Tip: If you want to change your signature while you write an email, at the bottom of the window, click Insert signature . This email greeting serves the same purpose, but the additional length of the word “hello’ makes it a bit more formal. If you’re not sure what this person prefers, watch their email signature, and err on the side of full names and formality. For example, you can set a signature default for new emails you compose or reply to. Find out what business etiquette experts have to say about the expressions we use to end work-related e-mails. Again, asking someone about their personal life is dangerous territory if you don’t know them. There's no software to install, no credit card required, and you'll see your stats in less than 60 seconds. Three times might be too much, but saying it twice is recommended! With EmailAnalytics, you’ll integrate your Gmail account and learn your average email response time, how often you send and receive emails, your busiest times and days of the week, and dozens of other important email metrics. Depending on the setting, you may wish to use a person’s first name or title and surname; this is true for any instances of “name” in this list. How to Start an Email Greeting: Comma, Colon, or Exclamation Point? Whether you’re using one of the above greetings in email or one of your own, you’ll be left with a critical punctuation decision: should you use a comma, a colon, or an exclamation point to end your greeting? Free Downloads. The best standby, and the perfect choice if you’re not sure what to do, is the comma. Do your research to find the name of the person you’re emailing, or substitute a better phrase if you’re talking to multiple people. I saw this (media) and thought of you. 5. An exclamation point conveys excitement, and can be used to indicate enthusiasm. Just make sure you’re not using these with someone you don’t know very well, and entirely avoid them in situations that demand seriousness or formality. He keynoted the 2013 MarketingProfs University, and won the “Entrepreneur Blogger of the Year” award in 2015 from the Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs. In the "Signature" section, add your signature text in the box. CONSIDER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RECIPIENT You should stick to professional email closings when corresponding with anyone related to your job search. by Career Contessa . In general, you shouldn’t give someone a nickname or shorten their name unless they tell you to; Nicole doesn’t automatically become Nicki, and Michael doesn’t automatically become Mike. At the other end of the spectrum is the exclamation point. E-mail Tired of Ending Your Emails With 'Regards'? It’s best when introducing yourself for the first time or reaching out to someone for the first time in a while. Instead, you can greet the entire group with something like “Hello all,” or “Hi everyone.” It’s a simple modification to accommodate your needs. “It’s not how gratitude works. Thanks for stopping by. Shorter openings are generally better, especially when one of your priorities is preserving formality. Do you have an inside joke with a close colleague or a friendly boss? Ending your business emails in a professional way helps create a good impression of you and your business. Start the email off by saying thanks for the opportunity and end it with a message of thanks. Lastly, for your email to make sense (and therefore make an impact), the greeting should be in keeping with the rest of your message. Otherwise it can probably come off as insincere. Spelling errors in the body of your message might be more easily forgiven, but to leave one in the introduction is practically unforgivable. Tip: You can also choose a signature default for new emails and emails that you reply to. Even simpler, you can simply start with the person’s name. Well, we have your back. Try something like: Good morning/afternoon/evening: Hi there. 'Dear' feels like an old-school way of addressing someone, such as in a hand-written letter. We all wrestle with overflowing inboxes, but this message lets the recipient know that you understand their plight. These formal email greetings are well-suited for a response: You can tinker with this opening to get it just right, so long as you’re conveying the same idea; you’re glad this person emailed you. You don’t thank someone before they’ve agreed to do something,” Turk said. This is more appropriate for friends and people you already have some rapport with. If you get a lot of email, you know that nearly everyone uses this sign-off. You'll also discover why an email signature template can make a real difference in your email closing. Feel free to use it as a way to lead into an email—so long as that email isn’t very serious or important. You can use »Bonne journée » and « Bonne soirée » with friends. The last line of your email should not only share gratitude with the recipient for reading your message but also include a call-to-action or statement that will either motivate the recipient to respond or shows you anticipate a response. Cheers, mate! There are many situations that necessitate or invite an email follow-up. If you’re emailing someone in high volume, this can make light of the situation. Like « Cordialement », it goes everywhere. So, learn here how to end an email professionally. It’s also a way to soften whatever your request is. Assuming your original message is clear, there shouldn’t be any miscommunication. Looking forward to your reply You can put up to 10,000 characters in your signature. A joke can make a light message easier to receive, but can turn a serious email into an object of ridicule. Rachel Gillett. To see your signature, go to the bottom