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Do your prospects care whether your emails have been written by an AI SDR?

Here's how your potential customers feel about AI-written emails:

Author

Frank Sondors
November 14, 2024

Do recipients actually care whether they’re cold emailed by an AI agent or a human?

While AI agents streamline workflows and can send vast amounts of personalized messages, it’s essential to understand how recipients perceive these interactions and whether they impact the effectiveness of your outreach.

In this newsletter we’ll dive into recent statistics, studies, and trends to provide insights on how recipients feel about AI in sales, and how it can influence their responses.

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AI outreach: perception vs. reality

Several studies reveal interesting insights about how recipients perceive AI-generated cold emails. According to recent data:

  • 53% of respondents said they could usually tell if an email was sent by an AI agent.

  • 37% admitted they felt “indifferent” about the origin of the email, as long as the content was relevant and valuable.

  • However, 21% reported feeling “less inclined” to respond to an email they believed was generated by AI, citing concerns over personalization and lack of human connection.

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Impact on response rates and engagement

Response rates are a critical metric in understanding the effectiveness of AI vs. human outreach:

  • AI-driven cold emails have shown a response rate of 5-8% on average. This is comparable to industry-standard response rates for human-generated cold emails, which range between 7-10%.

  • When AI-driven emails are personalized effectively, response rates can improve by up to 20% compared to generic AI messages, suggesting that targeted, high-quality personalization is key to closing the gap between AI and human outreach.

So… do recipients really notice AI in emails?

While some recipients can spot an AI-generated email, others may not. A lot of the time, it’s not even about who wrote the email, but more so about its content.

  • 41% of respondents said they couldn’t tell if an email was generated by AI unless it included repetitive or impersonal content.

  • Interestingly, 32% said they would be open to AI-driven outreach if it was clear, concise, and relevant to their business needs.

This suggests that if AI-powered messages focus on addressing recipient pain points and offer specific solutions, the perception of “AI vs. human” becomes less significant.

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What really matters is personalization and relevance

Across surveys and data, one theme is clear: recipients are less concerned with whether an email is sent by AI or a human, and more concerned with whether the content feels relevant and personalized to them.

  • 68% of people said they would engage with an email, AI or not, if it provided helpful information directly relevant to their needs.

  • 71% of respondents reported that they prefer AI-driven emails that deliver personalized insights based on their previous interactions or industry challenges.

How to best implement AI in your cold email strategy?

If you’re considering using AI agents for cold email outreach, here are some best practices based on recipient preferences:

  • Focus on High-Quality Personalization: Generic AI-generated emails see lower response rates. Include industry-specific pain points, relevant case studies, and personalize by job title or company size.

  • Blend Human Elements: Adding a personal touch, like a human sign-off or a brief message at the end from a team member, can help bridge the gap and make the email feel more personal.

  • Optimize Tone and Language: AI-driven emails that are too formal or technical can come across as robotic. Test different tones and language styles that match your audience.

  • Transparency Builds Trust: Some companies have found success by being transparent about using AI in their outreach, especially if the initial email is informative and value-driven. This can foster a sense of openness and honesty with recipients.

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Want to dive deeper?

Here’s the research we’re referencing in this newsletter, in case you wanted to dive deeper or save it for later:

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