The age of AI emails: It's here to stay

September 5, 2024

Remember the time when you missed out on a potential lead because you followed up after 2 days?

Well, like we all know, in sales timing is everything, and the ability to engage leads promptly & consistently can make or break a deal. But, because of the numerous tasks a sales professional handles daily, follow-ups are often delayed or forgotten. 

This pain point was the lowest hanging fruit AI could solve, for a sales rep. AI-generated follow-up emails are not a trend but a game-changing solution, ensuring that every lead receives the attention they deserve—exactly when it matters the most.

The Challenge: Why Traditional Follow-Ups Fall Short

Let’s face it. Going back to your notes every single time to find the pain points, next steps, etc & then manually draft an email while praying that you are not forgetting any crucial points, is not the most efficient form of follow-up & is increasingly proving inadequate in today's sales landscape.

Let’s understand the key problem areas that could use some tech-solving:

1.  Scalability: After a day packed with back to back meetings, ensuring perfectly well put follow ups without delays gets very exhausting. Naturally, almost all of us would resort to a quick fix just to get something out there, like using templated messages from the web. Eventually, losing the personal touch that can make a difference in converting a lead.

2. Time crunch: You are already juggling multiple responsibilities, so it’s natural to scramble for time to craft personalized follow-up emails for each prospect. Most times, leading to generic messages, low interest from the prospect, delayed responses, or worse, complete oversight of potential leads.

3. Inconsistent: The quality and consistency of follow-ups can vary widely across your sales team. While some team members might love & excel at crafting engaging emails, others don’t really enjoy sitting and typing away on a screen. Therefore, leading to an inconsistent brand voice and varying levels of effectiveness in customer communication.

4. Human errors: From typos to incorrect information or forgotten follow-ups – we have all been there. And who doesn’t know how real the burn from a damaged professional relationship or lost sales opportunity is?

AI: The Game-Changer for your Follow-Up Emails

While some may argue that AI-generated emails lack the personal touch of human-crafted ones, I think it is safe to say that was a thing of yesterday. Today data suggests otherwise. AI-generated emails have shown to outperform or at least match the effectiveness of those written by humans​ (GetResponse). The key lies in the AI’s ability to learn and adapt, improving its personalization and relevance over time.

Let’s understand some benefits of AI-generated Follow-up emails:

1. Unparalleled Efficiency

AI-powered systems can generate follow-up emails in a fraction of the time it takes a human. This capability allows sales teams to respond promptly to every lead, significantly increasing the chances of engagement. More importantly, by automating this task, AI frees up valuable time for sales representatives.

2. Consistency Across the Board

With AI, every follow-up email can simulate a consistent tone, style, and quality that aligns with your brand voice. Whether it's the first or the hundredth email of the day, AI can ensure that each message reflects your company's professional standards. 

3. Hyper-Personalization

One-size-fits-all can not possibly be true in the case of follow-ups. This is why we need AI systems that can analyze huge amounts of customer data – from past interactions to purchase history and browsing behavior & create highly targeted and relevant follow-up messages. This level of personalization is beyond inserting a name.

4. Scalability Without Compromise

As your lead volume grows, AI grows with you. AI systems can handle the volume without sacrificing quality or speed. 

5. Continuous Learning and Improvement

One of the most powerful aspects of AI in follow-up emails is its ability to learn and improve over time. By analyzing response rates, engagement metrics, and conversion data, AI can continuously refine the approach.

6. Minimizing Human Error

From ensuring correct spelling and grammar to including accurate information and sending emails at the right time, AI maintains a level of precision that is hard to match consistently with human effort alone.

7. Seamless Integration

Modern AI solutions for follow-up emails are designed to integrate smoothly with existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. This integration allows for a seamless flow of information, ensuring that AI-generated follow-ups are always based on the most current customer data and interactions.

We have established that AI is the way to go, and we know that there are dedicated tools to perform every function. But let’s try the most popular free tool in Gen AI, ChatGPT to generate an email:

Step 1: Gather the transcript or summary from any meeting that you want to follow up on. Multiple call recording tools or notetakers offer this.

Step 2: Enter this transcript in ChatGPT, give it a prompt with the intention of the email, the essentials you want AI to cover, details from the call you need as minutes, etc.

Here’s a sample prompt that works really well for us. You can copy and modify it based
on your preferences:

"Write a follow-up email to a VP of Sales at an Enterprise B2B SaaS company based on the call transcript below.

Email Content:

  • Start with a light note referencing a conversation starter from the meeting to show rapport.
  • Provide a 2-3 line overview of the meeting, summarizing key points and the clear outcome.
  • Outline the next steps with the responsible person identified.

Length: Medium length, under 30 seconds to read.

Tone: Professional but friendly.

Transcript: [Insert call transcript here]"

This is how the output may look like:

P.S.: There are multiple tools now available that don’t need you to even enter the transcript or a prompt. Connect to the CRM, or let it record your call & it will do everything, right from note-taking to timely follow-ups in your authentic voice. We will discuss this in-depth in an upcoming blog. Until then, no harm in giving ChatGPT a spin.

AI as an Enhancer, Not a Replacement

The benefits of AI in follow-up emails are clear, but it's crucial to understand that AI is not meant to replace human salespeople. Instead, it's a powerful tool that enhances human capabilities.

The ideal approach is a harmony between AI efficiency and human expertise. AI can handle the initial follow-ups, personalization, and timing, while human sales reps can step in & have in-person interactions, negotiations, and relationship-building.

AI-generated follow-up emails are no longer just a futuristic concept—they are a necessity today, for modern sales teams. By automating the follow-up process, ensuring timely and personalized communication, and providing valuable insights for continuous improvement, AI enables you to focus on what you do best: building relationships and closing deals.

