What Your Company's Emails Say About You

I can learn more about your brand from three of your emails than from your entire marketing portfolio.

And for most companies, that’s not a compliment.

Before you get fancy, get good.

Too many brands skip the unsexy basics so they can chase the shiny thing.

Right now, AI is Exhibit A — being bolted onto processes that are presently broken and calling it innovation.

Let’s talk about one of my biggest pet peeves: email.

I’ve worked with thousands of companies. I’ve read the emails from their call centers, sales teams, executives, even those auto-generated out-of-office replies. I’ve reviewed customer service exchanges word for word during audits. And yes, I judge them all.

What do they usually have in common?

Sloppy writing. Off-brand tone. Poor syntax. Abrupt phrasing that comes off as unintentionally rude. Lacking Manners.

Here’s the truth:

Every single message you send is an ambassador of your brand.

It telegraphs your standards, your personality, and the care you provide.

It sparks a split-second judgment in the reader: Are you capable? Are you respectful? Do I matter to you?

That moment happens millions of times a day, and most brands fail it without even realizing.

Think it doesn’t matter? Think again: in hundreds of customer focus groups, the topic of communication is raised every time - every customer is critiquing every email they receive.

I have a checklist for great communication, and it applies everywhere: email, text, chatbot scripts, even the AI agents you’re training. Today, look at every email your company sends. Are they polished, timely, personalized, brand-consistent in vocabulary and tone? Do they exhibit manners? If not, no tech upgrade will fix the impression you’re creating.

From my ERP and CRM implementation days, I’ll leave you with this:

Garbage In, Garbage Out.

Get exceptional at the basics before you layer anything on top. Whether you have ten employees or 100,000 employees, consistent execution of your standards really matters.