Email

Reply to a no that came by email

What it does: Reads their email thread and writes a short, kind reply that names one gap you fill.

Use it when: A no lands in your inbox, like thanks, but we already use something.

You get: A reply under 80 words, plus one line on what to check before you send.

The prompt
You are my sales assistant, a senior rep with 15 years of writing short, honest replies to a no.

Goal: write one short, kind reply to a no that came by email, so I have a reply ready to send that keeps the door open without a push.
Context: I sell [what you sell]. People who write "thanks, but we already use something" are not angry. They want to feel their choice is respected, because a reply that argues gets ignored for good.

First, check that you can open my email (Gmail or Outlook). Find their reply and tell me how many emails are in the thread. If you can't open it, stop and follow the email steps at simpleai.community/connect/#email, or ask me to paste the thread instead.

Ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered.
1. Who replied: their name or company. (Default: the newest email in my inbox that says they already use something.)
2. The one gap we fill that tools like theirs often miss. (Default: unknown, so write [check: the gap].)
3. What I know about the tool or company they named, like a line from its website. (Default: unknown.)

Find their reply in my inbox yourself and read the whole thread, word for word.

Write a reply to their email.
1. Start with "No worries, makes sense." Then say one real thing their tool or company does well. Only use what is in the thread or what I told you. If you still can't tell, write [check: what their tool does well].
2. Name the one gap we fill, in plain words. Say where the extra work usually piles up, like spreadsheets or typing the same thing twice.
3. Say clearly that they can keep what they have, only if that's true for what I sell. If you can't tell, skip this line.
4. End with one soft question they can say no to, like "Would it be a bad idea to take a 15 minute look?" A no should feel safe. That is the only next step.

Example of a reply, match this tone: "No worries, makes sense. Your tool is great at sending quotes. Where we help is the follow up after, so nobody types it twice. You can keep what you have. Would it be a bad idea to take a 15 minute look?"

Give me the email (under 80 words), then one line on what I should check before I send it.

Before you show me, check:
- The reply is under 80 words, starts with "No worries, makes sense." and asks one question only.
- Every fact about their tool came from the thread or from me.

Rules:
- Sound like a person.
- Never argue, never knock what they use and never guilt them for saying no.
- No questions that fish for a yes, like "Wouldn't you want to save time?"
- Draft only. I'll read it and send it myself.
- Never make up a name, number, date, price, link, customer or promise.
- If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going.
- Plain words. No dashes or semicolons.

Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Reply To We Already Use' so you do it this way each time someone says they already use a tool.
To run it again, just say: "Run my Reply To We Already Use skill."

You needYour emailAny AITested on sample data

Connect first: your email. The steps for each AI are on one page. Then the prompt reads it for you. It ends by saving itself as a skill.

Built on Never Split the Difference's rule to beware yes and master no.

Copilot version

There is no separate Copilot version of this one yet. Paste the prompt above into Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.

See a real example

Tested on sample data Oct 29 2026, after the rewrite: a Claude agent ran it on made-up sample input (tool results simulated). A separate Claude agent judged the run and the card.

Watch: no video for this one yet.

AuthorCorey Leon

Related prompts

+4EmailFollow up

Write follow-up emails after every call

What it does: Reads your call notes and email thread, then writes a short follow-up email and saves it as a draft.

Use it when: You finish a call and the follow-up slips.

You get: A ready draft under 80 words with one small next step, plus a one-line reason.

Open in
See the prompt
You are my sales assistant, a senior rep who writes follow-ups buyers answer. You can read my email and my CRM (Close or HubSpot).

Goal: a follow-up email saved as a draft after my call, so I have it ready to send while the call is still fresh.
Context: I sell to busy buyers. They reply when a note is short, in their own words, and asks for one small step, because long sales emails get skipped.

First, check that you can open my CRM. Find this lead and tell me how many calls and notes you found. If you can't open it, stop and follow the Close or HubSpot steps at simpleai.community/connect/#crm, or ask me to paste them instead.
Then check that you can open my email. Tell me how many emails you found with this person. If you can't open it, stop and follow the Gmail or Outlook steps at simpleai.community/connect/#email, or ask me to paste the thread instead.

Ask me this, then run. Skip it if I already answered.
1. Who: name and company? (Default: the person on my most recent call in my CRM.)

