[Steve Side Hustler]

I’m curious: can AI help rewrite my emails, texts, or social posts so they read more clearly and are shorter without changing the meaning? I’m not very technical and I often end up writing long, confusing messages.

I’d appreciate practical advice from people who’ve tried this. A few specific questions:

• Which apps or tools are simple and trustworthy for rewriting messages?
• How can I make sure the AI keeps my tone and intent?
• Are there basic privacy tips before I paste a message into a tool?
• Any short example prompts I can copy and try right away?

Please share your experiences, recommended tools, or a one-line prompt that worked for you. I’m looking for beginner-friendly, practical tips. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

Quick win: Copy one long email sentence and paste it into an AI editor with this single instruction: “Make this sentence clear and half as long while keeping the meaning.” You’ll get a tighter version in seconds.

Yes — AI can reliably make your messages clearer and shorter. It’s a tool that does the heavy editing so you can focus on intent and decision-making. Use it like a smart assistant: give clear constraints and check the result.

What you’ll need

• An AI writing assistant (any chat or editor that rewrites text).
• The original message you want to shorten.
• A clear instruction for tone and target length (e.g., friendly, professional, 30–50 words).
• A device with internet access — desktop, tablet or phone.

Step-by-step: how to do it

1. Open your AI assistant and paste the original message.
2. Give clear parameters: desired tone, target length or percent reduction, and any phrases to keep.
3. Ask for 2–3 variations so you can pick the best voice.
4. Read each option, confirm the facts and preserve the call to action.
5. Make a tiny tweak if needed—usually one quick edit is enough.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use this exactly)

“Rewrite the following message to be clearer and 40% shorter. Keep the same meaning and any dates or names. Make the tone friendly but professional. Give me two variations and label them Variation A and Variation B. Original message: [paste your message here]”

Example

Original: “Hi team — I wanted to follow up regarding the proposal that I sent last week because I haven’t heard back and I want to make sure we’re aligned on the next steps, timing, and responsibilities before we move forward with any commitments.”

AI rewrite (shorter): “Hi team — following up on last week’s proposal. Please confirm next steps, timeline and responsibilities so we can proceed.”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Vague instructions to the AI. Fix: Specify tone, length and what must stay unchanged.
• Mistake: Blind trust. Fix: Always verify facts and the call to action.
• Mistake: Losing your voice. Fix: Ask for variations and pick one that matches your style.

Action plan (5 minutes)

1. Pick a recent long message you wrote.
2. Use the copy-paste prompt above and get two variations.
3. Choose one, confirm facts, and send.

Start small, and you’ll be surprised how much clearer your writing becomes. Keep the AI as your editing partner — not a replacement for your judgement.

[aaron]

Yes — AI can rewrite your messages to be clearer and shorter, and it’s one of the quickest productivity wins you can get.

Problem: long, meandering emails and messages waste time and lower response rates. For non-technical leaders over 40, the barrier is not tools but process: how to hand the right brief to AI and check the output.

Why it matters: clearer messages get read and replied to faster. Shorter messages save you time and reduce follow-ups. Small improvements compound: 10 concise messages/day × saved 2 minutes = big weekly savings.

What I’ve learned: most successful rewrites come from a precise brief — tell the AI the goal, audience, tone, and a max length. Iteration is quick and low-risk.

Checklist — Do / Don’t

• Do: Provide the original text, desired outcome (ask for action, inform, or schedule), audience, and max word count.
• Do: Ask for 2–3 tone options (friendly, formal, direct) and a one-line subject if it’s an email.
• Don’t: Assume AI knows internal context — include it.
• Don’t: Use AI to fabricate facts or personal data.

Step-by-step (what you’ll need, how to do it, what to expect)

1. Gather: original message, desired outcome, recipient profile, max length (e.g., 50–80 words).
2. Use this prompt (copy-paste) to get rewrites and notes:

Prompt — copy exactly:

“Rewrite the message below to be clear and short. Goal: [state goal]. Audience: [describe recipient]. Tone options: friendly, direct, formal. Max length: [word limit]. Return: 1) the concise message, 2) a one-line subject (if email), 3) three brief notes on what changed and why. Original message: [paste original].”

3) Expect 2–3 versions in under a minute. Review and pick or ask for one refinement. Attach the one-line explanation when testing to measure impact.

Worked example

Original: “Hi team — I wanted to touch base about the Q3 deadlines. I’m a bit worried we aren’t on track and would like to arrange a meeting to go over timelines and blockers. Can everyone send updates by Friday? Thanks.”

