[bonoboTP]

While friendliness and happiness can be positive, I think in sales it's often emotional warfare, for example with door-to-door sales. A vacuum cleaner salesman will try to manufacture a personal connection with strategic taps on the shoulder, asking about the kids/grandkids and the spouse, but ultimately this is so that rejection becomes emotionally difficult for the untrained and unprepared customer.

I see these emails the same way as I see cheesy, slimy door-to-door vacuum cleaner salespeople.

[xapata]

There's a difference in intent which isn't obvious from the atonal text medium. Humans are pretty good at spotting fake in person. Thus the desire to shake a hand and look in the eye. Over email, I think many people have developed a decent sense for it, but it's much harder to distinguish the two.

[bonoboTP]

> Humans are pretty good at spotting fake in person

I doubt it. People can be really really talented at being convincing but fake.

[xapata]

Define "pretty good" how you'd like, but to me both statements can be true.