Write a clear office email

Allow 4 minutes. This Hamilton accountancy example is invented.

Before: too little to work with

"Write an email to clients."

This gives Copilot no purpose, facts or tone. It may fill the gaps with details you never approved.

After: supply the facts

Copy this prompt into an approved Chat session, or mark its ingredients on paper.

Help an office administrator at an invented Hamilton accountancy.
Draft an email to a client requesting missing documents.
Use only these facts:
- We need the bank statement for last month.
- Please send it through our existing secure portal.
- Our requested date is the end of next week.
Use NZ English. Be calm and helpful.
Include a subject line. Keep the email under 100 words.
Use [client] and [sender] as placeholders.
Do not invent a portal link, fee or legal deadline.

What the result could look like

Illustrative draft for this exercise. Your result may vary.

Subject: Last month's bank statement

Hi [client],

Could you please send your bank statement for last month through our existing secure portal by the end of next week? Let us know if you need help with the portal.

Thanks, [sender]

This is a requested date in the example. It is not a statutory tax deadline.

Try it: 2 minutes

Run the prompt. Then ask: "Keep the facts and placeholders. Make it warmer without adding a promise." Check the period, date, portal wording and placeholders in both versions.

Done when: you have a draft you can trace to the notes. Leave it unsent.

Sources

• Write a great prompt in Microsoft Copilot