# The five emails nobody wants to write

Five templates for the moments when empty phrases are most tempting – and do the most damage. All of them follow the hohl.rocks plain language standard: short sentences, an I, a concrete day.

How to use them: Replace the [placeholders], cut what doesn't fit. Or hand the file to your AI (Claude, ChatGPT), tell it what happened – and it drafts your version.

The one rule behind all five: After one read, the recipient knows where they stand. And they can tell a human wrote it.

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## 1. The rejection

*Someone made an effort – a proposal, an application, a pitch. You're saying no.*

**Subject:** Our decision on [project]

Hi [name],

we've made a decision – we're going with [another offer]. It wasn't about your work: [One honest sentence about what was good.] What tipped the scales was [the real reason: budget, timing, fit].

Thank you for the time you put in.

[Your name]

**Why this works:** The decision is in the first sentence, not the last. The reason is real instead of "after careful consideration". And "we'll keep you in mind" only appears if you mean it.

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## 2. The price increase

*It's going to cost more. The longer you hide that, the more it costs the relationship.*

**Subject:** New price from [month]

Hi [name],

from [date], [service] costs [new amount] instead of [old amount]. The reason: [the real reason – rising costs, bigger scope, overdue adjustment].

What stays the same for you: [what stays the same]. The old price holds until [date] – if you [renew/book] before then, I'll honour it.

If this doesn't work for you, tell me straight. Then we'll find a solution – or a clean ending.

[Your name]

**Why this works:** Number, date and reason are in the first paragraph. No apology for something that isn't a fault.

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## 3. The mistake

*Something went wrong, and it was yours.*

**Subject:** [Project]: a mistake – and how I'm fixing it

Hi [name],

I made a mistake: [what happened, one sentence]. What it means for you: [the concrete consequence].

Here's how I'm fixing it: [step] by [day]. And so it doesn't happen again: [one concrete change].

I'm sorry. If you have questions, call me: [number].

[Your name]

**Why this works:** "I made a mistake" instead of "irregularities occurred". The passive hides you – the active shows you're on top of it.

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## 4. The condolence

*The hardest one of all. Which is why many people don't write at all – and that's the only wrong version.*

**Subject:** [Name]

Dear [name],

I heard about [your loss]. I'm so sorry.

[If you have a memory, this is its place: one sentence, one scene, one image.]

You don't have to reply. I'll call you on [Tuesday] – and if you don't feel like talking, just don't pick up. I'll try again next week.

[Your name]

**Why this works:** No "sincere condolences", no off-the-shelf card. The most important sentence lifts a weight off their shoulders: you come to them, not the other way round.

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## 5. The payment reminder

*The invoice is overdue. The money should come, the relationship should stay.*

**Subject:** Invoice [number] – still open

Hi [name],

invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. Nothing has arrived yet – maybe it just slipped through.

Please transfer by [date]. If something's in the way – an open question, a tight month – call me: [number]. We'll find a solution.

[Your name]

**Why this works:** Friendly in tone, firm on the date. The golden bridge ("maybe it slipped through") costs nothing and saves the relationship. The date saves your money.

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Free to use. The rules behind these templates live in the plain language standard: hohl.rocks/downloads/plain-language-standard.md