Use Outlook Copilot to Draft Client Follow-Up Emails

What This Does

Outlook's built-in Copilot AI can write a complete client follow-up email from your bullet-point notes — so after a client meeting, you type a few quick notes and Copilot turns them into a polished, professional message in seconds.

Before You Start

• You're using Microsoft Outlook (desktop app or Outlook.com)
• Your organization has Microsoft 365 Copilot enabled, or you have a Microsoft 365 Personal/Business subscription
• You're logged into your Microsoft account

Steps

1. Open a new email in Outlook

Click New Email (or New Message) in the top-left of Outlook.

What you should see: A blank email compose window opens.

2. Find the Copilot button

Look for the Copilot icon in the email compose toolbar — it looks like a small sparkle or star icon, typically in the formatting bar above the email body. Click it.

What you should see: A Copilot sidebar or popup appears with a "Draft with Copilot" option.

Troubleshooting: If you don't see the Copilot icon, check that your Microsoft 365 subscription includes Copilot (Business Basic does not; Business Standard and higher do). The icon may also be in the Insert or Message tab menu.

3. Tell Copilot what to write

In the Copilot draft box, type your bullet notes. For example:

Met with Jim and Carol Thompson today. Reviewed their FIA purchased in 2021. Current surrender value $178K, income account $212K. They're planning to start income in 2 years. Jim mentioned they may want to move to Arizona. Need to send next steps and schedule annual review for next month.

Then click Generate.

What you should see: Copilot writes a complete, professional email using your notes — with a greeting, body, and closing.

4. Review and customize the draft

Read through the draft. Click Adjust or Refine if any section needs changing — you can tell Copilot "make it shorter" or "add a note about the income start date."

Add your client's email address in the To: field, then click Send when ready.

What you should see: A polished, client-appropriate email that would have taken you 15 minutes to write manually, done in under 2 minutes.

Real Example

Scenario: You just wrapped a 45-minute meeting with a prospect who attended your seminar last week. You want to follow up before end of day but you have two more calls.

What you type into Copilot: "Meeting with prospect Barbara, 64, attended seminar on Thursday. Concerned about market risk with $350K in 401(k). Interested in FIA concept. Will email illustration comparison. Follow-up call scheduled for next Tuesday at 2pm."

What you get: A warm follow-up email thanking her for her time, referencing her concern about market risk, mentioning the illustration you'll be sending, and confirming Tuesday's call — all in your client's name.

Tips

• Keep your bullet notes factual and specific — Copilot can't infer details you don't provide
• Always verify that the dollar amounts and product details are accurate before sending — Copilot writes what you tell it
• Use Copilot's "Make it more formal" or "Make it warmer" adjustments to match your personal style

Tool interfaces change — if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.