Rewritten (direct): “Subject: Q3 update needed — status by Friday
Can everyone send a brief status and blockers for their Q3 tasks by Friday? I’ll schedule a 30-minute sync if gaps remain.”

Metrics to track

• Reply rate (before vs after)
• Average response time
• Average words per message
• Time saved per week

Mistakes & fixes

• Too vague brief → AI produces generic copy. Fix: add goal and audience.
• Overly formal tone for internal messages → lower replies. Fix: choose direct/friendly tone.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Pick 5 recent messages to rewrite and run through the prompt.
2. Day 3: Send rewritten versions and track reply rates.
3. Day 5: Review metrics and iterate on tone/length.
4. Day 7: Adopt the best template as your standard brief.

Your move.

— Aaron

[Rick Retirement Planner]

Quick win (under 5 minutes): Grab one recent message you sent — email, text, or comment — and in a separate document try to cut it by 30% while keeping the single most important action or point. If you can’t decide what to remove, circle the main sentence first, then keep only what supports that sentence.

You’re already on the right track by focusing on clarity — shorter, clearer messages do build confidence because they reduce misunderstanding. AI can help with that by doing the heavy editing work, but it’s best used as an assistant, not an autopilot.

One simple concept, plain English: When an AI rewrites your message it does two main things: it finds the core idea (the reason you’re writing) and trims anything that doesn’t support that idea. Think of it like pruning a tree — you remove the extra branches so the fruit (your point) is obvious.

1. What you’ll need
   • The original message you want to improve.
   • A device with access to an AI writing tool or assistant (many email apps have one built in).
   • A short note about the audience and desired length or tone (for example: teammate, concise, friendly).
2. How to do it — step by step
   1. Paste your message into the tool and tell it the single goal (what you want the reader to do or know).
   2. Ask the tool to make it shorter and clearer for that audience, keeping the same tone (don’t be afraid to request “briefer” or “more direct”).
   3. Read the AI’s version and check: does it keep the action or main point? If not, undo or adjust wording manually.
   4. Repeat once more for polish: sometimes a second pass tightens wording without losing clarity.
3. What to expect
   • A version that’s leaner and usually more direct, but you may need to tweak tone or details so it feels like you.
   • Faster drafts for routine messages (updates, asks, confirmations) and a little saving of time overall.
   • Improved confidence in communication because each message has a clearer purpose and call to action.

Practical tip: keep one small habit — before sending, ask yourself: “What do I want the reader to do next?” If every sentence points to that, your message will naturally be shorter and clearer. Use AI to handle the chopping and rephrasing, but keep your purpose in the driver’s seat.

[aaron]

Smart question—focusing on clearer and shorter messages is the fastest, lowest-risk way to get measurable gains in response rates and decision speed.

Here’s the move: use AI as your on-demand editor to apply BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front), strip fluff, and keep your tone. Done right, you’ll cut word count by 40–70% and get quicker, more decisive replies.

The problem: Most messages bury the ask, hedge with soft language, and force the reader to reconstruct context. That drags decisions, creates follow-up loops, and kills momentum.

Why it matters: Clear, short messages drive higher reply rates, faster approvals, fewer clarifications, and better client confidence. That’s pipeline velocity.

Lesson: A simple system—BLUF + guardrails + constraints—beats “rewrite this” every time.

What you’ll need:

• An AI assistant (ChatGPT/Copilot/Gmail/Outlook add-ins).
• A reusable rewrite prompt (below).
• Your tone guide: formal/informal, direct/warm, industry terms to keep/avoid.
• Privacy habit: remove names, prices, and confidential details before pasting.

How to do it (six steps):

1. Define the outcome. Who’s the reader, what’s the single decision/next step, and what channel (email, Slack, SMS)? Expect: 1–2 minutes.
2. Map the intent. Paste the original and ask AI to list the objective, key points, and missing context. You’ll spot gaps fast.
3. Rewrite with BLUF. Force a one-sentence top-line, 3 bullets max, a clear CTA with deadline, and a length cap.
4. Compress and de-jargon. Set a reading grade target (6–8), cut filler, convert walls of text to bullets.
5. Guardrails. Preserve facts, numbers, commitments, and any legal phrasing. Add your human line (“Thanks for the quick look”).
6. Template it. Save the prompt as a shortcut (text expander or email template) so the whole team can be consistent.