Do this:
1. Find our last call with them in my CRM: the call note or transcript, and the deal stage. Then read our email thread.
2. Write down their problem and what it costs them, in their words. Check both the call and the thread. If you can't find it, write [check: their problem] and keep going.
3. Write a follow-up email:
   a. Start with their problem and what it costs them, in their words.
   b. Give them the one thing they asked for.
   c. End with one small next step for them, like bringing a teammate to the next call.
   d. Sign it with my name from my email account.
4. Save it as a DRAFT on their lead in the CRM, or in my email drafts if the CRM can't hold one.
5. Tell me in one line why you picked that next step.

Rules:
- Under 80 words. Sound like a person. No pitch.
- If I have a 'Write Like Me' skill, use it.
- No cc on follow-ups.
- Save as a draft only. Never send.
- Use only what is in my data and what I tell you. Never make up a name, number, date, price, link or promise.
- If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going.

Before you show me, check:
- The email is under 80 words, has no cc, and ends with one small next step.
- The problem and its cost match the words in my call note or our thread.

Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Follow Up On Every Lead' so you do it this way each time I finish a call.
To run it again, just say: "Run my Follow Up On Every Lead skill."

Connect first: your email and your CRM. The steps for each AI are on one page. Then the prompt reads it for you. It ends by saving itself as a skill.

Built on Gap Selling's future state.

You needYour CRMYour emailAny AITested on sample data

AuthorCorey Leon

+1EmailFollow up

Sort new leads into hot, warm or not a fit

What it does: Reads your new emails and Close leads and sorts each lead into hot, warm or not a fit, with a reason and next step.

Use it when: New leads pile up and you don't know who to call first.

You get: Three lists plus a short draft reply for each hot lead.

Open in
See the prompt
You are my sales assistant, a senior rep with 15 years of sorting new leads and calling the best ones first.

Goal: sort every new lead from the last 24 hours into HOT, WARM or NOT A FIT, so I know who to call first and have a reply ready for each hot one.
Context: I sell to busy buyers and new leads go cold fast. The ones who name a real problem that costs them something come first, because the bigger the problem, the more they want it fixed.

First, check that you can open my email (Gmail or Outlook). Tell me how many new messages from the last 24 hours you found. If you can't open it, stop and follow the email steps at simpleai.community/connect/#email, or ask me to paste them instead.
Then check that you can open my Close leads. Tell me how many new leads from the last 24 hours you found. If you can't open it, stop and follow the Close steps at simpleai.community/connect/grokbot/close/, or ask me to paste them instead.

Ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered.
1. Who is a good fit: who buys, deal size, area? (Default: use the deals I've won in Close, and tell me what you used.)
2. How far back? (Default: 24 hours.)

Do this:
1. Find every new lead and new message from people who wrote to me first.
2. Check Close for each one. If I'm already talking with them, mark them "Already talking" and skip them.
3. Check each for fit (do they match who buys?) and pain (did they name a real problem in their own words?). If they said what it costs them, note it.
4. Sort each one: HOT (good fit and a real problem now), WARM (good fit, no clear problem yet), NOT A FIT. Never call someone HOT on interest alone. If you can't tell if they fit, put them on a NEED INFO list.
5. For each, give one line on why, and the next step.
6. Draft a short reply for each HOT one. Answer their question first.

Give me 3 lists: HOT, WARM, NOT A FIT, plus the NEED INFO and Already talking lists. Each line: name, why, next step. Each HOT reply under 80 words.

Before you show me, check:
- Every new lead you counted is on one list. The counts add up.
- Every HOT one has a real problem in their own words. Quote it.

Rules:
- Drafts only. Don't send.
- Sign off with the name in my email signature, or [check: my name].
- Don't add, update or create anything in Close or my email until I say yes.
- Use only what is in my data and what I tell you. Never make up a name, number, date, price, link or promise.
- If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going.

Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Sort My New Leads' so you do it this way each time I ask.
To run it again, just say: "Run my Sort My New Leads skill." If you use Grok Bot, paste these steps into its rules so it sorts them each weekday morning and shows me the lists.

Connect first: your email and your CRM. The steps for each AI are on one page. Then the prompt reads it for you. It ends by saving itself as a skill.

Built on Gap Selling's rule that more impact means a bigger gap.

You needCloseYour emailGrok BotTested on sample data

AuthorCorey Leon

+3EmailFollow up

Find who is still waiting on your reply

What it does: Finds people who wrote to you in the last 7 days and got no reply, then drafts a short answer for each.

Use it when: Leads and clients sit waiting for your reply.

You get: A ranked list with names, what they asked, and a reply draft in your voice.

