I was wondering what everyone uses to break the ice in their emails.
It seems “Dear” went out in digital form years ago. I typically use “Hi” or “Hello” when I start mine.
Yet sometimes I think about using “Greetings!” It seems fun and lively, but I don’t know if I’m a Greetings! type of guy… I always feel like ending the salutation with “Earthling!” as in “Greetings Earthling!”
So my current breakdown is when I am mailing an informal email I typically use “Hi” first name. For more formal emails or mails sent to more than one person I use “Hello”.
But what’s your favorite salutation?
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Good morning!
That’s how I start my messages — unless, of course, I’m writing them in the afternoon, in which case I write “Good afternoon!” Unless I know the person won’t be READING the message until the following morning, in which case I go back to “Good morning!”
It depends on who I’m emailing. Formal relationships and new clients get “Hello, John, …” or “Hello, Susan,…” If I’ve worked with them a while, I’ll move to “Hi, Jane. How are you?…” Good friends get “Dude! Howsitgoin?”
Usually, I stick with the good morning, afternoon, evening route. Sometimes, however, when I’m feeling particularly jaunty, I open with Happy Monday! (or Tuesday, Wednesday, etc…)
Hmm… I just use “[NAME],” to open an email. Salutations always strike me as too perky.
Same…Hi or Hello….Dear is definitely out
Sometimes I get caught when emailing 2 people. Like “Hi Jay and Sarah,” That opening seems clumsy to me for some reason. Am I making too much of this?
I like ‘ Hey ! ‘
and I end my communications (online and offline) with ‘Be Great,’
Aren’t we a boring lot? I often don’t even start with a greeting. I just plunge right in:
“Ted, Let’s meet at the Old King’s Head at 5pm sharp!”
The follow-up to this post should be “Creative e-mail salutations and why you should use them”. Why? Because it’s a helluvalot more fun.
Like Benjamin, I use “Hey” almost exclusively, unless I’m at work and the e-mail needs to be a little more official, and then it’s a “good morning/afternoon”, or “gentlemen” (for an all-male e-mail), or else I just dive in cuz I’m impatient.
Fitting, since I believe impatience was the impetus behind email
Hi Brad,
(As you can see, that’s my normal salutation.)
I’m a very informal kind of guy and almost always open with Hi. If I’m opening a negotiation for a new business deal, I’ll usually start with Hello Mr Lastname or Hello Ms Lastname.
Later, when we get to know each other better, I’ll switch back to Hi firstname.
On the other hand, now that you mention it, I may start using “Greetings Earthlings!” That ought to wake a few people up.
(grin)
Act on your dream!
JD
I signed an email “Bach on” (like ‘rock on’) recently. I believe Phil Gerbyshak suggested that one to me
People remember things out of the ordinary
Greetings and Salutations!
I was lead to believe “Hey!” was a southern opening. Is that not true? I know, I know yes I live in the south, so I could get away with it, but I communicate with people all over the world.
I used to open all my negative emails with Good Morning. Like “Good Morning, your server was hacked last night. I’m working to repair it.”
And Benjamin, how could I end my emails? Your’s truly, Brad (Brad to the bone) Isaac?
ooooh, that’s brad !
Brad – if I were you, I’d end my e-mails Brad Isaac (not the one on the Love Boat). But that wouldn’t beat “Bach On!” not by a long shot
Or how about Brad (not Pitt) Isaac?
Or how about Brad Isaac Hayes? He’s…BRAD!
Sorry, just feeling a little like Berman tonight.
Phil Gerbyshaquille (no relation to O’Neal)
LMAO
I often end “Rgds” expecting it to catch on in the world of electronic abbreviations and quick communication.
It didn’t catch on.
Rgds,
David
If you didn’t drop the second ‘r’ it may have caught on better
Rgrds vs Rgds
Be Great
Benjamin
When do you use Always in your ending to an email or card -what does always imply rather than just signing your name at the end
I’ll tell you my favorite type of greeting.
“Salutions!”
My favorite greeting is:
Hi Friends~
My favorite closiing is:
Carpe Diem Creo!
(seize the day to create)
Jodis last blog post..From the Heart
I really appreciate this. After wandering around these Dear Abby sites that told me I have to use DEAR (figures), I finally found a few greetings here that I can use. Or…not.
Thanks!
I start emails with “hello” in different languages…. hola, bonjour, etc… sometimes it’s Hi, never Hello, lots of times Hey, Maddy. Formally I start with Good morning (sometimes informally) and often Happy Friday!!
I have a lot of fun with sign-offs. Never just bye, sometimes I say Adios, See ya, or funny ones like MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, off like a prom dress, yours till Niagra falls, etc. Lots of times I sign off with
or ttyl from IM-inspired lingo.
LILY
I started saying, “Oh what up ______ ” in person and so if I ever talk to that person in an e-mail I use the same greeting. It looks kind of weird otherwise
Otherwise, I simply just say, “Hi _____,”
Followed by a couple paragraphs. Then I say, “Thanks,” followed by name.