Fix writing that sounds like AI

You asked AI for a post or an email and got something that sounds stiff, vague, or like a robot wrote it. This guide shows you how to spot what gives it away, give the AI the details it was missing, and do a quick edit so the final version sounds like you.

Before you start

• One AI draft that didn’t sound right: a post, an email, or a page of web copy.
• Two or three real details about the topic: a customer story, a number, or something a customer said to you.
• The AI tool you write with (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar).
• About 15 minutes.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

2 out of 10

Estimated completion time

20–30 minutes per draft

Skills you’ll need: Recognize vague wording, add real details, and read the revised text aloud to check it sounds like you.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

Specific, accurate writing helps customers recognise a real business behind your pages and messages. Replacing vague claims with your own details makes your offer easier to understand and evaluate.

1. 1

   Step 1: Mark the lines that sound like AI

   Read the draft and highlight anything you would never say out loud to a customer. You don’t need to know why it feels off yet. Just mark it.

   These are the most common giveaways:

   • Big, empty openers like “In today’s fast-paced world” or “Are you looking to…?”
   • Grand words nobody uses in conversation: “elevate”, “unlock”, “seamless”, “journey”, “delve”.
   • Lists of three everywhere, like “quality, value, and service”.
   • Claims that could be about any business: “We’re passionate about excellence.”
   • Every sentence about the same length, so it reads like a drone.
   • A neat summary at the end that repeats what you just said.
   • Too many exclamation marks or emojis.

   Tip: A quick test: if you could swap in a competitor’s name and the line would still be true, it’s too generic.

   Illustrated exampleMark the words you would never say

   Example heating business · first draft

   In today’s fast-paced world1, we’re here to elevate your home comfort2. We’re passionate about excellence3.

   Would you say this on the phone?

   1. 1
      Empty opener

      Start with the useful point.

   2. 2
      Fancy, vague promise

      Say what you actually fix.

   3. 3
      Could be any business

      Add a detail only you know.

2. 2

   Step 2: Give the AI real details to work with

   AI writes generic text when it only has a generic request. “Write a post about our spring offer” gives it nothing to go on, so it fills the gap with stock phrases.

   Before you ask again, jot down the details only you know:

   • A short story: a real job, a real customer problem, what you did about it.
   • Specific numbers you’re sure of: how long you’ve been open, how many days a job takes, the price.
   • Words your customers actually use. Look in reviews, emails, and messages. If they say “my boiler packed in”, use that, not “heating system failure”.
   • One thing you do differently from others nearby.

   Tip: Leave out customer names, phone numbers, and anything private. The AI needs the story, not who it was about.

3. 3

   Step 3: Ask for a rewrite with clear instructions

   Don’t just say “make it sound more human”. That usually swaps one set of stock phrases for another. Tell the AI exactly what to change.

   Paste your draft and your details into a new chat with the prompt at the end of this guide. It tells the AI to use your details, cut the giveaway words, mix short and long sentences, and write the way you’d talk to a customer.

   If one line is still off, quote it back and say what’s wrong: “This sounds like an advert. Say it the way I’d say it on the phone.”

   Illustrated exampleTurn real details into a believable post

   Supplied facts · fictional example

   Give the rewrite something specific to use.

   1Customer’s words

   “My boiler packed in.”

   2Actual job

   Faulty valve replaced on Tuesday. Heating back that afternoon.

   3Checked price

   Callout: £75.

   ↓

   Rewritten post

   Boiler packed in? ¹ On Tuesday, we replaced a faulty valve and had the heating back on that afternoon. ² Our callout is £75. ³ Give us a call and tell us what’s happened.

   ✓ Every claim traces back to a supplied detail. Read it aloud, then check the facts.

4. 4

   Step 4: Read it aloud and cut what you wouldn’t say

   Read the new version out loud, slowly. Your ear will catch what your eyes skip. Anywhere you stumble, run out of breath, or feel a bit silly, change it.

   Then do a quick trim:

   • Delete the first sentence if it’s just warming up. The real start is often the second line.
   • Cut words that add nothing, like “truly”, “really”, “very”, and “in order to”.
   • Swap one fancy word for a plain one each time you spot it.
   • Check every fact, price, and date yourself. AI can get these wrong with total confidence.

   Tip: Add one small thing only you would write: a local place, a phrase you always use, or how you sign off.

5. 5

   Step 5: Fix it for good with a voice guide

   These steps rescue one draft. If you keep fixing the same things every time, the longer-term fix is to teach the AI how you write, once.

   Our guide “Teach AI your brand voice” shows you how to turn your own writing into a one-page voice guide you can paste into any chat or save in your AI tool. After that, first drafts need far less editing.

This draft sounds too much like AI. Please rewrite it so it sounds like a real small business owner wrote it.

About my business: [what you do and who you serve]
Where this will go: [platform] (change this if it’s an email or a web page)

The draft:
[paste the AI draft]

Real details to use:
[a short customer story, numbers you’re sure of, words your customers use]

When you rewrite it:
1. Use my details instead of general claims. Don’t invent facts, numbers, or quotes I haven’t given you.
2. Cut stock phrases like “in today’s world”, “elevate”, “unlock”, “seamless”, and “we’re passionate about”.
3. Mix short and long sentences, and write the way I’d talk to a customer face to face.
4. Start with the most useful point, not a warm-up line, and don’t end with a summary.
5. Keep it about the same length as the draft, or shorter.

Then list any lines you weren’t sure about, so I can check them.