How to Use AI to Write Emails People Actually Reply To

Most people do not “hate email”.

They hate bad email.

The kind that starts with “I hope you’re doing well” and then immediately asks for something. Or the kind that’s clearly a template, clearly blasted to 200 people, and somehow still tries to act like you two have a relationship.

And yeah, AI has made this worse in some ways. Because now anyone can generate 50 polished emails in 2 minutes. Which means everyone’s inbox is full of perfectly written messages that say absolutely nothing.

But AI can also do the opposite. It can help you write emails that sound like a real human, get to the point, and make replying feel easy.

That’s what this is about.

Not “write emails faster”. You can already do that.

This is how to use AI to write emails people actually reply to. With a simple process, examples, and the small tweaks that matter way more than people think.

First, why people are not replying (it’s usually one of these)

Before you touch AI, it helps to be honest about what kills replies:

1. Your email is about you, not them.
   “We are excited to…” “I wanted to reach out because…” okay but why should they care.
2. The ask is unclear or too big.
   People ignore emails when replying feels like work.
3. It feels like a mass email.
   Even if it’s not. The vibe is enough.
4. There’s no reason to reply now.
   No urgency, no clear next step, no easy yes.
5. You used “follow up” 3 times in 5 days.
   Which is basically the universal signal for “I am about to annoy you”.

AI can fix a lot of this. But only if you use it like a sharp assistant, not like a slot machine.

The mindset shift: AI writes drafts, you control the strategy

If you just type “write a cold email to sell X” you’ll get a cold email.

It will look fine. Clean. Corporate. Slightly lifeless.

What you actually want is to feed AI the ingredients that make an email reply worthy:

• context (why them)
• a specific goal (what reply you want)
• the smallest possible next step
• tone that matches the situation

So the workflow becomes:

1. Decide the reply you want
2. Give AI the situation + constraints
3. Generate 3 to 5 versions
4. Combine the best parts
5. Humanize and trim
6. Add a subject line and a low friction CTA

That’s it. But the devil is in the details.

Step 1: Decide the exact reply you want (write it out)

This is weirdly powerful.

Before writing, literally type the reply you want them to send.

Examples:

• “Sure, I’m free Tue 2 pm or Wed 11 am. Send an invite.”
• “Yes, loop in Sarah and we can review.”
• “Not interested, but thanks.” (this one is still a win sometimes)
• “Can you send pricing and a one pager?”

When you know the reply, you can shape the email to make that reply feel natural.

AI also performs better when the target is specific.

Step 2: Give AI a better prompt (not longer, just sharper)

Here’s a prompt format I keep coming back to. It’s not fancy. It just forces clarity.

Copy and paste this:

You are helping me write an email that gets a reply.
Audience: [who they are]
Context: [why I’m emailing, 2 to 3 sentences]
What they care about: [1 to 3 bullets]
Proof/credibility: [one line]
Ask: [the smallest next step]
Constraints: 80 to 130 words. No buzzwords. No “hope you’re doing well”. No exclamation marks. 6th to 8th grade reading level.
Output: 3 variations with different tones (direct, warm, and playful but still professional). Also provide 5 subject lines.

You can run that prompt in any decent AI writer.

If you want a faster workflow where the tool is already built for email structure, you can use an email specific generator like WritingTools.ai which has an AI email generator designed for this use case. This tool still requires the right inputs but it gets you to usable drafts quicker.

Alternatively, if you're looking for ways to enhance your marketing efforts, consider exploring how to use AI to write marketing copy that converts.

For those interested in refining their approach further, there are numerous AI writing prompts copy-paste templates available which can streamline the process of generating effective content.

Step 3: Generate multiple drafts, then steal like an artist

Do not try to “get the perfect email” in one generation.

Get 3 to 5 drafts, then mix:

• Subject line from Draft 2
• Opening from Draft 1
• CTA from Draft 4
• Shorter sentence rhythm from Draft 3

This is how you avoid that single voice that feels… AI-ish. Even when the writing is technically good.

Also, you’ll notice patterns. Maybe the AI keeps making the ask too big. Or it keeps adding fluff. Good. Now you know what to correct.

Step 4: Use a simple structure that almost always works

If you are stuck, use this structure. It’s boring, but it works because it respects attention.

1) One line that proves it’s not a mass email

Not a compliment. Not “love what you’re doing”.

Something specific and relevant.

• “Saw you’re hiring two SDRs for the outbound team.”
• “Noticed you rolled out a new pricing page last week.”
• “Heard your interview on the RevOps podcast.”

2) The problem or opportunity in plain English

One or two sentences.

• “A lot of teams hit a wall where outbound volume goes up but replies go down.”
• “Most product pages I audit are clear, but they don’t answer the two questions buyers actually have.”

3) Proof in one line

Keep it tight.

• “We helped [company] raise reply rates from 1.2% to 3.4% in 30 days.”
• “I’ve written outbound for 40+ B2B teams, mostly SaaS.”

4) The smallest ask

Make it easy.

• “Worth a 10 minute call next week to see if this applies?”
• “Want me to send a 3 point teardown of your current sequence?”
• “If I send two subject lines and an opener rewrite, would you like to see it?”

5) Soft close

You are giving them an exit.

• “If not a priority, no worries.”
• “If I’m off base, just tell me and I’ll close the loop.”

This structure gives people a reason to reply and a low effort way to do it.

Step 5: Make the email “replyable” (this is the secret)

A lot of emails fail because the recipient has to think too hard.

So you build the reply into the message.

Instead of:

“Let me know what you think.”

Use:

“If you’re open to it, are you more of a Tue or Thu person?”