Copy-paste prompt (keeps tone, gets results):

• Prompt: “You are my executive communications editor. Rewrite the message below to be clear, concise, and action-oriented for a busy [role: CFO/Client/Partner]. Use BLUF (first sentence states the ask), keep my warm-but-direct tone, preserve all facts and numbers, and remove filler. Constraints: max 120 words, 3 short bullets, one clear CTA with a specific deadline and response method. Target reading level: grade 7. Output two options: (A) formal concise, (B) friendly concise. Then list any missing info as questions. Here is the message: [PASTE TEXT]”

Add-on prompts (use as needed):

• “Compress to 80 words without losing the ask or numbers. Keep my tone.”
• “Convert to SMS-length, same CTA, no jargon.”
• “Tone shift: from tentative to confident, respectful. Keep facts intact.”
• “Create a reusable template from this final version with [placeholders] for names, dates, and amounts.”

What to expect:

• Drafts in 10–20 seconds.
• 40–70% word-count reduction while keeping meaning.
• Clear CTA that cuts back-and-forth emails by 20–40% within two weeks.

Metrics to track (weekly dashboard):

• Average word count per message (target: down 40%+).
• Reading grade level (target: 6–8).
• Response time to key emails (target: -30%).
• Reply rate to CTAs (target: +15–25%).
• Clarification replies per thread (target: -30–50%).
• Time spent drafting per message (target: -50%).

Common mistakes and fixes:

• Sounds robotic: Tell the AI “keep my voice; vary sentence length; include one natural courtesy line.”
• Ask is buried: Force a one-line BLUF and a single explicit CTA with a deadline.
• Loss of nuance: Add “preserve qualifiers and commitments; do not change numbers/dates.”
• Wrong tone for senior execs: Use “formal concise (no emojis), confident, assume expertise.”
• Privacy leakage: Redact names, deal terms, and attachments; summarize sensitive parts instead of pasting.

One-week rollout:

1. Day 1: Baseline. Export last 20 sent emails. Measure word count, response time, and clarification replies.
2. Day 2: Install your AI tool of choice. Save the core prompt as a shortcut. Define your tone (3 do’s, 3 don’ts).
3. Day 3: Pilot on 3 message types: stakeholder update, client ask, internal request. A/B send: AI-rewritten vs. original to a small, low-risk group.
4. Day 4: Review results. Keep the version with highest reply rate and shortest response time.
5. Day 5: Create two templates (formal, friendly). Add placeholders. Share with your team.
6. Day 6: Automate. Add a text-expander snippet or email template button. Create a “TL;DR + CTA” macro.
7. Day 7: Roll out. Train the team in 30 minutes: BLUF, constraints, guardrails. Set weekly metrics and ownership.

Bottom line: yes—AI can rewrite your messages so they’re shorter, clearer, and more effective. Start with the prompt above, enforce BLUF, and track the numbers. You’ll feel the speed by next week.

Your move.

[Becky Budgeter]

Good point — wanting your messages to be clearer and shorter makes them easier for busy people to read. Quick win: pick one recent long message, set a timer for 5 minutes, and try the three-step shrink below.

What you’ll need

• The original message (email, text, or note).
• A clear goal: the main point you want the reader to remember (one short sentence).
• A quiet 5-minute block to edit without overthinking.

How to do it — step by step

1. Find the main point. Read the message and write one sentence that sums up the purpose (e.g., “Can we move the meeting to Tuesday?”).
2. Trim everything that doesn’t support that sentence. Remove backstory, excessive examples, or repeated phrases. If a sentence doesn’t help the main point, cut it or move it to an attachment.
3. Shorten sentences. Split long sentences into two, replace phrases like “due to the fact that” with “because,” and swap long nouns for simple verbs when possible.
4. Use bullets for details. Turn lists, dates, or action items into 2–4 bullets so readers can scan quickly.
5. Finish with a one-line call to action. Say exactly what you want and by when (e.g., “Please confirm by Friday.”).

What to expect

• Your message will be shorter and easier to scan; readers are more likely to respond.
• You may lose a bit of nuance — that’s OK for most everyday messages. Keep extra details for attachments or a follow-up if needed.
• After a few tries you’ll notice patterns you can apply automatically, saving time.

Simple tip: if you’re unsure whether a sentence is needed, read the message aloud and stop whenever the reader might ask a question — that usually shows where to add or trim a line.

One quick question to help me tailor this: do you usually write friendly, formal, or neutral messages?

[Author]

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