Have you ever opened an e-mail that began with "Dear [your name]" but your name was spelled wrong and you didn't care to read past that? Or worse—have you ever received an e-mail with "Dear Sir or Madam" and immediately distrust its content because you're pretty sure the next few paragraphs will offer you 2.5 million dollars if you'll only send your bank account information?
If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, you're not alone. In fact, most people, after receiving either of these salutations in an e-mail exchange, chalk it up to spam or a marketer who doesn't bother to do their research. Even e-mail lists you sign up for in brand or product marketing campaigns make sure to put your name in the salutation—and spell it correctly.
As convenient as living in a digital age might be, the opportunity to miscommunicate via e-mail or text messaging is ever-present. And just as first impressions are important, so are the opening lines of your e-mail communication. Spelling a name wrong, or beginning your e-mail with a nonstandard or misinterpreted salutation is a sure way to make the wrong first impression and get off on the wrong foot in an e-mail exchange.
So, let's look over seven examples of how to start your e-mails the right way, as well as four you should avoid at all costs. For each of the examples we offer that are good to use, we'll highlight when (or in what context) you should use it, why it's a good choice, and potential problems you will want to consider before using it.
As a final note, keep in mind that cultural differences could exist, so if your correspondence is outside of American, British, and Canadian contexts, a quick Google search on correct e-mail etiquette of other countries might be in order.
1. Hi [First Name],
When to use
This is a great e-mail salutation that works for most (note, not all) contexts.
Why it's a good choice
It's an informal salutation but not so informal as to be disrespectful in most circumstances (Note: see potential problems below).
Potential problems
You wouldn't want to use this greeting unless you are a peer of the recipient. Examples of peer relationships would be co-workers, clients you have already established a working relationship with, friends, neighbors, etc. If you are sending an e-mail to your manager or boss, or someone in a position of power, it could come across as presumptive and disrespectful if you don't share a certain level of familiarity in your working relationship with them. A good rule of thumb is: If you refer to the recipient on a first-name basis in everyday conversation, this is a great salutation to use in e-mail correspondence.
2. Hi [Ms./Mr. Last Name],
When to use
This is the more formal version of #1, and is best when used in situations in which you are not on a first-name basis with the recipient. Likely circumstances where this salutation would be the best choice are:
- Potential clients with whom you haven't established a working relationship
- Peers, managers or superiors on the job you are not on a first-name basis with in everyday conversation
- Executive-level recipients outside of your department you've never met in person or with whom you've never established a close working relationship
- Editors or agents during the query or submission process
- City officials
- Formal requests
- Teachers (who have not earned an honorary title, such as Doctor)
Why it's a good choice
For anyone with whom you haven't established a first-name basis relationship, this is the most standard and semi-formal salutation you can use. An added bonus is: You don't need to know the recipient's first name to use it.
Potential problems
The main problem you could encounter when using this salutation is getting the recipient's gender wrong, for example, writing "Dear Ms. Edwards" for a recipient who is male. Another issue you could encounter is to write "Dear Mrs. Edwards" to an unmarried female. For this reason, it's best to avoid "Mrs." altogether and use the marital status-neutral "Ms." instead.
3. Dear [First Name],
When to use
This is a slightly more formal version of #1 and should only be used in situations where communication on a first-name basis is appropriate. Although "dear" is, in some contexts, considered to be endearing—in modern communication, it comes across as slightly stuffier than its "Hi" counterpart.
Why it's a good choice
This is a good choice of salutation if you want a more formal version of #1 and works as a great e-mail greeting for anyone with whom you're on a first-name basis.
Potential problems
The main problem you might encounter with this salutation is coming across as more formal than you intended.
4. Dear [Ms./Mr.] [Last Name]:
When to use
If you want a slightly more formal approach to #2 (Hi Ms. Edwards), this is the best choice. As with #2, it can be used in a variety of contexts in which you are not on a first-name basis with the recipient.
Why it's a good choice
This salutation covers a broad scope of contexts in which you would be conducting e-mail correspondence. In many cases, "Hi" and "Dear" are interchangeable—it's really based on the preference of the sender.
Potential problems
You really can't go wrong with this salutation, unless you are writing to a close friend or colleague with whom you have a first-name basis relationship. In that case, it might come across as stuffy and confusing, with your friend wondering if they've said or done something to upset you.
5. Dear [Doctor/Professor] [Last Name]:
When to use
This is the best salutation to use when you are writing to a recipient who has an honorary title. Notice that in this salutation, the most standard punctuation is a colon rather than a comma. Here are some examples:
- Dear Lieutenant Brooks:
- Dear Dr. [or Doctor] Smith:
- Dear Honorable Jackson:
- Dear Mayor Wyatt:
- Dear Reverend Shay:
- Dear Professor Thompson:
Obviously, there are dozens more honorary titles than those listed here, so do your research on the front end to make sure you address the recipient correctly, based on his or her honorary title. If you are unsure of which to use, this website is a great resource for names, titles, and forms of address, including how to address an envelope, how to write the salutation in an e-mail or letter, and how to refer to him or her in person. It is published by The Protocol School of Washington, which offers continuing education and training in protocol, cross-cultural awareness, and business etiquette for advanced business studies. The website covers honorary titles from Abbots and Attorney Generals to Vice Presidents and Warrant Officers, and is a highly useful reference that is also available in print format.
Why it's a good choice
If you are contacting someone with an honorary title, it is likely that your reason for communicating is important. People who have gained such titles have spent their life in pursuit of learning and preparing for it, so it should never be used incorrectly—or worse, not used at all—in e-mail communication.
Potential problems
The misuse of an honorary title or use of an incorrect one is an etiquette faux pas in communication, including e-mail communication. You run the risk of being judged as unprofessional by doing so, which means that the message or request you are attempting to communicate could be ineffective or ignored.
6. Dear Staff or Dear Colleagues,
When to use
When you are addressing multiple people in your e-mail, such as correspondence to a company's entire staff, this is a good choice in salutation.
Why it's a good choice
It's neither too informal nor too formal, and takes care of addressing a number of recipients.
Potential problems
One thing to keep in mind is that if you are addressing a group of recipients like this, your message should be something that everyone needs to hear. Don't send out passive aggressive e-mails addressed to a group when you're really only wanting the message to go out to a few.
7. Dear Friends or Dear Family,
When to use
This is a great choice in salutation for e-mails sent out to friends or relatives, such as announcements for reunions, births, marriages, or parties.
Why it's a good choice
As long as all of the recipients fall into one category (friends or family), this is the most obvious choice and is better than "Dear everyone" or "Hi all."
Potential problems
As noted in #6, be sure that the message is indeed intended for the entire group. If not, it could come across as a passive aggressive way of dealing with conflict that would be better handled face-to-face with those who are involved. And on that note, keep in mind that e-mails are not the best method of communicating negative news or conflicts that have arisen. Face-to-face conversations with those directly involved are the better choice in these situations.
4 salutations to avoid
Now that we've covered the best e-mail salutations to use and the circumstances to use them in, let's look at some overly formal, outdated, ineffective, overly enthusiastic, and impersonal salutations to avoid. The list of the top four is:
- Dear Sir or Madam (impersonal)
- To Whom It May Concern, (overly formal, impersonal)
- Hey! or Hi [Name]! (Overly enthusiastic)
- Happy Friday! (Overly enthusiastic; if you must write it, use the next line of the e-mail, not the salutation)