Or:

“Should I talk to you or someone else on your team?”

Or:

“Want the short version (3 bullets) or the detailed version (1 pager)?”

When the reply is basically choosing from options, people answer.

AI is great at generating these “either or” questions if you ask for them.

Add this line to your prompt:

Include a CTA that can be answered in 5 seconds.

Step 6: Cut 30% of the words. Then cut one more sentence.

Most emails are too long. Not because people are lazy. Because inboxes are brutal.

Here’s a quick trimming checklist:

• Remove the first sentence if it’s just politeness
• Remove adjectives (“amazing”, “innovative”, “excited”)
• Replace phrases with single words
  “at this point in time” → “now”
• Delete any sentence that repeats the previous one

If you want to speed this part up, AI can do it well if you give it a strict instruction like:

Rewrite this email 25% shorter. Keep meaning. Keep the same tone. Remove fluff.

One more thing: some AI outputs feel smooth but not human. Like the rhythm is too perfect.

A quick fix is to run it through a humanizing pass. You might want to consider using tools that can help edit AI-generated text to sound more like you, making the phrasing feel less “generated” and more like something a person would actually type on a Tuesday afternoon.

Still read it yourself though. Always.

Real examples: turning an AI sounding email into a reply getting email

Let’s do a quick before and after. I’ll keep it honest.

Example 1: Cold email for a service

Before (typical AI output):

Subject: Boost your outbound performance

Hi John,
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to reach out because I noticed your company is growing rapidly and may be looking to improve your outbound strategy. We help companies like yours increase reply rates and book more meetings with high quality leads. Would you be open to a quick call this week to discuss?

Best regards,
Name

It’s not terrible. It’s just… every email ever.

After (tighter, more specific, easier to answer):

Subject: Quick question about outbound at [Company]

John, saw you’re hiring for SDRs right now. Usually that means outbound volume is about to jump.

We help B2B teams keep reply rates from dropping when they scale sequences. Recent example: +1.8pp reply rate in 3 weeks for a SaaS team in a similar spot.

Open to a 10 minute chat next week? Tue or Thu better?

Name

This version gives a reason, a proof point, and a 5 second reply.

Example 2: Following up without sounding needy

Most people write:

“Just following up…”

Which triggers instant ignore.

Try this instead, and you can ask AI to generate variations of it.

Subject: Re: [original subject]

Wanted to bump this once. If outbound reply rates aren’t a priority right now, totally fine and I’ll stop here.

If it is on your list, want the quick version (3 bullets) or should I send a 1 pager?

Name

Notice what happened. You gave them an exit, and the reply is selecting an option.

Step 7: Personalization that does not feel fake

There’s “personalization” and then there’s “I scraped your LinkedIn”.

AI makes it tempting to do the second one.

The best personalization is usually about:

• a recent change (hiring, launch, funding, new market)
• a relevant piece of their work (not their hobbies)
• a direct connection to your reason for emailing

Keep it to one line. Two max.

And do not over compliment. People can smell it.

You can ask AI:

Write 5 opening lines based on this fact: [insert one real fact]. No compliments. Just context.

Step 8: Match tone to the relationship (AI gets this wrong a lot)

AI defaults to polite and generic. Sometimes you need that. Sometimes it kills the reply.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

• Cold outbound: direct, minimal, respectful of time
• Warm lead: a bit more friendly, still structured
• Customer email: clear, supportive, specific next step
• Internal email: blunt, scannable, bullets

You can force tone by telling AI who you are to them:

You are writing to a busy VP who does not know me. Keep it direct and non salesy.

Or:

You are writing to a customer who is annoyed. Keep it calm, accountable, and specific.

It sounds obvious, but it changes everything.

Step 9: Use AI to create a follow up sequence (but cap it)

One email is rarely enough. But 7 follow ups is how you get blocked.

A simple sequence:

1. Email 1: the main message
2. Follow up 1 (2 to 3 days later): shorter, adds one new detail or proof
3. Follow up 2 (4 to 6 days later): the breakup email with an easy out

Prompt AI like this:

Create a 3 email sequence. Each email under 90 words. Each follow up must add new information (proof, insight, or a different angle). No guilt language. End with a polite close the loop message.

Then you edit. Always.

Step 10: The deliverability and formatting stuff people ignore

Even the best email dies if it never gets seen.

A few basics:

• Keep formatting plain. No heavy HTML.
• Avoid spammy words in subject lines (free, guarantee, act now).
• Do not use multiple links in a cold email unless necessary.
• Keep sentences short. One idea per line sometimes helps.
• If you include numbers, make them believable and explain them.

Also, read your email out loud. If you trip over a sentence, the reader will too.

A quick mini workflow you can steal (15 minutes)

If you want a simple routine, here:

1. Write the reply you want (one sentence).
2. Gather 3 facts: who they are, why now, your proof.
3. Generate 3 drafts with AI.
4. Combine the best parts.
5. Cut 30%.
6. Add a CTA that can be answered in 5 seconds.
7. Send.

If you want an all in one place to do the drafting and rewriting, WritingTools.ai also has an AI writing assistant that’s handy for iterating quickly, especially when you’re bouncing between drafts, shortening, rewriting, and adjusting tone.

The real takeaway (because AI is not the point)

People reply when:

• the email feels like it was meant for them
• the message is clear
• the ask is small
• replying feels easy

AI can help you get there faster. But you still have to supply the intent. The strategy. The human judgment.

If you do just one thing after reading this, do this: stop asking AI to “write an email”. Start asking it to “get a specific reply” from a specific person, with real constraints.

Everything improves from there.