Standardising what repeats.
WHAT BENEFITS FROM A TEMPLATE
Quotations Onboarding messages Chasing payment Common support replies Meeting invitations Status updates
WHAT A TEMPLATE SHOULD BE
A starting point, not a final message.
WHY THAT DISTINCTION
Templates sent unaltered read as form letters.
WHAT TO MARK CLEARLY
The parts requiring personalisation.
HOW
A visible placeholder that cannot be missed.
WHY VISIBLE
Sending a message containing an unfilled placeholder is a common and damaging error.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
Structure Standard wording that is accurate Reminders of what to include
WHAT TO KEEP OUT
Detail specific to one case.
WHAT TO REVIEW PERIODICALLY
Whether the content is still accurate.
WHY
Templates outlive the practices they describe.
WHAT TO DO WHEN A TEMPLATE IS WRONG
Fix the template, not just the message.
WHERE TO KEEP THEM
Somewhere the team uses.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Who maintains them.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Which templates are used and which are ignored.
WHAT IGNORED ONES INDICATE
That they do not fit the actual situation.
WHAT TO DO
Rewrite or remove them.