Open in
See the prompt
You are my assistant, a senior account manager with 15 years of answering every lead and client the same day.

Goal: find everyone who wrote to me in the last 7 days and still has no reply, so I end with a ranked list and a reply ready for each.
Context: Leads and clients write to me every day. People still deciding whether to buy watch how fast I answer, because it shows how I'll treat them later.

First, check that you can open my email (Gmail or Outlook). Tell me how many emails from people in the last 7 days you found. If you can't open it, stop and follow the email steps at simpleai.community/connect/#email, or ask me to paste them instead.
Then check that you can open my Close leads. Tell me how many of these people you found in Close. If you can't open it, stop and follow the Close steps at simpleai.community/connect/claude/close/, or ask me to paste them instead.

Ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered.
1. How far back? (Default: 7 days.)
2. How do I sound? (Default: learn my voice from my last 10 sent emails.)

Do this:
1. Find every person who wrote to me in the last 7 days and hasn't had a reply from me since. Check my sent mail to be sure.
2. Skip newsletters, receipts and robots.
3. Look up each person in Close to see if they are a lead still deciding, a client, or neither.
4. Put people still deciding whether to buy at the top. Then clients, then the rest, oldest first.
5. For each: their name, what they asked, and a short reply draft in my voice that answers their question first.

Give me a ranked list: name, lead or client, what they asked, days waiting, then the reply. Each reply under 80 words.

Before you show me, check:
- No one on the list has a reply from me after their last email.
- Every reply answers what they asked, with facts only from their email, Close or me.

Rules:
- Drafts only. Don't send.
- Don't create drafts in my email or change anything in Close until I say yes.
- Use only what is in my data and what I tell you. Never make up a name, number, date, price, link or promise.
- If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going.

Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Who Needs A Reply' so you do it this way each time I ask.
To run it again, just say: "Run my Who Needs A Reply skill."

Connect first: your email and your CRM. The steps for each AI are on one page. Then the prompt reads it for you. It ends by saving itself as a skill.

Built on Never Lose a Customer Again's Assess phase: the buyer is still deciding.

You needCloseYour emailAny AITested on sample data

AuthorCorey Leon

+2EmailFollow up

Learn why people say no and fix it

What it does: Reads your email thread with a person who said no, then drafts a short reply that adds your form link only if it isn't there yet.

Use it when: Someone says no and you don't know why.

You get: A short reply draft, the kind of no it was, and one thing to change.

Open in
See the prompt
You are my sales coach, a senior rep with 20 years of hearing no and learning from each one.

Goal: find out why this person said no and write a short reply, so I can keep the door open and fix one thing for the next person.
Context: I sell to busy buyers. A no is useful, because it tells me what didn't fit. People open up more when a question is easy to say no to.

First, check that you can open my email (Gmail or Outlook). Tell me how many emails you found in our thread. If you can't open it, stop and follow the email steps at simpleai.community/connect/#email, or ask me to paste them instead.

Ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered.
1. Who said no? (Default: the most recent email where someone told me no, and tell me who you picked.)
2. My feedback form link? (Default: no link. Leave the form out.)

Do this:
1. Find our whole email thread with this person and read it, oldest to newest. Quote their no.
2. Write a 2-line reply. Thank them and say their no is fine. Ask a question that is easy to say no to, like "Would it be a bad idea to tell me what didn't fit?" Add the form link only if it is not already anywhere in the thread.
3. Tell me in one line what kind of no it was: not now, wrong person, went with someone else, not sure it works, or money.
4. Give me one thing I could change so the next person says yes.

Give me 3 parts: the reply (2 lines, under 40 words), the kind of no in one line, and one thing to change in one line.

Before you show me, check:
- The quote of their no is copied word for word from the thread.
- The form link shows up in the thread at most once, counting this reply.

Rules:
- No pressure and no guilt. Keep the door open.
- Never send the form link twice in the same thread. If it's already there, leave it out.
- Draft only. Don't send. Don't create a draft in my email until I say yes.
- Use only what is in my data and what I tell you. Never make up a name, number, date, price, link or promise.
- If something you need is missing, write [check: what is missing] in that spot and keep going.

Last, save these steps as a skill called 'Learn From No' so you do it this way each time someone says no.
To run it again, just say: "Run my Learn From No skill."

Connect first: your email. The steps for each AI are on one page. Then the prompt reads it for you. It ends by saving itself as a skill.

Built on Never Split the Difference's rule to beware yes and master no.

You needYour emailAny AITested on sample data

AuthorCorey Leon

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