Why email lacks personal touch

The Hidden Cost of 'Professional' Emails (And Why I Stopped Writing Them). I've never been one for the polished, perfectly crafted emails. You know the ones - filled with fluff, niceties, and a whole lot of nothing. But even I found myself slipping into the trap of using AI to make my emails sound "just right." Here's the kicker: That 'professionalism' often meant sacrificing authenticity, and the results weren't pretty. AI is fantastic for generating ideas and organizing thoughts, but it can also lead to emails that sound more like a corporate script than a human conversation. Every time I leaned into crafting the "ideal" email with AI, it felt like I was putting on a suit that didn't fit. The more I tried to play the game, the less I connected with the people on the other side and the lower my response rates got. I get TONS of AI generated emails and no matter how "personalized" they are, I can always tell they're written by AI and the only way I can explain it is that they just don't have a soul. Let me give you an example. There was a time when I was trying to write the perfect email to hold someone accountable for ghosting me. I tried a "professional persistence" version, hoping to sound polished and firm. But then, in a moment of frustration and honesty, I simply typed "Did I lose you?" in the subject line and hit send. I got an immediate response. Why? Because it was genuine. It cut through the noise and spoke directly to the person on the other end. (type "ghost" in the comments if you want the link to how i use that email to get an 80%+ response rate when being ghosted) So I ditched the act. I went back to basics - clear, direct communication with a personal touch. My emails are back to being an extension of my conversations, where the only polish was in the sincerity of my words. And guess what? My response rates improved. People didn't respond to the professionalism of the email. They responded to the realness. So here's a thought: Next time you hit 'compose,' ask yourself if you're writing to impress or to connect. Trust me, when you speak from the heart, people listen. #MakeItHappen #Sales #Authenticity #AI

Some cold emails try too hard to “personalize.” Like this one I got: “Josh, your post about the gap between knowing and doing resonated. Seems applicable even outside of cold calling. Complex European logistics, for example…” Then it pivoted into a pitch about freight. It’s like a waiter overhearing you order a glass of wine and saying: “Ah yes, your love of Merlot reminds me of car tires. Speaking of which, would you like to buy four?” That kind of forced connection doesn’t build trust. It breaks it. Personalization isn’t sprinkling my name or twisting my post into a segue. It’s showing me you understand my world. The job I’m trying to get done. The problem I might not even know I have. Otherwise it just feels like duct-taping my words onto your agenda. Here’s a cold email that’s personal but not personalized. “Pete, not sure about your clinic, but many vets say they lose 6–8% of revenue each year because pet owners buy similar products online or at pet superstores. ACME and BETA are private labeling products, so they don’t compete with a big box or online options. No setup or design fee. Low min order quantity (12). Worth exploring?”

I still remember the day I almost gave up on cold emailing. I had spent hours crafting a pitch for a major advertiser- and sent it off with high hopes. When crickets answered, my first reaction was frustration: “What did I do wrong?” After a little self-reflection, the answer hit me: my email sounded like a robot. It was all bullet points and jargon with zero heart. So I went back to the drawing board and rewrote my pitch with one goal in mind: make it feel human. Here’s what changed: 1.    Empathy First:- Instead of opening with “Our platform delivers 3–5M USD monthly,” I started with, “I know your team must juggle dozens of offers and budgets, especially during peak season.” It showed I understood their world before jumping into numbers. 2.    Story Over Specs:- I replaced a laundry list of features with a mini-case study: “When we partnered with XYZ last quarter, they saw a 40% lift in performance simply by adding two transparency checkpoints in our reporting.” Real results, real people. 3.    A Genuine Question:- Rather than a hard “Can we jump on a call this week?”, I asked, “What’s been your biggest challenge with affiliate partnerships lately?” That opened a dialogue instead of a dead-end. 4.    A Dash of Personality:- I signed off with something memorable: “P.S. If you ever need a caffeine-fuelled brainstorming partner, I am just  a call away.” The outcome? The advertiser not only replied, they asked for a kick-off meeting and less than a week we had got the CPA campaign on a decent payout. Cold emails don’t have to feel cold. When you lead with empathy, tell a story, and invite real conversation, you’ll stand out in an inbox full of “blasts.” Give it a try—put the “human” back in your outreach, and you might be surprised by how warm your results become. What did you changed in your email to get the response from client? Share your story.. #humantouch #Coldemails #affiliatemarketing #performancemarketing

