feat: add tone-of-voice reference for email-processor skill

2026-03-25 06:07:09 +00:00
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+# Michael Heerkens — Email Tone of Voice Reference
+
+This reference defines Michael's natural email writing style. Every draft must follow these patterns.
+Generated from analysis of 100+ sent emails across recruitment, vendor management, internal team,
+and partnership contexts (March 2026).
+
+## Core Principles
+
+| Principle | What it means |
+|-----------|---------------|
+| **Brevity first** | Most emails are 1–3 sentences. Never use five sentences when two will do. |
+| **Direct & action-oriented** | Lead with the ask or the answer, not context. Skip pleasantries. |
+| **Casual but professional** | Relaxed and approachable, never stiff. Think "colleague at a whiteboard." |
+| **Bilingual (NL/EN)** | Dutch for NL contacts, English for international. Mixing is OK. |
+| **Human & warm** | Despite being brief, never cold. "thanks!", "top", "mooi", occasional 👍 and ;) |
+
+## Greetings
+
+- **Use:** "Hi [first name]," or "Hey [first name],"
+- **Quick replies:** Often no greeting at all — just the response
+- **NEVER:** "Dear", "To whom it may concern", "Good morning/afternoon", "I hope this finds you well"
+
+## Sign-offs
+
+- **Most common:** No sign-off, just the signature block
+- **When used:** "Thanks!", "Groet,", "Groeten,", "Cheers,"
+- **NEVER:** "Kind regards", "Best regards", "Warm regards", "Sincerely"
+
+## Email Length
+
+- **Quick acknowledgments:** 1 word to 1 sentence ("top, thanks", "👍", "payment made", "done")
+- **Standard replies:** 2–4 sentences
+- **Detailed responses:** Max 1–2 short paragraphs, only when truly needed
+- **Rule of thumb:** If it takes more than a few lines, schedule a call instead
+
+## Formatting
+
+- No bold, italic, or colored text in emails
+- Rarely uses bullet points — prefers running text
+- Lowercase is fine for quick replies (doesn't always capitalize sentence starts)
+- Includes HubSpot scheduling link when setting up calls: `https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/michael-heerkens/`
+
+## Dutch Abbreviations
+
+When writing Dutch emails, use these common abbreviations naturally:
+
+| Abbreviation | Meaning | Example |
+|-------------|---------|---------|
+| kwa | qua (regarding) | "kwa opties is dat prima" |
+| mbt | met betrekking tot | "mbt de factuur van vorige week" |
+| eea | een en ander (things) | "ik zal eea nog checken" |
+| ed | en dergelijke (etc.) | "tools, processen ed" |
+| oid | of iets dergelijks | "een csv export oid" |
+| iig | in ieder geval (in any case) | "iig bedankt" |
+| sws | sowieso (anyway) | "dat moeten we sws doen" |
+
+## Characteristic Phrases
+
+| Michael says… | Instead of… |
+|---------------|-------------|
+| "top, thanks" / "top, dank" | "Thank you very much for your response" |
+| "can i get an update on this" | "I was wondering if you could provide me with a status update" |
+| "let's schedule a call" + HubSpot link | "Would you be available for a meeting? Please let me know your availability" |
+| "that works for me" / "sounds good" | "I find this proposal to be acceptable" |
+| "payment made" / "done" | "I have processed the payment as requested" |
+| "not sure this is the right fit" | "Unfortunately, after careful consideration, we have determined…" |
+| "what do you guys think?" | "I would appreciate your feedback on this matter" |
+
+## English Style
+
+- Contractions always: "don't", "can't", "won't", "it's" — never formal expansions
+- Sentence fragments are fine: "All good.", "Works for me."
+- Questions are direct: "can you check this?" not "would you be so kind as to…"
+- Technical terms used naturally when relevant (CMS, PIM, ERP, PSP, k8s, API) without over-explaining
+
+## Tone by Context
+
+### Internal Team
+Very casual. Often just a few words. "top", "mooi", "nice" as acknowledgments. Delegates clearly.
+Doesn't over-explain — trusts the team. Pushes when something is late: "can i get an update on
+this please, its already syncing for days and still not ready."
+
+### Recruitment / Candidates
+Friendly but efficient. Always includes HubSpot scheduling link. Honest feedback — doesn't sugarcoat.
+"the conversation was ok, not a wow", "for this position, 'fine' is unfortunately not enough."
+Rejections are direct but respectful.
+
+### Vendors & Suppliers
+Professional but assertive. Will escalate firmly when service is poor. Pushes back on pricing.
+Still polite — "thanks for the info" — but blunt about poor performance.
+
+### External Partners / Clients
+Slightly more polished, still conversational. "thanks!" and keeps things moving. Half a notch
+more formal — still "Hi [name]", still short, but a bit more structured.
+
+## Pre-Send Checklist
+
+Before finalizing any draft, verify:
+
+1. **Length:** Is this shorter than what you initially wrote? Can you cut more?
+2. **Greeting:** "Hi [name]," or no greeting? No "Dear"?
+3. **Sign-off:** "Thanks!" / "Groet," / nothing? No "Kind regards"?
+4. **Formality:** Would a CTO actually write this to a colleague, or does it sound like a template?
+5. **Contractions:** All "do not" → "don't", "cannot" → "can't", etc.?
+6. **Action first:** Is the ask/answer in the first sentence, not buried at the end?
+7. **Language:** Dutch for NL contacts? Correct abbreviations?
+8. **Scheduling:** If a call needs scheduling, is the HubSpot link included?