No one likes getting a cold email that feels, well… cold. If it’s poorly written, too vague, or just not useful, it will quickly end up in the spam folder. But what if a type of artificial intelligence called Natural Language Processing (NLP) could change that?
AI-powered tools are making it easier for salespeople and marketers to write emails that sound more like real people. These tools say they will save time, make it easier to personalize, and get better results.
But the real question is whether AI can write better cold emails than humans do.
Table of Contents
This article will talk about how NLP works in email outreach, where it works well, where it still needs work, and what the future might look like when machines and marketers work together on your next cold pitch.
What Is NLP and How It Powers Cold Email Tools
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a kind of AI that lets computers read, understand, and write in human language. It’s the technology behind ChatGPT, Grammarly, and many of the AI email tools you see today.
NLP can help make cold email outreach better and more automated in a number of ways, from writing to personalization. These tools can look at a sentence’s structure, tone, and even its meaning. Then they can suggest better subject lines, write body text, and change messages based on the recipient’s profile or past behavior.
Some of the most popular tools that use NLP to help humans write emails faster and smarter are Lavender, Smartwriter.ai, and Jasper. Some tools even look at past responses to suggest the best language to use to get people to buy things.
By combining data-driven insights with real-time language generation, NLP lets you write dozens or even hundreds of personalized emails in a fraction of the time it would take to do it by hand. But speed isn’t the only thing that counts. The real test is whether or not these messages really connect with people.
The Good Things: Where NLP is Best for Email Outreach
NLP tools do more than just make it easier to send cold emails; they also make them faster and better, which are real performance benefits. NLP isn’t magic, but it does speed up the process of getting “good enough” copy, which gives sales teams more time to work on strategy and building relationships.
Some important strengths are:
Scalability Without Sacrificing Structure
NLP lets teams send a lot of emails that all have the same tone and structure. You don’t have to start each email over again. You can also use AI-generated templates that you can change by adding names, company information, or job titles.
Better Tone and Clarity
Many NLP tools are trained to look for vague language, passive language, or sentences that are too hard to understand. They help you change the tone of your messages based on who you’re sending them to, whether you want to be friendly, professional, or convincing.
Personalization on a Large Scale
NLP can look at prospect data, like LinkedIn profiles, job titles, and company news, and add context clues to the message. We can now automate this level of personalization, which used to only be possible by hand, while still keeping it personal.
A/B Testing and Improving
Some advanced email programs use NLP to suggest different subject lines or look at performance data to suggest changes to the message. This feedback loop lets you test out different things and make your method better over time.
The Bad Things: Where AI-Generated Emails Still Don’t Work
NLP is a great tool, but it won’t fix all of your cold email issues. There are still some important limits to be aware of, especially if you’re using it without anyone else knowing. You can write faster with NLP tools, but they can’t replace writing that is planned out and thought out.
Lack of Genuine Empathy and Nuance
AI can copy tones, but it doesn’t really understand what it’s writing. That can make emails sound professional but not personal or useful, especially when you send them to people who make big decisions.
Repetitive or Generic Language
Many NLP tools use the same training data, so your AI-written emails might sound a lot like everyone else’s. Someone can quickly tell that a message is automated if it uses phrases that are too common, like “quick question” or “just reaching out.”
More Likely to Be Marked as Spam
AI tools can quickly make content, but if you don’t keep an eye on them, they might make messages that get past spam filters. It’s a bad sign if you use too much salesy language, don’t give enough context, or use formatting that doesn’t look right.
According to ZoomInfo, often cold emails end up in the spam folder not because the sender is trying to be rude, but because they don’t know how to write a message that gets through or use the right tone. AI tools can make these mistakes much worse if they aren’t used carefully.
Limited Understanding of Industry or Brand Voice
If you don’t change them, most NLP models that come with the software won’t know your brand’s tone, cultural context, or what your audience likes. This can cause messages to be sent that don’t really connect with people.
Do Humans or AI Write Better Cold emails?
The honest answer to this big question is that it depends.
AI is great at keeping things in order, keeping the same tone, and getting things done quickly. It can write dozens of well-written cold emails in just a few minutes, which saves you time and helps you get over writer’s block. But when it comes to building trust, showing emotion, or picking up on small cues, humans are still better at it.
Let’s break it down:
AI Wins On:
- Speed and scale: it’s great for making a first draft or getting a lot of people at once.
- Tone matching: NLP is very good at figuring out and copying the tone of a conversation.
- A/B testing: AI can quickly suggest and test different versions,
Humans Win On:
- Strategic intent: They know what the business wants to do, who the audience is, and when to do it.
- Storytelling: It’s still more natural for a person to tell real-life stories, jokes, and make cultural references.
- Flexibility: A person can change their plans based on how the lead behaves or a new trend appears in the market.
Best Practice? Use Both
A hybrid approach, which is a mix of different methods, is the best way for many modern sales teams to win:
- Make a first draft with AI and NLP.
- Make changes and improvements based on what humans know.
- Watch how well the AI works, and then use that information to make the process better so that it works better in the future.
In many A/B test situations, AI-written emails do just as well as or better than human-written ones, but only if they are well-edited and used correctly.
How to Use NLP Effectively in Cold Outreach
If you’re using NLP tools to make your email outreach bigger, you’re ahead of the game. But you need more than just a smart message made by AI to get real results and not end up in spam folders.
If you think about it, NLP can make your email work a lot better. Before you hit “Send,” just remember to look at it from a human point of view.
Here are some things you can do to make sure NLP works for you and not against you:
1. Don’t Rely on the First Draft
Don’t think of NLP as a replacement for you; think of it as a helper. Always check and improve the AI-generated draft to make sure it fits your brand voice, the situation of the person you’re sending it to, and what you want to say.
2. Start with clear inputs
If you put in junk, you’ll get junk out. Give the AI clear instructions, information about the recipient, and goals for the message. It will be easier to use the output if you give it more details.
3. Train It to Show Off Your Brand
You can choose your tone or instructions with many NLP tools. Use that to show off your brand’s personality, whether it’s serious, funny, or very short.
4. Test and Change Things Often
Use A/B testing to try out different tones, subject lines, and calls to action. Let the data show you what works and make changes as needed.
5. Follow the rules
AI-generated emails still have to follow email rules like CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and PECR. Make sure to include clear information about the sender, options to opt out, and subject lines that don’t try to trick people.
6. Check for Signs of Spam
Make sure your AI-written emails get to their destination by using tools that look for spammy formatting or words. If you send a cold email that isn’t aligned, it could easily end up in the spam folder, especially if you use AI tools too much without checking them.
Working Together With AI is the Way of the Future.
So, is it true that AI can write better cold emails than humans? Yes, in some ways but not always, though. Natural Language Processing has sped up, made more consistent, and made the process of getting in touch with potential customers more personal. But it still doesn’t have the emotional intelligence, strategy, and creativity that make emails written by humans.
The best way to do things is to use both of them. Let NLP do the hard work, and then let humans change the message to make it really connect.
