Solo But Not Alone: How I Use ChatGPT to Generate Emails Fast

Let's be honest; solopreneurship isn't for the faint of heart. You're running the show, making all the decisions, and juggling so many hats, it makes your head spin. But what if I told you there's a secret weapon that can take some of the load off your shoulders?

I'm talking about ChatGPT (Chat-based Generative Pre-trained Transformer). Yes, that's apparently what it's called! It's a powerful natural language processing tool that helps generate anything from emails to product descriptions to blog posts and so much more. It's the AI assistant every solopreneur needs.

Say Goodbye To Mundane Time-sucks, Such as Email

Creators have been praising ChatGPT for its revolutionary content creation capabilities, but the real game-changer for me is its ability to generate emails quickly. We've all been there, spending hours crafting personalized responses for each message or even thinking about what to say in the first place, only to realize we've spent half the day doing it. And don't get me started on subject lines!

Prompts You Can Use to Generate a Progress Update Email

Let ChatGPT craft a progress update email for your project with these helpful prompts:

• "Write an update email for the [project name], including the current progress, any challenges encountered, and the next steps."
• "Draft an email to [client name] about the progress of the [project name] project, including the percentage of work completed, upcoming milestones, and any potential issues."
• "Create an email update for the team members on the progress of the [project name] project, including the current status, completed tasks, and upcoming deadlines."
• "Generate a progress report email for the [project name] project, including the budget, the team members and their roles, the deliverables, and any adjustments made to the project plan."
• "Create an email to the stakeholders of the [project name] project, providing an update on the current progress, any changes made to the project plan, and the next steps."

Chat is powerful, but it knows nothing about your business or team. You'll have to supply the relevant project details and tailor the email for each client or team member.

When crafting the prompt, it's essential to include the following:

1. The name of the project
2. The current progress of the project
3. Any challenges encountered
4. The next steps
5. Any other relevant information, such as the deadline, budget, team members, or deliverables.

By including these elements in the prompt, the AI can generate an email that covers all the vital information needed for a progress update email.

Follow-Up Emails

Here is some example prompts you could use if they want ChatGPT to draft a follow-up email to a contractor or prospective client. I've made up the names in these examples, but you can easily personalize them for your contacts.

PROMPT 1:

"Write a short follow-up email to Joe, inquiring about their decision on the project proposal I sent last Friday. The email should be less than 100 words. Use a casual, upbeat tone."

Hey Joe,

Just wanted to check in and see if you've had a chance to review the proposal I sent over last Friday. Let me know if you have any questions or if you're ready to move forward.

Best,

[Your Name]

PROMPT 2:

"Draft an email to Jane, reminding them of our previous meeting and asking for the next steps. Be assertive but friendly. Keep it under 100 words."

Hey Jane,

Just a friendly reminder of our meeting last week. I wanted to check in and see what the next steps are for [specific project or topic discussed]. Let me know if there's anything I can do to move things forward.

Best,

[Your Name]

It can even add emojis to your email if you want to inject some personality into the message.

Hey Jane,

??? Just a friendly reminder of our meeting last week. What's next for [specific project or topic discussed]??? Let me know if there's anything I can do to move things forward.??

Best,

[Your Name]

Again, ChatGPT is not a mind reader. It can't intuit specific details about your contacts or projects. You'll have to provide the context and specifics for each prompt so that it can generate content that is tailored to your needs.

When crafting the follow-up promptly, it's essential to include the following:

1. The name of the contractor or prospective client
2. The context of the previous communication (meeting, call, proposal, etc.)
3. The purpose of the follow-up (inquiring about their decision, reminding, thanking, asking about availability, providing additional information)
4. Any specific information needed (date of the meeting, project name, etc.)
5. Your contact details

By including these details in the prompt, ChatGPT will craft an email completely customized and of good quality. With all the necessary information, it'll be professional yet with a touch of your personality. I typically ask it to add a sassy or casual tone, as my training from the corporate years never quite faded.

Can't You Write the Emails in the Time it Takes to Create the Prompt?

True, but I find concocting messages to be mentally taxing. When writing emails, for instance, one must consider the structure of their message and its tone and language choice to communicate their thoughts effectively. And deciding on subject lines can be a whole other challenge.

ChatGPT considers all these factors so I can reserve my brainpower (not to mention time) for other important matters. Plus, talking with the AI feels almost human – it's like conversing with an assistant. I can tell it to shorten a message or add more detail with a simple command, and it'll adjust accordingly.

Next, crafting an email requires much more decision-making than one might think. All those micro-decisions add up. It takes me a few minutes to prepare a well-thought-out email and subject line - and I'm a professional writer. What about the thousands of people who dread emails because they might have difficulty being articulate or concise? AI assistants eliminate the stress of crafting emails and give you more time to focus on higher-order tasks.

To top it all off, emails are rarely billable for most solopreneurs (unless you're one of the lucky few!). So, using a tool like ChatGPT saves me time, brain power, and emotional energy.

Phrase Tasks as Prompts

To make my to-do list more effective, I'm teaching myself how to phrase tasks as copy-and-paste prompts for ChatGPT.

Instead of typing "email Jackie about XYZ project" into a new ClickUp task,

I type: "draft an email to Jackie asking about the status of project XYZ and providing a gentle reminder that the deadline is approaching on [insert date here]."

Then, when my calendar says it's time for the task, all I have to do is copy and paste and ChatGPT takes care of the rest. By the time I open a "New email" window and fill in the To: section, the draft will be ready to review and send.

It's Technology; Embrace It

AI technology has come a long way. You don't have to be a tech expert or even understand how it works to use it. Whatever industry you’re in, if you’re a solopreneur, a product manager, or a digital marketer - tools like ChatGPT, Jasper.ai, and others can exist, and they aren't going anywhere. So, why not try them and see if they work for you?

All it takes is a little effort to write a few prompts and customize the tone of voice. Then, you can sit back and watch the AI do its thing. And who knows - you might even find it fun!