The 30-Second Reply

What you'll need

• The full message you need to reply to (copy the whole thing, not a summary)
• One sentence on what you want the reply to do — say yes, say no kindly, buy time, or set a boundary
• Any AI chat assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, and the like)

The steps

1. Before you start: get clear on the one outcome you want — a yes, a gentle no, more time, or a firm boundary. The clearer you are, the better the draft.
2. Copy the entire message you're responding to, so the AI sees the full context — tone, history, the actual ask.
3. Paste the prompt below, fill in the brackets, and paste the message at the very bottom.
4. You'll get three versions in different tones. Pick the one that fits, tweak a word or two so it sounds like you, and send.

You're my reply assistant. Help me respond to the message below.

What I want this reply to do: [say yes / say no kindly / ask for more detail / buy myself time / set a boundary]
My relationship to them: [new client / long-time customer / vendor / colleague / friend]
Anything to keep in mind: [e.g. they're a bit upset, it's the third time they've asked, I want to keep the door open]

Please give me THREE versions of the reply — one warm, one neutral, and one firm — each under 80 words and sounding like a real person, not a robot. After the three options, add one short line flagging anything in this situation I should be careful about saying.

Here's the message:

[paste the full message here]

Thanks. Take the [warm / neutral / firm] version and:
- make it a touch [shorter / friendlier / more direct]
- keep my main point front and center: [the one thing that matters most]

Give me just the final version, ready to paste.

What you'll get

Three ready-to-send replies in different tones — so you can match the moment instead of staring at a blank box. Plus a quick heads-up on anything tricky to say. Start to send: under a minute.

If it's not quite right

• Sounds too formal or stiff? Add "Match this writing sample:" and paste two or three sentences you've actually written.
• Reply too long? Add "Keep it to three sentences max."
• Not sure which version to send? The neutral one is almost always safe. Save firm for when a boundary really matters.
• Touchy situation? Tell the AI the backstory in plain words — it writes a far better reply when it knows what's really going on.