of a message, then click Show trimmed content . As a networking email in an informal setting, this opening line is awesome. EmailAnalytics visualizes your email activity (or that of your team) in Gmail and G Suite. We start a new line to write our name at the end. Starting an email seems like no big deal, but your choice of words can have a massive impact on how the rest of your message is received. Frankly, just personalizing the name isn’t enough these days. A vestigial greeting from the days of handwritten letters, “dear” is useful if your email has a letter-like structure. As a rule of thumb, if you use a comma after the salutation, then use one at the end of your letter when you sign off. Also « bonne aprem » (= »Bonne après-midi » = Good afternoon ). To remove the extra characters, remove any special formatting in your signature. Stay updated with one email a month. Just a feel good way to end the message. It’s one of the most comprehensive and easiest-to-learn Gmail analytics tools on the web, and it’s completely free to try! You should always include a polite closing, as well as an appropriate greeting, in a thank-you note, letter, or email message. For example, if they recently posted an article about the importance of time management, you can tell them about a new tool you’ve found to analyze the amount of time they’re spending each day. If you notice extra characters in your signature, it's because some versions of Gmail don't support features like bolding or italics. Open Gmail. 38. Do you yearn to understand how, why, and when people respond to your messages? Even in the beginning stages of the recruiting and application process, knowing how to end an email for a job interview can only help your chances in landing an interview and getting the job. It’s formal without being cold, and is so commonly used you can guarantee nobody’s going to scrutinize it. In this guide, we’ll analyze the importance of email greetings, and provide you with more than 50 examples of how to start an email—among them, you can find a suitable opening for just about any occasion. Note: To learn how to recreate your Outlook signatures in Gmail, visit section 2.5 of the Learning Center. Be careful with this one; you don’t want to seem intrusive. Signatures are separated from the rest of your message by two dashes. Similarly, this phrase establishes your main goal. Use it wisely. It can also be used to distinguish your emails from those of other professionals, or to appeal to customers with a friendly opening. If you’re emailing multiple people at once, you won’t have the opportunity to call out a specific name. 44. Another variant on the “thank you” theme that might suit your needs perfectly. The close of your letter is a formal way to echo the appreciation you expressed throughout the body of the thank-you note. In this tutorial, you'll learn the right way to end a professional email, with some clear examples of the best ways to end an email. For personal contacts and informal conversations, this can work, but in a professional setting, it can make you seem overeager or immature. Many modern workers write emails without giving their openings so much as a second thought. I started writing this as a … But in an informal setting, it can work wonders. These can be tricky, since they often demand a balance between outreach and restraint. It may come across as out-of-touch with your recipient, unless they are from an era where it was more widely used. Questions can be intrusive, but statements can’t. As you read through them ask yourself two simple questions: 1. Greetings, Pro tip: If finding a specific person’s email address is holding you back, try one of these simple tools and tricks. Generally, you’ll stick to being formal in this situation, with an email opening like one of these: You’ll need to add a bit more to this to make it work, but it’s a fairly unassuming opening that can help you establish your main priority in reaching out. If you want, you can format your message by adding an image or changing the text style. If you see "Plain Text" above the signature box, you need to turn off Plain text mode before editing your signature. Bonus: Email Greetings and Openers to Avoid at All Costs. If this name is unavailable, a term like “everyone” or “all” will provide a better fit. To select an address, use the drop-down menu above the signature text box on the Settings page. On top of that, it shows that you don’t pay attention to details, or that you’re not proofreading. Jayson is a long-time columnist for Forbes, Entrepreneur, BusinessInsider, Inc.com, and various other major media publications, where he has authored over 1,000 articles since 2012, covering technology, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Formal Informal; Dear Mr Piper, I am writing to thank you for all your help. Now that you know all about how to start an email with tried-and-true email greetings and salutations, are you interested in learning more about the power of your email? You could also finish up with "Cheers". If work seems like a drudgery some days, this opening can make things a little lighter. Comments are closed. Best conveys best wishes in a cheerful, pithy way. Here are 40 totally different email greetings you can use to start your message off right. Expressing gratitude can help you with everything from landing a better impression to getting more sales. 43. But if this person made it clear they were going on vacation, it’s fine (and compliant with the rules of formality) to ask about it. In many cases, a simple expression of gratitude is an appropriate way to end the email. When you’re closing a formal email, consider the main purpose of the message. This only works if you’re actually introducing yourself in a greeting email; your boss of 10 years probably won’t find this funny. It can also be used to distinguish your emails from those of other professionals, or to appeal to customers with a friendly opening . 