how to stand out: read the brief

You’ve been there too, I’m sure. You spend an hour writing a job posting for Fiverr or Upwork or maybe a recruiter. (Maybe it’s less time with the help of Claude. Point is, you put effort into this)

You press publish.

And the first response that comes in is an offer for… not what you asked for. Didn’t read the brief. Delete.

So maybe this is just part of the game on Fiverr and similar sites.

More “people” aren’t reading the brief

It’s also becoming a thing in email, LinkedIn, in products, on support sites. Sometimes its humans copy/pasting, but more and more it’s AI responding fast to trigger words.

Many LinkedIn comments aren’t from fellow humans. It’s AI missing the mark or being so basic and generic I actually make a face when I read it.

Lost of responses to legit job postings on Fiverr Pro somehow get it wrong in the same way. Did I post a job asking for a new logo? Nope. But that’s what everyone wants to sell me.

We’re all changing how we notice the BS

You may not have noticed, but I bet you’re a pretty damn good Human Spam Detector these days. Can you scan your crowded inbox and pick the handwritten emails, without thinking about it?

Here’s a bet I’m making: Those who read the brief, understand the brief, and reply in line with that brief will get noticed more and more.

Yes, the brief can be a simple email or a one-line chat. It can be a position description or a lengthy project outline.

Slow down, go faster

If you and me, we take the time to read and understand what someone else is saying AND we respond with some thought, we’ll stand out.

It applies to email, Slack, socials, probably even phone calls (if you answer any).

There’s a lot of noise to cut through and the best way to cut through it is probably going to be us deciding to be crystal clear and focused in our communications.

Like becoming a human spam filter in your inbox, I think we’ll develop the skills to be World Class BS Detectors. Which means we’ll also be able to see clearly when a real connection is being made.

So what?

These emails are about business. Not me griping about AI comments. When real connections are made, businesses grow.

Make a sale. Make a new hire. Get a job. Make a friend. Be helpful.

There’s no quantifying it right now, but there will be a reckoning in which the moments that matter most are those that we make with intention and our own hands and voices.

Ciao ciao,

Peter

(485 / 500)

PS: I ain’t no Luddite. I use AI every day. Just not for the moments that matter.