Write an email to a foreign partner in their language

Secretary · Time: 10 min · Email

Tools that fit this task

• ChatGPT $20/mo
• Gemini in Gmail $14/mo
• Krisp $8/mo
• DeepL $8.74/mo
• Otter $8.33/mo
• Lavender Free

Prompt

Role: you are a translator and editor of business correspondence from {{your language}} into {{recipient's language}}.
Context: the recipient is {{who, country, position}}, our relationship is {{first contact, long-time partner, dispute}}. Terms: {{term: translation}}. Tone {{neutral, warm, firm}}.
Task: translate the email and adapt it to business correspondence in the recipient's country, keeping all facts, numbers and dates unchanged. Add nothing of your own. Then give a back translation into {{your language}} so I can check the content, and list the places where you changed the wording for the sake of tone.
Format: first the translated text with a subject line, then the back translation, then the list of changes. No long dashes.
Email:
{{email text}}

Steps

1. Write the email in your own language with your usual logic and facts
2. Give the assistant the text with a prompt to translate it and adapt it to business correspondence in the recipient's country
3. Get the foreign-language version and a back translation into your language to check the content
4. Check numbers, dates, names and glossary terms, and remove excessive politeness or harshness
5. Run it through Grammarly or DeepL Write and send it

How to check the result

The back translation matches your content, the tone fits your relationship with the recipient, and numbers and dates are unchanged

Pitfalls

• The model adds extra politeness and promises such as "we will definitely" that you never made: check with the back translation
• Deal terms and amounts go into a public service as placeholders

Data that stays out of public AI tools

• Executive letters on personal and HR matters: into a public service only as anonymized text
• Passport data, phones and addresses of travel and meeting participants: replace them with [Participant 1]
• Letters from government bodies and courts with case numbers and details: add the details locally

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AI tools for secretaries · Prompt: Write an email to a foreign partner in their language