10. There are good ways to end an email and not-so-good ways to end an email. Otherwise, you’re better off with something vague, like “Hello.”. Hi, Erin. If you know the person well enough to know they went on a trip, you can ask about it. Check that your addresses are listed in the "Send mail as" section. If someone provides you with raw information and you don’t know what to say, this can help you fill in the gap. You probably won’t get an answer, but that’s not really the point. You might think of including an attachment, gif, or YouTube link—especially if you have a good reason for bringing it up. Under "General," scroll to "Signature" and click the signature you want to edit. Subscribe. It can be, but there are generally better options. This depends on your relationship with the recipient. However, for most other people, it might feel a little cold and impersonal. You can also choose a different signature with each email you send. “Warmly” is a nice way to end an email and bring, well, a warm and fuzzy feeling to your recipient. Now that your greeting is out of the way, you can work on creating an introduction. To help you find the right words when you need them here are 20 great expressions for closing an email. You can put up to 10,000 characters in your signature. Keep on keepin’ on; This email sign-off is casual, fun, and best used in settings that are the same. It’s also vague enough that you don’t need to be personally involved in your recipient’s life, or sacrifice formality for friendliness. This is also a way to get to the point, especially if you’re making a request or an inquiry. Just make sure you’re not using email for gossiping purposes. Email signatures in business correspondence should be appropriate and convey professionalism. And that would mean more business opportunities for you. If you’re in a pinch, you could always send a more generic email greeting. If you're addressing someone of higher status, such as your boss, then 'Hi Mr./Mrs./Ms. Hi! You aren’t going to offend someone by adding an exclamation point to the end of your greeting. God help you if you misspell your prospect’s name. Sick of those standard email opening lines like "I hope you're doing well!" A phrase of choice for mass messages and anonymous complaint letters, “to whom it may concern” is in most situations, a cold and lazy choice. This is great if you’re trying to cut to the chase. If you’re not sure this person wants to continue the conversation, a simple “are you still interested?” can give them an easy out. Without further adieu, let’s jump into how to greet someone in an email. Add or change a signature. Feel free to ask about their weekend too—again, as long as it isn’t intrusive. This greeting text is generated dynamically, based on your desired greeting intro (Hi, Hello, Dear, etc) and based on the alias name of the email address where the email is going to be sent. Consider the Context of the Message. 37. It’s made even worse if you include a nickname for someone (unless you’ve personally verified that this nickname is their exclusive preference). Should I use 'Dear' in my formal email greeting? For example, a closing line might look like this: Are you surviving yet another workweek? If you added a photo or image from Google Drive, you'll need to. This offers something similar (and you’ll see it coming up again and again). That section is called an email signature or an email footer and is designed to show your recipients your contact information. and "Happy Monday! I have followed your instructions in this comment regarding the above salutation. Assuming you have a good reason to reach out other than this, this message can be a near-perfect opening. If your recipient is a co-worker but not your boss, then 'Hi' or 'Hey' is usually appropriate. However, if you are close friends with the … A colon might be good for starting something especially serious, or for emailing with a person or organization you know is old-fashioned. (name)' is a safer bet. However, it’s included here because it’s often done in a casual way. A “good morning” (substituted with the appropriate time of day) is all it takes to make your greeting warm. This is ideal if you have something to add, or if you’ve learned new information you didn’t have in the past. When You’re Writing a Cold Email and did Your Research Ahead of Time. In case you aren’t sure the person remembers your last meeting, or if you want to recap your last discussion, this is a good lead-in. It indicates the ability to send an email. Your email address will not be published. However, there are some subtle connotations to each punctuation mark you’ll want to consider. It also works well as a sales email subject line—but you can read more about sales email subject lines in our comprehensive guide. Depending on the degree of formality in the email you’re drafting—old-timey letter-writing structure tends to diminish over a series of back-and-forth replies—there might be a few good places to pop in a thanks while wrapping up. If you know the person you’re emailing, or if your company culture is relatively relaxed, you can get away with some of these informal and creative email greetings: You might not want to get involved in the details of someone’s personal life or professional successes unless you know them. It’s okay for use with people you know well, or if you want to establish a casual, friendly relationship, but otherwise, it’s best tabled in favor of a tried-and-true greeting.