How to Introduce Yourself in an Email: Dos and Don’ts
PR & Media Relations Supporting the team by communicating Mailbird and its great features to existing and potential users and media.
As millennials, we thrive on emails. We live our daily lives around our virtual https://hookupdate.net/christian-mingle-vs-eharmony/ inboxes, and we experience most joyous news or harrowing announcements via email. As Adestra’s study indicates, 73% of millennials showed a preference towards communication via email, with 44% of us staying glued to our smartphones to check these messages upon waking up. As a millennial yourself, you probably use your email for all major communication, but do you know how to introduce yourself in an email?
Did Jane do something wrong in her introduction email? She included a greeting, she listed her reason for sending the email, and she ended with her signature. On the surface, it seems that she did everything right, but for those of us who hail from the days of Emily Post , we know there is far more to email etiquette than a singular sentence.
1. Email Subject Lines
What makes you care enough to click on an article or open up an email that lands in your inbox? The subject line, of course.
For an introductory email that gets the attention of your desired recipient, you need to write a proper, professional subject line. If you want to formally introduce yourself via email, you don’t have to say that in the subject line.
While you could say, “Hi, I’m Jane,” in your subject line (but please don’t do that), why not give a hint into the content of your email? Try something like “Open Marketing Position Inquiry.”
It seems decidedly official, but the reality is, you are writing a professional email. You don’t want your subject line to read, “Hey, It’s Jane! Just Wanted to Introduce Myself!” Save the subtle informalities for the body.
2. The Greeting
You introduce yourself to new people all the time – in real life, on social media, or through (you guessed it) emails. But if a smile and “hello” can be enough in a personal communication to start a cordial exchange, in an email, it’s the first lines that could prompt the recipient to continue reading or close the email. That includes the greeting.
- Who is this person?
- Why am I writing to them?
- How formal or informal should I be?
This may seem counterintuitive because, as we discussed, this is a professional email. But, you know, business is changing. We no longer pen disconnected emails to each other – we’ve started to treat each other with a level of cordiality.
How do you start a professional email?
Starting with just the recipient’s name may seem too casual, but the reality is, it is perfect. It is succinct and gets right to the point of who you are addressing.
A big no-no is writing “To whom it may concern” in place of a greeting. If you don’t know the person, the best way to start a conversation is just a “Hello” followed by an explanation of who you are, how you got their email address, and asking for a name. There’s more about that in the next section.
3. The Body
So this is your introductory email, the one that will define your future correspondence (or lack thereof) with this person. What do you want to say? Well, to properly introduce yourself in an email, you need to have a few key points mentioned.
- Who are you? Don’t wait until the end of the email to sign off with your name and throw in your job title for good measure. Start with an introductory sentence, “My name is Jane, a junior copywriter for XYZ corporation.”
- How do you have this person’s email? Don’t be creepy. If you are applying for a job, it may be self-explanatory how you received John’s email address, but it never hurts to clarify. “I noticed your email address on the open marketing position posting on Indeed.”
- Do you already know this person? If you don’t, exclude this section. If you do, explain how. “We met at the Inbound Marketing Conference last month.”
- Why are you writing? This is the most important part of your writing that should be reflected in the email subject and the body itself. Why are you writing an email in the first place? Be clear and concise. “I wanted to get in contact with you to learn more about the position and find out how I may apply.”
4. The Sign-Off
Whether you are writing a cover letter or simply want to introduce yourself to a new contact, the sign-off is as important as the actual email introduction. Don’t end your email with “Talk to you later, Jane” or something more ridiculous like “Lates, Jane.” Try picking something similar to the greeting – very formal or just official enough, depending on your audience.
A few sign-off examples:
But before you sign off, try to include a call to action, such as “Let me know how you find this offer.”
How to Introduce Yourself in an Email the Right Way
Contrary to popular belief, composing a proper email is not difficult – which means you have no excuse for composing a poorly written one .
My name is Jane, junior copywriter for XYZ corporation. I noticed your email address on the open marketing position posting on Indeed. I wanted to get in contact with you to learn more about the position. Please let me know how I may apply.
When introducing yourself formally, use your full name and your job title. If you’re applying for a job in a more conservative company, apply a formal tone. But if you’re introducing yourself to a start-up led by younger people, you can be reserved yet informal.Don’t forget to start an email by greeting the receiver directly, and always sign off the first message.
In email form, a good way to introduce yourself quickly is by adding a greeting and stating your name, position (if it’s a professional introduction), and reason for writing.
PR & Media Relations Supporting the team by communicating Mailbird and its great features to existing and potential users and media.
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