If you are facing a large purchase or trying to say no professionally, AI can help - but only if you give it a real job to do. This week, we will use it to research a major purchase without getting lost in sales language, and to write a professional decline email that is clear, courteous, and does not leave the door swinging awkwardly in the wind.

Try at least one before Sunday. That is the whole assignment.

Use Case 1 of 2

Use Case 1: Researching a major purchase decision

At 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Margaret Ellis sat at her kitchen table comparing three heat-pump systems for her house in western Pennsylvania. The brochures all promised efficiency, comfort, and savings. One contractor quoted $14,800. Another quoted $19,200. The third recommended a system Margaret had never heard of. She was not trying to become an HVAC engineer; she simply wanted to avoid spending nearly twenty thousand dollars on the wrong equipment. Her questions were practical: What would each system really cost over ten years? What maintenance would it need? Would it work well in cold weather? What should she ask the contractors before signing? The difficulty was not finding information. It was knowing which information mattered and how to compare unlike offers fairly.

A major purchase deserves more than a quick online search. The lowest advertised price may not be the lowest total cost once installation, maintenance, financing, warranties, energy use, and replacement parts are included. Consumer guidance has repeatedly emphasized the value of seeing the complete cost and basic terms while comparing alternatives, rather than focusing only on the recurring payment or headline price.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

> I am researching a major purchase and want a careful comparison, not a sales pitch. > > The purchase is: [describe the item or service]. > > My location is: [city, state or country]. > > My expected period of ownership is: [number of years]. > > My priorities, in order, are: [for example: reliability, low operating cost, ease of use, resale value, quiet operation]. > > My budget is: [amount or range]. > > The options I am considering are: > > 1. [Option A, including price, model, quote, or link] > 2. [Option B, including price, model, quote, or link] > 3. [Option C, including price, model, quote, or link] > > Please help me evaluate these options. Create a comparison that covers: > > - Up-front cost > - Installation or setup costs > - Financing cost, if applicable > - Expected operating or ownership costs > - Maintenance and likely repair issues > - Warranty length and what the warranty excludes > - Important differences in quality, performance, convenience, and longevity > - Questions I should ask each seller or contractor > - Red flags or missing information in the offers > > Separate confirmed facts from estimates and assumptions. Do not invent prices, specifications, warranties, or reliability data. If information is missing, say exactly what is missing and tell me how to verify it. Calculate an estimated total cost of ownership over [number of years], but show the assumptions and provide a low, middle, and high estimate. End with a short list of the three most important questions I should answer before making a decision. Use plain English suitable for a nontechnical buyer.

Why this prompt works: It gives the AI the decision’s boundaries: location, budget, time horizon, priorities, and actual options. Most weak prompts ask, “Which one should I buy?” That invites a confident-sounding general answer. This prompt asks for categories that commonly hide costs, such as installation, financing, maintenance, and exclusions. It also explicitly requires assumptions, uncertainty, and verification steps. That matters because a useful comparison is not the one with the most decimal points; it is the one that makes clear which facts are known and which are guesses.

Use Case 2 of 2

Use Case 2: Writing a professional decline email

At 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Daniel Brooks opened an email from a former colleague offering him a six-month consulting project. The work sounded interesting, and the fee was respectable, but Daniel had already agreed to help his sister through a difficult move and knew he could not give the client the attention they deserved. He had delayed replying for four days because he wanted to sound appreciative without writing an essay. He also worried that saying “I am too busy” might make him appear disorganized - or close the door to future work. The actual message needed to be short. The emotional work behind it was not.

A professional decline should acknowledge the opportunity, state the decision plainly, provide a brief and truthful reason, and preserve goodwill where that is appropriate. Clear writing begins with knowing the outcome you want the email to produce, not simply listing everything you feel. For significant opportunities, a phone conversation may be more respectful than email, followed by a written confirmation; for ordinary invitations, requests, or modest assignments, a carefully written email is often sufficient.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

> Please draft a professional email declining the opportunity below. > > Recipient’s name and role: [name and role] > > My relationship with this person: [current client, former colleague, manager, recruiter, neighbor, professional contact, etc.] > > What they offered or requested: [describe it briefly] > > My decision: I am declining. > > My honest reason, stated privately and in plain language: [for example: I do not have the capacity to do high-quality work during the proposed dates] > > What I am comfortable sharing with them: [brief version of the reason, or “keep the reason general”] > > Whether I want to leave the door open for future contact: [yes/no] > > Whether I want to suggest an alternative person or later date: [details, if any] > > Tone: warm, professional, direct, and not overly apologetic. > > Please write: > > 1. A concise subject line. > 2. An email of 120 words or fewer. > 3. A slightly warmer alternative if the recipient is someone I know well. > > The email should thank them for thinking of me, clearly decline without sounding uncertain, avoid criticizing their organization or proposal, and avoid making promises I may not keep. Do not use phrases such as “unfortunately,” “I feel bad,” or “maybe another time” unless they are genuinely accurate. Do not reveal the private details of my situation beyond the explanation I approved above. After the drafts, briefly explain any sentence that could be misunderstood.

Why this prompt works: It separates the private reason from the public explanation, which helps prevent accidental oversharing. It also tells the AI the relationship, desired tone, length, and whether the door should remain open. Most importantly, it asks for a clear decline rather than a vague postponement. The request for an alternative version is useful because an email to a longtime colleague should not sound like a message to a recruiter or a stranger. Specific constraints produce writing that sounds intentional instead of generically polite.

Know someone who spends too long on things AI could do in two minutes? Forward this to three people who subscribe and I will send you my free AI Prompt Starter Pack: 20 ready-to-use prompts for everyday life.

By Dr. Rowan Hayes