Podcast guest pitches are getting harder to distinguish from one another, and there are some pretty obvious clues when AI is doing the heavy lifting. In this article, I take a look at the phrases, patterns, and “personalization” tactics that make me suspect a pitch was generated from a template rather than written by someone who actually knows my show. This isn't about being anti-AI. It's about knowing the difference between using AI as a tool and using it to fake genuine interest.
Things I Can Tell From Your AI-Generated Podcast Pitch
I receive a lot of podcast guest requests.
And lately, I’ve noticed something interesting.
The pitches are starting to sound remarkably similar.
One of my current favorites begins with some variation of:
“A show where entrepreneurs actually share the messy middle instead of just polished success stories…”
I’ve seen that idea enough times now to wonder whether there is an AI prompt somewhere that says:
Make this podcast host feel special.
And here’s the thing.
I’m not offended that someone used AI.
I use AI.
What I notice is when someone uses AI to simulate having done their homework.
After doing this for a long time, there are certain things I can tell.
1. You probably didn't listen to my podcast.
When your entire pitch could have been written from my podcast description and LinkedIn profile, that's a pretty good indication you didn't listen to an episode.
Tell me something specific.
Mention an episode.
Reference a question I asked.
Show me that you actually know what you're pitching.
2. "Messy middle" is not personalization.
Neither are:
- authentic conversations
- real stories
- lessons learned
- behind-the-scenes struggles
- beyond the highlight reel
- more than just polished success
These phrases aren't necessarily wrong.
They're just becoming so common that they tell me very little.
And when five different people use nearly identical language to describe my show, I start wondering whether any of them actually know my show.
3. Your "personalized" compliment may not be personal at all.
AI is very good at taking a few pieces of information and turning them into something that sounds thoughtful.
“You create a space for honest conversations…”
“You go beyond surface-level business advice…”
“You give entrepreneurs a platform to share the real story…”
Lovely.
But could you have said the same thing to the host of the next podcast on your list?
Probably.
4. The guest bio arrives before the reason I should care.
I don't need six paragraphs about someone's accomplishments before you tell me why I should want them on my show.
Start with the connection.
Why this guest?
Why this topic?
Why my audience?
That's the part I care about.
5. There are three perfectly packaged topic ideas.
This one is becoming particularly easy to spot.
Three beautifully constructed topics.
Each with a clever title.
Each perfectly aligned with what the AI thinks my audience wants.
And somehow none of them sound like something the actual person would ever say.
Give me an idea.
Don't give me a content strategy.
6. The pitch is suspiciously free of personality.
This may be the biggest giveaway.
The grammar is perfect.
The sentences are polished.
Everything is professional.
And yet I have absolutely no idea who is talking to me.
That's a problem.
I don't need perfect.
I need real.
7. The person pitching me doesn't seem to know that I've been doing this for a very long time.
This is another one that makes me smile.
I've been hosting Your Partner In Success Radio since 2008.
I've had more than 1,100 episodes.
My podcast guests are my mentors.
I read my guests' books when they have one.
I don't need someone to explain podcasting to me, nor do I need a generic explanation of why being a guest is good for my business.
Tell me something I don't already know.
8. The pitch sounds like it was written for a podcast host rather than for me.
There's a difference.
A mass outreach campaign is trying to get bookings.
A thoughtful guest request is trying to start a conversation.
Those aren't the same thing.
And after you've received enough of them, the difference becomes pretty obvious.
Here's the irony.
We're living in a time when AI can make almost anything sound personalized.
So genuine personalization is becoming easier to recognize precisely because it is becoming rarer.
You don't have to write me a masterpiece.
You don't need clever copy.
You don't need to tell me my show is "unique," "powerful," "authentic," or "refreshingly different."
Just do your homework.
Listen to an episode.
Read something I've written.
Understand the show.
Know your own story.
Then send me a note that sounds like you.
That's a much better way to get my attention.
And please...
Before you tell me that my podcast is all about entrepreneurs sharing their “messy middle,” make sure you aren't the fifth person that week to tell me exactly the same thing.
I notice.