In marketing, there are two types of advice: Things that work. And things that work now. Big difference. Every few months there's some "works now" trick that becomes the talk of LinkedIn and X. And sure, some work – right now. Until everyone copies them. Until your audience sees them 42 times. Until the edge goes away and what was clever becomes annoying. Chasing tactics is exhausting. You're always running behind the next thing. By the time you implement it, it's already dying. I played that game too. Early on, I collected every tactic possible. Subject line tricks. Swipe files. "Proven templates." But with every year, one thing became clearer: Tactics came and went. The fundamentals stayed forever. So now I play a different game. I don't chase what works now. We do what works. Psychology. Human behavior. Direct-response principles. These are the fundamentals. Here's what I've learned after hundreds of A/B tests and helping clients generate over $40M in email revenue: People don't buy from brands. They buy from people they Trust. Most brands ignore this. They only send emails that look perfectly designed, polished, and safe. So safe that nobody feels anything. Which means nobody buys anything either. Because decisions are made with emotions and justified with logic. Not the other way around. That perfectly designed email with product images and a "Shop Now" button? It hits the logical part of the brain. But a personal email from someone you feel like you know? That hits the emotional part. The part that actually makes decisions. This is why we introduced what we call an Inbox Host – think radio host but in your inbox. Someone with a charismatic voice. Someone entertaining. Someone your subscribers look forward to hearing from because they tell stories and feel like a person, not Brand LLC. Subscribers don't consciously realize they're getting sold to. They buy because they Like and Trust the person talking to them. This works. Not "works now". Works. Has worked for decades. Will work forever because it's based on how humans are wired. We trust people easier than brands. We connect with personalities easier than logos. We buy from friends easier than strangers. The Inbox Host strategy leans into all of this. We develop a character for your brand. Give them a voice. A personality. Sometimes it's the founder. Sometimes it's a fictional character engineered to be liked. Either way, it's someone subscribers feel like they know. When you know someone, you Trust them. When you Trust them, you buy what they recommend. Designed emails perform fine. But Inbox Host emails print money. Because they reach the part of the brain where decisions happen. The part that cares about: "Do I like this person? Do I trust them?" If the answer is yes, the sale happens. To learn about the Inbox Host Strategy: https://lnkd.in/escJygAf

Ever wonder why your outreach feels like shouting into a void? Generic emails move, but they rarely arrive anywhere. Personalization, on the other hand, is the express route that lands straight on your buyer’s desk. As a founder at Almoh Media, I see this daily. First, inbox rules are stricter than ever. Google and Yahoo’s policies mean bulk, impersonal blasts are flagged quickly, while messages with human context reach further. Next, think about your audience. Decision-makers receive dozens of pitches every single day. What makes them pause is not a clever subject line alone, but a message that speaks directly to their role, current challenges, or even something they recently shared online. When outreach feels like a mirror of their world, it gets read. So, start with the basics. Use the correct name and company details to show attention to detail. Then go deeper. Reference their recent initiatives, align your solution to what matters in their market, and even match their tone. Small touches like these turn outreach into connection. Finally, timing is critical. More than half of the responses come within six hours, and nearly ninety percent within two days. So give your message breathing room before following up. For agencies and aggregators, personalization is not just a trick. It is the handshake that moves your email from clutter to conversation. Let’s stop sending noise and start creating dialogues that open doors. How do you personalize your outreach today?  Share your approach, I’d love to exchange ideas. #PersonalizedOutreach #FounderPlaybook #DigitalPR #InboxThatWins #Tausiftalks

