10 Best Email Salutations with Examples
Get Ahead by LinkedIn News
We talk about leveling up, about geting ahead in your career and about excelling where you are right now.
Email is the dominant way we communicate in business, so every line matters. Salutations are more than just filler text. They provide an introduction and set the tone for the rest of the message. Here are some of the best salutations for emails that make a positive first impression.
Even with the rise of video conferencing and business communication platforms, email is still king when it comes to business communications. A survey of 1,000 employees in the U.K. and the U.S. found 91% of respondents used email to communicate with clients and roughly 60% of them preferred email to other communication methods.
Email is also a key means for communicating with potential employers, managers and associates within companies and members of other organizations. With this in mind, it is clear that the key to a good first impression in email correspondence is an appropriate salutation.
While the core message of an email is important, it is also beneficial to give careful thought to the salutation because it sets the tone of the message. Let's take a look at how to get professional emails off to the best start and explore top salutations.
How to Start a Professional Email
A professional email should start with a salutation — a short phrase or greeting, followed by a comma. The salutation acknowledges the email recipient and serves as a segue into the message that follows.
Begin every professional email with a salutation, regardless of the recipient. To understand why, imagine this scenario:
A person is in an office refilling their coffee cup. A coworker approaches them and says, "When will that report be finished?" The first person responds, but is likely left thinking, "How about a hello first?"
An email salutation represents a common courtesy greeting. Without it, a message can come across as abrupt or impolite.?
Tips for Choosing an Email Salutation
To choose and use an email salutation effectively, follow these tips:
Best Email Salutations
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of an email greeting, here are 10 of the best email salutations to consider:
1. Dear
A traditional opening for letters, "dear" is a classic way to begin a message. It works well with many types of messages and for varying levels of formality.
2. Hi / Hello
These salutations give an email a more conversational tone. "Hi" tends to come across as more casual than "hello," and may be more appropriate for emails sent between people who have already established a relationship.
3. Hi / Hello everyone / department / team
Adding the word "team," a specific department name or "everyone" to a message is a simple way to indicate an intent to address everyone equally. Because it keeps individuals from feeling singled out, this type of salutation is a great choice for communicating about ongoing issues or areas of improvement.
4. Greetings
"Greetings" has the same neutral tone and versatility as "dear," but people use it less frequently. As a result, a sender might choose it to help certain messages stand out.
5. To Whom It May Concern
Use "to whom it may concern" when crafting a formal email to an unknown recipient, such as the HR department of a company.
领英推荐
6. Good morning/afternoon/evening
Saying "good" before the time of day is a salutation that’s warm, yet professional.
7. How are you? / Hope you're doing well. / Hope you had a great weekend.
These salutations are good options for warm, informal communication. Choose them when touching base or making a request.
8. I'm reaching out / following up about...
This type of salutation gets to the point quickly. Consider it when following up on a question or when sending a subsequent email after not receiving a reply.
9. Thanks for... / I appreciate...
Leading with gratitude can get a message off to a positive start. These salutations work especially well after meetings or interviews.
Will Rippetoe, a job search expert and career coach told LinkedIn News, “I usually start thank-you emails by thanking them for their time.
Writing a thank you is more of a check-the-box. It likely won’t have any impact on the team’s decision (as long as you write one).”
10. I hope you found ____ helpful/useful.
Use this type of greeting when following up after providing information or assistance.
Salutations to Avoid
Regardless of the subject of the message, try to steer clear of these salutations:
1. Dear [Job Title]
Try to include the recipient’s name to avoid seeming impersonal.
2. I know you're busy, but...
Depending on what follows, this type of salutation could come off as passive-aggressive. It also may suggest the message isn't as important as others.
3. Anything overly formal or casual
Overly formal salutations, such as "Greetings and Salutations," could sound pretentious or grandiose. Also, leave very casual openers, such as "Hey," for personal communications.
4. Anything with gendered language
To keep messages inclusive, avoid "guys," "Sir," "Madam" and other gendered language.
Top Takeaways
10 Best Email Salutations with Examples
(Reporting by NPD and Mariah Flores)
I help organizations redesign work to be more flexible—using 12+ years of hands-on experience, deep research & one truth: hybrid/remote work starts with trust. LinkedIn Top Voice ???? Top 50 Remote Accelerator??
2 年I make sure the subject line is very specific so it’s clear what the grail is about and then I use Hi/Hey or Good morning/afternoon and the name. I might choose differently if I know the person well. Depends also on the context of the email.