Slop: words and habits that kill replies
The AI tells, played-out phrases and ask-ask-ask habits that make cold outreach read as spam, and what to write instead of each.
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What slop is in cold outreach
Slop is language that tells the reader nobody really wrote this for them. It's the phrasing of AI tools, of templates everyone has seen, and of salespeople who only ask. Prospects spot it in a line or two and stop reading.
There are three kinds: AI slop, played-out phrases and the ask, ask, ask habit. Our team flags the first items in each list below in every sequence we review; the rest are other common ones to cut.
AI slop: words that mark a message as machine-written
Our team's list:
- Em dashes (the long dash). Use a comma, a full stop or two sentences.
- "Genuinely". Delete the word; the sentence is stronger without it.
Other common AI tells:
| Slop | Write instead |
|---|---|
| "truly", "really", "incredibly" used for emphasis | delete the word |
| "delve into" | "look at", or say the thing |
| "leverage" | "use" |
| "game-changer" | what actually changes, in plain words |
| "In today's fast-paced world…" | start with the point |
| "seamless", "robust", "cutting-edge" | the specific result |
| "unlock", "elevate", "empower" | the plain verb: "get", "improve", "help" |
| "I'd love to explore synergies" | one specific idea for them |
| Lists of three adjectives | one adjective, or none |
The AI Sales Copilot writes sequences without these. Check your own edits and any copy you paste in.
Overly formal and played-out phrases in cold outreach
Our team's list:
- "Hope this email finds you well" (or "this message"), and other formal openers like it. Start with their name and the point.
Other played-out phrases:
| Slop | Write instead |
|---|---|
| "I came across your profile" | the specific thing you noticed |
| "I wanted to reach out" | just say why you're writing |
| "My name is … and I'm the … at …" | "I help [who] [do what] by [how]" |
| "Just following up" | a new reason to reply, or a new give |
| "Circling back" / "bumping this to the top of your inbox" | a new reason to reply |
| "Touch base" | say what you'd talk about |
| "Quick call to pick your brain" | a specific question they can answer in a reply |
| "Dear Sir or Madam", "To whom it may concern" | {first_name} |
| "Please do not hesitate to contact me" | one short question |
| "Best regards" plus a long signature | your first name |
Write the way you'd message a peer you respect: short, plain and specific. See Openers that get replies for two structures that work.
The ask, ask, ask habit
From our team: don't take an "ask, ask, ask" approach. A sequence where every message asks for a call, a demo or a reply trains the prospect to ignore you. It's better to provide as much as you can for free; trust and a real will to help go a lot further, always.
What it looks like, and what to do instead:
- "Can we book 15 minutes?" in the first message. Offer something useful instead: "Mind if I make a quick intro?"
- Every follow-up repeats the ask. Give something new in each one: an idea, a resource, a sample.
- A booking link before they've shown interest. Let the Appointment Setter share it once they reply with interest.
- Asking for referrals from someone who hasn't replied. Earn the conversation first.
See Give before you ask.
Slop check before you activate a campaign
Read every step out loud before you activate. Cut:
- Any em dash.
- Any word you'd never say to a person across a table.
- Any opener that could be sent, unchanged, to anyone on earth.
- Any follow-up that only asks again.
If a message still sounds like a template after that, rewrite it from the prospect's side: what do they get from reading it?