is unclear or the principal's answer is not known, say so and ask rather than guess.

Draft in their voice

Match the principal's sent mail: greeting, length, sign-off, and how direct they are. Keep it short. Answer the question asked, and no more:

• use only facts from the thread or from the principal;
• leave a placeholder such as [time] or [price] where a fact is missing;
• keep the tone right for the person, based on the key-people notes.

Do not carry details from other threads into the reply unless the principal asked you to.

Commitments to confirm

Under the draft, list every commitment it makes: a meeting, a date, a deliverable, money, or a yes to a request. Mark each one for the principal to confirm or remove before sending.

Never send the reply without a clear yes. Do not agree to a meeting, deadline, or favour on the principal's behalf, and never invent what someone said.