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Remember the time when you missed out on a potential lead because you followed up after 2 days?

Well, like we all know, in sales timing is everything, and the ability to engage leads promptly & consistently can make or break a deal. But, because of the numerous tasks a sales professional handles daily, follow-ups are often delayed or forgotten. 

This pain point was the lowest hanging fruit AI could solve, for a sales rep. AI-generated follow-up emails are not a trend but a game-changing solution, ensuring that every lead receives the attention they deserve—exactly when it matters the most.

The Challenge: Why Traditional Follow-Ups Fall Short

Let’s face it. Going back to your notes every single time to find the pain points, next steps, etc & then manually draft an email while praying that you are not forgetting any crucial points, is not the most efficient form of follow-up & is increasingly proving inadequate in today's sales landscape.

Let’s understand the key problem areas that could use some tech-solving:

1.  Scalability: After a day packed with back to back meetings, ensuring perfectly well put follow ups without delays gets very exhausting. Naturally, almost all of us would resort to a quick fix just to get something out there, like using templated messages from the web. Eventually, losing the personal touch that can make a difference in converting a lead.

2. Time crunch: You are already juggling multiple responsibilities, so it’s natural to scramble for time to craft personalized follow-up emails for each prospect. Most times, leading to generic messages, low interest from the prospect, delayed responses, or worse, complete oversight of potential leads.

3. Inconsistent: The quality and consistency of follow-ups can vary widely across your sales team. While some team members might love & excel at crafting engaging emails, others don’t really enjoy sitting and typing away on a screen. Therefore, leading to an inconsistent brand voice and varying levels of effectiveness in customer communication.

4. Human errors: From typos to incorrect information or forgotten follow-ups – we have all been there. And who doesn’t know how real the burn from a damaged professional relationship or lost sales opportunity is?

AI: The Game-Changer for your Follow-Up Emails

While some may argue that AI-generated emails lack the personal touch of human-crafted ones, I think it is safe to say that was a thing of yesterday. Today data suggests otherwise. AI-generated emails have shown to outperform or at least match the effectiveness of those written by humans​ (GetResponse). The key lies in the AI’s ability to learn and adapt, improving its personalization and relevance over time.

Let’s understand some benefits of AI-generated Follow-up emails:

1. Unparalleled Efficiency

AI-powered systems can generate follow-up emails in a fraction of the time it takes a human. This capability allows sales teams to respond promptly to every lead, significantly increasing the chances of engagement. More importantly, by automating this task, AI frees up valuable time for sales representatives.

2. Consistency Across the Board

With AI, every follow-up email can simulate a consistent tone, style, and quality that aligns with your brand voice. Whether it's the first or the hundredth email of the day, AI can ensure that each message reflects your company's professional standards. 

3. Hyper-Personalization

One-size-fits-all can not possibly be true in the case of follow-ups. This is why we need AI systems that can analyze huge amounts of customer data – from past interactions to purchase history and browsing behavior & create highly targeted and relevant follow-up messages. This level of personalization is beyond inserting a name.

4. Scalability Without Compromise

As your lead volume grows, AI grows with you. AI systems can handle the volume without sacrificing quality or speed. 

5. Continuous Learning and Improvement

One of the most powerful aspects of AI in follow-up emails is its ability to learn and improve over time. By analyzing response rates, engagement metrics, and conversion data, AI can continuously refine the approach.

6. Minimizing Human Error

From ensuring correct spelling and grammar to including accurate information and sending emails at the right time, AI maintains a level of precision that is hard to match consistently with human effort alone.

7. Seamless Integration

Modern AI solutions for follow-up emails are designed to integrate smoothly with existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. This integration allows for a seamless flow of information, ensuring that AI-generated follow-ups are always based on the most current customer data and interactions.

We have established that AI is the way to go, and we know that there are dedicated tools to perform every function. But let’s try the most popular free tool in Gen AI, ChatGPT to generate an email:

Step 1: Gather the transcript or summary from any meeting that you want to follow up on. Multiple call recording tools or notetakers offer this.

Step 2: Enter this transcript in ChatGPT, give it a prompt with the intention of the email, the essentials you want AI to cover, details from the call you need as minutes, etc.

Here’s a sample prompt that works really well for us. You can copy and modify it based
on your preferences:

"Write a follow-up email to a VP of Sales at an Enterprise B2B SaaS company based on the call transcript below.

Email Content:

  • Start with a light note referencing a conversation starter from the meeting to show rapport.
  • Provide a 2-3 line overview of the meeting, summarizing key points and the clear outcome.
  • Outline the next steps with the responsible person identified.

Length: Medium length, under 30 seconds to read.

Tone: Professional but friendly.

Transcript: [Insert call transcript here]"

This is how the output may look like:

P.S.: There are multiple tools now available that don’t need you to even enter the transcript or a prompt. Connect to the CRM, or let it record your call & it will do everything, right from note-taking to timely follow-ups in your authentic voice. We will discuss this in-depth in an upcoming blog. Until then, no harm in giving ChatGPT a spin.

AI as an Enhancer, Not a Replacement

The benefits of AI in follow-up emails are clear, but it's crucial to understand that AI is not meant to replace human salespeople. Instead, it's a powerful tool that enhances human capabilities.

The ideal approach is a harmony between AI efficiency and human expertise. AI can handle the initial follow-ups, personalization, and timing, while human sales reps can step in & have in-person interactions, negotiations, and relationship-building.

AI-generated follow-up emails are no longer just a futuristic concept—they are a necessity today, for modern sales teams. By automating the follow-up process, ensuring timely and personalized communication, and providing valuable insights for continuous improvement, AI enables you to focus on what you do best: building relationships and closing deals.

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