A client recently reached out to me after working with a PR company to get press for her well-deserved expertise.
The PR agency wrote an outreach message for her to send to journalists and potential collaborators. And when she read it, it just didn’t resonate.
Her next step? She ran it through an AI service, hoping to improve it. The AI produced another version, one that sounded slightly more polished, and ultimately, still read like every other generic outreach message.
And that’s the problem. If your cold outreach sounds like everybody else, it’s going to get deleted.
Why “Me, Me, Me” Messages Fail
When my client came to me with both versions, she said, “It just feels like the message is shouting, ‘me, me, me.’”
And she was right. When your message is all about you, your achievements, your services, your goals, you’re not giving the reader a reason to care. You’re not making a connection.
That’s why, in Episode 286 of The Sales Maven Show, “Using AI in Sales: What to Automate and What to Say Yourself,” I talk about the importance of crafting messages that sound authentic and connection-forward.
The Three Changes That Made All the Difference
We reworked her outreach completely, focusing on three key shifts:
Start with an authentic connection.
We opened with a genuine compliment that was specific to the person she was contacting. This immediately made the message feel warmer and more personal.Ask questions instead of only making statements.
99.9% of outreach emails are just statement after statement, essentially talking at the reader. Questions engage the brain and feel like a conversation, not a pitch.Share one compelling example, not your full bio.
Instead of listing all her accomplishments, we picked one strong, relevant example to spark curiosity. This invites the reader to want to know more.
The Confidence Factor
Once we made these adjustments, my client felt proud and confident about sending her outreach message, another huge differentiator in sales.
Because here’s the truth: when you send something that doesn’t sound like you (or worse, sounds just like everyone else), you’re far less likely to send it at all. And if you don’t send it, your business can’t move forward.
Before You Hit Send, Ask Yourself:
Does this message read like every other one that’s landed in my inbox this week?
If the answer is yes, don’t send it.
Your greatest differentiator is you. Your voice, your authenticity, and your ability to make a real connection are what will get a response, not a cookie-cutter template.
If you need help crafting outreach messages that showcase you in your best light and engage the reader from the first line, I’d love to support you. Let’s create something you’ll be confident and excited to send.
Wishing you continued success,
Nikki Rausch, The Sales Maven