7 E-mail Salutations to Use (And 4 to Avoid)

7 E-mail Salutations to Use (And 4 to Avoid) Have you ever opened an es 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 dont 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 useThis 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 havent established a working relationshipPeers, managers or superiors on the job you are not on a first-name basis with in everyday conversationExecutive-level reci pients outside of your department youve never met in person or with whom youve never established a close working relationshipEditors or agents during the query or submission processCity officialsFormal requestsTeachers (who have not earned an honorary title, such as Doctor)Why its a good choiceFor anyone with whom you havent established a first-name basis relationship, this is the most standard and semi-formal salutation you can use. An added bonus is: You dont need to know the recipients first name to use it.Potential problemsThe main problem you could encounter when using this salutation is getting the recipients 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, its best to avoid Mrs. altogether and use the marital status-neutral Ms. instead.3. Dear [First Name],When to useThis is a slightly more formal version of #1 and should only be used in sit uations 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 its a good choiceThis 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 youre on a first-name basis.Potential problemsThe 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 useIf 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 its a good choiceThis salutation covers a broad scope of contexts in which you would be conducting e-mail correspondence. In many cases, Hi and Dear are interchangeable- its really based on the preference of the sender.P otential problemsYou really cant 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 theyve said or done something to upset you.5. Dear [Doctor/Professor] [Last Name]:When to useThis 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 its a good choiceIf 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 problemsThe 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.The misuse of an honorary title or use of an incorrect one is an etiquette faux pas in communication, including e-mail communication. Photo by Nacho Arteaga on Unsplash.6. Dear Staff or Dear Colleagues,When to useWhen you are addressing multiple people in your e-mail, such as correspondence to a companys entire staff, this is a good choice in salutation.Why its a good choiceIts neither too informal nor too formal, and takes care of addressing a number of recipients.Potential problemsOne 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. Dont send out passive aggressive e-mails addressed to a group when youre really only wanting the message to go out to a few.7. Dear Friends or Dear Family,When to useThis is a great choi ce in salutation for e-mails sent out to friends or relatives, such as announcements for reunions, births, marriages, or parties.Why its a good choiceAs 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 problemsAs 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 avoidNow that weve covered the best e-mail salutations to use and the circumstances to use them in, lets look at some overly formal, outdated, ineffective, overly enthusiastic, and impersonal salut ations 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)