The REAL reason your emails don’t sell
(and an AI prompt to fix it)
Most email copy sucks.
And the problem is almost always the same:
The copy lacks “emotional specificity.”
It don’t trigger any emotions or desires.
So people read them, nod along, and then... never buy.
Luckily, there’s one simple framework that can help you solve this problem for good:
It’s called “The Pain is the Pitch” and I learned it from Alex Hormozi.
And today, I’m going to walk you through exactly how you can use it to improve the effectiveness (and conversion rates!) of all your emails.
Let’s dig in.
What’s “The Pain is the Pitch” even mean?
The framework is simple.
Whenever you’re writing copy, you fundamentally have 2 main tools:
Pain - Promise less bad stuff (avoiding losses, preventing problems, eliminating frustration)
Pleasure - Promise more good stuff (benefits, outcomes, transformation)
And of course, you want to use them both.
But here’s what most copywriters get wrong:
They over-emphasize promise and under-emphasize pain.
But pain creates a level of urgency that promise alone cannot.
And as Hormozi puts it:
“If you can articulate the pain a prospect is feeling accurately, they will almost always buy what you are offering.”
Now, you might be thinking…
“Okay, so I should just write about pain. Got it.”
Not so fast.
There are 2 crucial tactical aspects you need to get the best results.
Tactic #1: Timing (when to sell)
You want to sell at the point of greatest deprivation, not at the point of greatest satisfaction.
Hormozi illustrates this with a perfect example:
If you ask someone after they have eaten a steak (point of satisfaction):
“Do you want another steak?”
The likely response you’ll get is “No, I’m good.”
Even though they LOVED the steak, they won’t buy it because they’re satisfied.
So if you want to sell a steak to someone, the right time to pitch them on buying it is when they’re starving - not when they’re already full.
Same product.
Different timing.
Dramatically different response.
This is why emails that address an active pain point convert better than emails that just list benefits.
Tactic #2: Specificity (what to say)
As Hormozi says:
“Pain happens in moments.”
There’s a direct correlation between your ability to describe someone’s problems vividly... and how likely they are to buy your things.
Because if you show someone you understand their problems well, they assume you must have the solution.
The problem is - most copy stays stays at the surface level.
For example:
“I was overweight” → Vague, generic, forgettable.
“I wore a cover-up at the beach and avoided photos” → Specific, visceral, emotionally resonant.
See the difference?
The second one paints a picture.
It captures a moment where the pain was vivid and real.
And that’s what makes people feel something (and buy your stuff).
When you describe pain with extreme accuracy, readers make an unconscious inference:
“This person couldn’t possibly know my exact experience unless they’ve lived it OR solved it for many people.”
This creates instant credibility and trust.
And trust + acute pain = high likelihood of purchase.
How to apply “The Pain is the Pitch” to your emails (step-by-step)
Okay, so you get the theory.
But how do you actually use this framework to improve your own copy?
Here’s the exact step-by-step process:
Step 1: Identify vague sections in your copy
Go through your email draft and highlight any section that feels generic or doesn’t trigger an emotional response.
Look for phrases like:
“Save money”
“Improve your confidence”
“Struggling with email marketing”
These are all too broad.
Step 2: Dig deeper and get specific
For each vague section, dig deeper.
Picture yourself as your target customer.
What do they hope to achieve?
When do they feel this pain most intensely?
What specific situation do they experience?
For example:
Instead of “Save money” → “Cut your monthly expenses by 20% and finally afford that dream vacation.”
Instead of “Improve your confidence at work” → “Feel so confident that you’ll look forward to speaking up in meetings and sharing your ideas.”
Instead of “Struggling with email marketing?” → “Staring at a blank screen for 2 hours trying to write one email?”
Step 3: Describe the sensory and tangible details
Now, add the details that make it real.
What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?
The more specific, the better.
For example:
Specific: “Staring at a blank screen for 2 hours trying to write one email”
Hyper-specific: “It’s 11 PM. You’ve been staring at a blank Google Doc for 2 hours. Your eyes hurt. Your coffee’s cold. And you still haven’t written a single word of tomorrow’s email.”
(See how much more vivid the second version is is?)
Then read it out loud.
Does it make you feel something?
Does it make you picture the moment clearly?
Keep working on it until the answer is “Yes!”
Now, luckily, you don’t have to do all of this manually anymore.
Because we have AI :)
And I’ve put together an awesome prompt you can just plug-and-play to start rewriting your emails with a fraction of the time and the effort.
The “Pain Is The Pitch” AI Prompt
This prompt is designed to:
Identify parts of your copy that are too general or vague
Suggest 3 specific, emotionally engaging rewrites for each identified section
Transform your bland copy into pain-driven messaging that connects deeply with readers
Just paste any sales or promotional email along with specific goals or target audience, and the AI will analyze it using Hormozi’s “Pain is the Pitch” framework.
Then, it’ll rewrite any vague sections it finds with specific, tangible alternatives that trigger emotions and drive action.
Here you go:
