The problem with AI emails — and why it's fixable
You've probably seen one. An email that starts with "I hope this message finds you well" and ends with "Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions." It's technically correct. It says what it needs to say. And it sounds like it was written by a very polite software program, which is exactly what happened.
This isn't because AI is bad at writing. It's because AI defaults to the average of everything it's ever read — and the average of professional email writing is painfully generic. Without guidance, it gives you the median, inoffensive, vaguely corporate tone that nobody actually writes in but somehow gets produced constantly.
The fix isn't to give up on AI for email. It's to give AI what it's missing: context about who you are and how you actually communicate.
AI defaults to corporate-speak not because that's good writing, but because that's what most business emails look like. Give it a different target and it'll hit that instead.
The voice snapshot technique
This is a one-time setup that pays off every time you use AI for email afterward. The idea: give AI a sample of your actual writing and tell it to match that style going forward.
1
Find 2–3 emails you've written that you like
Look for emails that sound like your natural voice — casual exchanges with colleagues, replies where you were relaxed, or anything where you'd read it back and think "yes, that sounds like me." Remove any sensitive details.
2
Paste them in and ask AI to describe your style
Open ChatGPT and say: "Here are 2–3 emails I wrote. Describe my writing style in detail — my tone, how formal or casual I am, how I open and close emails, and any patterns you notice." Read the description. Correct anything that's off. This becomes your voice profile.
3
Save the description and use it as a prefix
Save the style description somewhere easy to grab — a note app, a doc, even a text file. Before any future email request, paste it in first: "Write in this style: [your description]. Now write an email that..."
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Save this as a custom instruction
ChatGPT has a "Custom Instructions" feature in settings where you can store information that applies to every conversation. Paste your voice description there once and it'll inform every email you ever ask it to write — no re-pasting required.
Before and after: the difference context makes
Same scenario, two different prompts. The person needs to follow up with a client who hasn't responded in a week.
❌ Generic prompt result
Hi [Name],
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding the proposal I sent last week. Please let me know if you have had a chance to review it and if you have any questions or require any additional information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
[Your name]
Technically fine. Sounds like every other follow-up email ever sent.
✓ Voice-guided prompt result
Hey Sarah,
Circling back on the proposal from last week — just want to make sure it didn't get buried. Happy to jump on a quick call if it's easier to talk through it than reply.
Let me know either way!
— Marcus
Same message, warmer tone, half the length, and actually sounds like a person wrote it.
The 3-step editing process
Even with a good prompt, AI email output usually needs a quick pass before it's ready to send. Here's the process that takes about two minutes and catches everything worth fixing.
1
Cut the opening filler
AI almost always starts with a sentence that adds no value. "I hope you're doing well." "I wanted to reach out." "Thank you for getting back to me." Delete it. Your email is better without it, and nobody misses it.
2
Replace any words you'd never actually say
Read it out loud. If you hit a word or phrase that you would never say in conversation — "endeavor," "facilitate," "please don't hesitate," "at your earliest convenience" — swap it for what you'd actually say. This one pass removes most of the robot voice.
3
Add one human detail
Add one thing AI couldn't have known — a reference to something you talked about, a small joke that fits your relationship with this person, or acknowledgment of context specific to the situation. This is what makes an email feel like it came from you specifically, not a template.
Prompts for the hardest email types
These are the emails most people dread writing. Here are prompts that get you a useful first draft quickly — adjust them with your voice description for best results.
Asking for a raise or promotion
Prompt to use
"Write an email to my manager [name] requesting a conversation about a salary increase. Context: I've been in this role for [X] years, I've taken on [specific new responsibilities], and I haven't had a raise since [timeframe]. Tone should be confident and professional, not apologetic. Keep it under 150 words and don't make specific demands — just ask to set up a conversation."
Declining something politely
Prompt to use
"Write a polite email declining [the meeting / the request / the invitation] from [person/organization]. Reason: [your actual reason, even if you want to soften it]. I want to leave the door open for future opportunities but be clear that I can't commit to this one. Warm but direct tone."
Handling a complaint or difficult situation
Prompt to use
"Help me write a response to a complaint from [customer/colleague] about [situation]. I want to acknowledge their frustration genuinely, briefly explain what happened without being defensive, and clearly state what I'm going to do about it. Professional but human tone — not a form letter."
Cold outreach that doesn't feel like spam
Prompt to use
"Write a short cold email introducing myself to [person/company]. Context about me: [2 sentences]. Reason I'm reaching out: [specific reason, not generic]. What I'm asking for: [one clear, easy ask]. Keep it under 100 words. Don't start with 'I' and don't use any buzzwords."
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The real time savings
The goal isn't to send AI emails untouched — it's to never start from a blank page. Getting a decent first draft in 30 seconds and spending 2 minutes editing it is dramatically faster than writing from scratch, especially for difficult emails where the blank page is the hardest part.
⚡ Try this today
Set up your voice snapshot in the next 10 minutes
Find two emails you've written that sound like you. Open ChatGPT and try this:
- "Here are two emails I wrote: [paste them]. Describe my writing style — my tone, how formal or casual I am, how I structure emails, and any phrases or patterns you notice. Be specific."
- Then save the description it gives you. That's your voice profile. Use it as the prefix for every email you ask AI to write from now on.