"Is this email from a human or a robot?" It's sad, but we're at a point where you have to overcome this question in the donor's mind: Here are some things you can do to assure them that it's really you: 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Personal anecdotes or experiences: Speak in the first person and share things that happened to you, personally. Example, "I was there when Jane, a youth benefiting from our program, expressed how your donation made a difference in her life." 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Handwritten elements: Use handwritten thank-you notes and mark up letters with a pen. 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Current events or timely references: Mentioning a recent event, perhaps something that's just occurred, shows the email is current and not pre-scheduled months in advance. 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Recognize past interactions, such as "It was great seeing you at our recent gala event," or "Thank you for your thoughtful feedback during our last call." 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Direct responses to previous communications: Referencing past emails, concerns, or feedback the donor has provided, "I remember you mentioned your interest in our youth programs, and I wanted to update you on that..." 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Emotionally resonant language: A genuine human sentiment can often feel more authentic. Phrases like "Your gift genuinely moved us," or "Every time I walk past the center, I'm reminded of the kindness of supporters like you." 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Specific details: Mentioning details that aren't part of a database. For instance, "The hand-knitted scarves you donated were a huge hit during our winter drive!" 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Casual, conversational tone: An informal, less structured tone can make the email feel more personal and less scripted. 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Updates on mutual acquaintances or shared connections: "By the way, I spoke to Sarah, who you introduced us to last year. She sends her regards and thanks for connecting her with our community." 🧑🦲vs🤖 - Invitations to informal events or gestures of goodwill: "If you're in the neighborhood, drop by for a coffee. I'd love to chat and show you around." Don't do this in a gimmicky or inauthentic way, or else you'll end up in a worse place than where you started.

Here’s something we don’t often talk about: Automation is a double-edged sword. Use it wisely. In a world where automation promises ease and efficiency, we must remember that too much automation can harm your business. Here’s why: 1️⃣ Personal touch gets lost. 2️⃣ Customer relationships weaken. For years, businesses have chased automation to save time and cut costs. But in this pursuit, they've often forgotten the human element. 🤖 Customers crave connection. They want to speak to a PERSON, not a MACHINE. Emails should feel PERSONAL, not AUTOMATED. Recently, I had a meeting with a marketing agency that automated everything: emails, client communications, and social media posts. Initially, it streamlined processes and cut costs, but client satisfaction declined. Clients felt overlooked without the personalized touch, leading to decreased retention and slowed new business. Balance is key. Use automation to assist, not replace. Keep the personal touch alive. ▶ Talk to your customers. ▶ Listen to their needs. ▶ Show them you care. Did you know? According to a study by PwC, 82% of U.S. consumers want more human interaction in customer service. Think about this: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩? Find the right balance. One that works for you and your customers. Remember, in the race to automate, don’t lose sight of the personal touch that sets you apart. ♻️ If you found this message valuable, share it. ➕ Follow for more insights. #Automation #BusinessGrowth #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy #Innovation

You can automate almost anything these days – but you can’t automate authenticity. Still, when it comes to messaging clients or leads, I’ve realized one thing: there’s just no substitute for the human touch. For all its intelligence, AI often still sounds… well, like a robot. We’ve all gotten those emails or DMs that feel copy-pasted or a little too formulaic. So what’s the key to effective outreach? Honestly, it’s the old-fashioned personal touch and a bit of emotional intelligence. Doing a bit of homework – understanding who you’re talking to and showing real empathy – goes a long way. In fact, 80% of buyers are more likely to engage when they feel a message is personalized to them. Don’t get me wrong: I love AI as a co-pilot for drafting and brainstorming. It’s great for speeding up the process. But I always add that final human edit before hitting send, because at the end of the day, people respond to people. -AI can assist, but the genuine connection – the trust and rapport – comes from the human touch.

👉 Most personalization isn’t personal. Just because you used my name doesn’t mean you know me. As a marketer (and a consumer myself), I’ve seen both sides of this. ↳ I’ve opened emails that knew my name but completely missed the mark on what I actually needed. ↳ AND... I've opened emails that got my first name completely wrong and double-missed the mark! ↳ And of course, as a marketer, I’ve also been the one sending those emails. In truth, there is SUCH a difference between “Hi [First Name]” and real relevance. 📌 Do you know what I’m shopping for? 📌 Where I am in my journey? 📌 What I’ve already bought from you? It’s context. It’s timing. It’s data. And when you get that right, personalization actually feels personal.

I received a two-word email reply last week: "Sounds good." I felt frustrated since I put so much effort into a detailed proposal. And their "efficient" response came across as dismissive. Was it intentional? Of course not. But it’s one of the traps of digital communication. It may take away what makes us human. No eye contact, no tone, no body language. Just words on a screen that we interpret through our biases. Three things I learned about email: Short isn't always smart. When someone sends you three paragraphs, a two-word response feels like a slap. Tone is invisible until it's not. I re-read my emails before sending and ask: "Would I want to receive this?" Most importantly: email is not for everything. I have been lately experimenting with audio messages, when appropriate, and it gives a “human touch” back 😉 When was the last time you picked up the phone (or sent an audio) instead of sending another email?