How many times have you sent or opened an email to find a boring first line that has no punch, no honesty, but seemingly a line that is just put there for the sake of it.
"I hope this email finds you well" is one such line that lacks creativity and does not make your email stand out, the way you would like it to.
So, what can you do instead? Here are a few strategies for starting your emails, along with some examples, so you always have an alternative.
1. Introduce Yourself
When you email someone, you do not or hardly know and start your email with "I hope you are well", the first thing that crosses the readers mind is "Why is he/she hoping that I am well? Am I supposed to be unwell?
Stick to introducing yourself as it’s relevant to the recipient. For example:
My name is Azbabanu, the new social media coordinator working under Alyssia.
I am an account executive with Genesis and was wondering if I could assist you with recruiting employees.
My name is Paolo, and I’m a software engineer at Beta Technologies, a close competitor of your company.
We met at the UAE Video Editors Conference last month and I wanted to thank you for your inputs on the latest video editing software.
2. Give Specific Well Wishes.
If you do care how your reader is doing, make your first liner more personal—or at least more specific. For example, maybe you know your client has a big presentation coming up. If he/she is someone you have been working well with, and you know they’re dealing with a family situation, you might ask about that in a bit more detail. Otherwise, you can reference a more common shared experience like the holidays, the summer, the weekend, the end of the quarter, or a global pandemic.
For instance:
How is your mother doing now (knowing that she was unwell) and I hope you have enough help to look after her.
I hope you are as ready for the weekend as I am!
Your long well-deserved break is fast approaching! I hope you are all excited.
I am confident that your presentation to the new client is coming together nicely!
3. Pay a Compliment.
Everyone likes to be recognized for something they have done well. So if you loved your coworker’s designs for the new marketing campaign or think the new hire has been doing a great job getting up to speed or saw that your client’s company recently launched an impressive new product, tell them! It starts your email off on a positive note and shows you’re engaged with them personally.
For instance:
Fantastic job on the presentation last week! That’s the first time I’ve fully understood someone talking about quantitative analysis.
I’ve been impressed with your work so far! I would love to learn more about how you have been making those Excel macros whenever you get a chance.
Congratulations on winning the award for best performer of 2021!
I saw that your book is coming out soon. Congratulations! I can’t wait to read it.
The whole objective of a professional email is creating non-generic text that is honest, meaningful and grabs attention. It must be to the point so whether you are applying for a job or congratulating someone or simply selling a product, craft out creative emails.