How many emails do you receive every day? Is it 10? 20? 100? Whatever that number might be for you, at some point, those opening lines begin to blend together. So how do you stand out when your email could be mixed in with 100 more? In this post, we’ll share a list of the best email opening lines.
We’ll also discuss how to start an email to multiple people and how to start an email when you don’t know the name because we all could use alternatives to “I hope this email finds you well.”
What to Consider When Crafting an Email
Keep in mind that the person or people you are emailing likely receive dozens or even hundreds of emails every day. Does your email opening line stand out? Will it grab their attention, and will they deem it important?
Your email opener should also consider the importance of the email as well as who you are emailing. Are you emailing someone you’ve never emailed before, or are you starting an email to a colleague you work closely with on a day-to-day basis? Are you emailing just one person, a group of people, or the entire company? Who you are emailing and the number of people you are emailing will change how you begin your message.
What to consider when starting an email:
- How well do you know the person or people you are emailing?
- How many people are you emailing?
- How formal is your correspondence with the person/people?
- How urgent is the email you are sending?
- Are you emailing someone within or outside of your organization?
- Are you emailing someone you don’t know?
- Do you know the name/names of the people you are emailing?
The Generic: “I hope this email finds you well…”
The “I hope this email finds you well” meaning comes from a place of kindness and professionalism, but it has become overused and a little outdated. It’s a common email opening sentence that you’ve likely come across before, but it lacks any spark, hook, or interesting sentiment.
What email opening lines should you be using instead? Use our list of “I hope this email finds you well” alternatives to craft catchy and engaging emails every time.
The Best Email Opening Lines for Business Professionals
A business email opening line must maintain professionalism while not feeling overly rigid, bland, or outdated. It’s important to always consider who the recipient/recipients are to gauge how formal your email opener should be. The opening line of an email to the owner of the company you work at or to an essential client will need to be more formal than the opening line of an email to a close colleague you work with every day.
Keep in mind that the email opening lines below are only a starting point. The more you know about the person you are emailing, the more specific you can make your opening sentence. Do all that you can to personalize the email so that the recipient feels important and understood. How can you use specific details in your email opener to continue to build rapport with the recipient?
- I hope your day has been a pleasant one so far.
- I hope you are having a wonderful day.
- I hope your week started well.
- I hope your week is ending on a good note.
- I hope you were able to relax and enjoy the [holiday type].
- I am eager to get your advice on…
- I enjoyed your recent [social post/blog post]…
- Wouldn't it be great if you could [key performance outcome]?
- I loved reading your blog post on [topic]…
- I loved listening to your podcast on [topic]…
- It was great seeing you at [event name].
- Thanks for taking the time to catch up with me at [event name/meeting place].
- It was wonderful to meet you at [event name/meeting place].
- I’m hoping to get your input on…
- Thank you for your help on [task] recently. It was truly appreciated.
- As we discussed, I’m following up on…
- To follow up on our recent meeting…
- Thanks for taking time out of your day for our meeting today.
- Congratulations on [recent accomplishment].
- I’m sure you're busy catching up after your time away, but when you have a moment…
- How was your time off recently? What did you get up to?
- I was laughing the other day about [shared joke/occurrence].
- I’ll keep this email short and sweet.
- Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.
- Good morning, good afternoon, or a good evening—whichever suits your mood.
- Happy Not-Monday!
- I hope your morning coffee or tea was as strong as mine.
- I hope I’m not interrupting your productive workflow.
- I promise this is the last email you’ll get from me. (this week)
- I hope you’ve been able to enjoy this beautiful weather we’ve been having lately.
How to Start an Email to Multiple Recipients
If you are crafting an opening sentence for an email going to multiple recipients, be as specific as possible without making anyone feel left out or like they aren’t in on a joke.
What does the group have in common? Make sure that everyone who is included in the email will understand and feel a part of any specific anecdote you include.
Take time to consider whether or not the email should include everyone’s email address or if it’s better to utilize BCC (blind carbon copy.) This function allows you to send the same email to a group of people without sharing everyone’s address. Does everyone included already have access to each other’s email addresses, or would you be passing on an email address without consent?
Take time to consider who actually needs to be included in the email before sending it. It’s more than a little frustrating to be included in an email chain you have nothing to do with. You keep getting each and every reply filling your inbox, and there’s no way to remove yourself once you’ve been included. Don’t be that person that overdoes the recipient list. Does the email provide value for each person included?
- I hope everyone’s day has been pleasant so far.
- I hope each of you is having a wonderful day.
- I hope everyone’s week is off to a great start.
- I hope everyone was able to relax and enjoy the [holiday type].
- Thanks all for taking time out of your day for our team meeting today.
- A big congratulations is in order for our whole team on [recent accomplishment]
- Did everyone have their coffee/tea this morning?
- Good morning/afternoon/evening team!
- Yes—another group email.
How to Start an Email to Someone You Don’t Know
Personalizing an opening email sentence becomes more difficult when you don’t know the person you are emailing. If you know their name, try to use it, but never guess if you are unsure.
How can you utilize what little you do know about them? How did you get their contact information? Do you have a mutual contact? What do you have in common?
Since it’s likely they don’t know who you are either, keep your opening sentence more formal than you might for someone you know. Be clear and concise so that you do not waste their time. Why are you emailing them, and what do you have to offer? Why should they care about your email?
- I saw that we share a mutual contact. How do you know [name]?
- I’m glad to finally have the opportunity to email you.
- Allow me to introduce myself.
- [Mutual contact] gave me your contact information and suggested I reach out to you for/because…
- [Mutual contact] suggested I get in touch with you about…
- I’m hoping we can both help each other with…
- I’ve heard great things about your work on [specific].
There’s no magic formula for crafting the ideal email opener, but with practice and by taking the necessary time to consider who you are emailing, you can begin personalizing every email. This extra effort will not go unnoticed, and it will help you develop relationships, build rapport, and make office friends.
More on Email From Blue Summit Supplies
💡 Email Signature Ideas and Best Practices
💡 Email Etiquette in the Workplace
💡 Best Way to Organize Email: How to Organize Work Email
Do you love office organization as much as we do? Follow our office supplies blog for the latest trends, strategies, product comparisons, and more.
If you have any questions or want to talk to someone about office supplies, leave a comment or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
For more informative articles about office supplies, subscribe to our email newsletter!
Never fear, you won't begin receiving daily sales emails that belong in a spam folder. Instead, we promise a fun weekly roundup of our latest blog posts and great finds from across the web. And if you lose interest, it's always easy to unsubscribe with a single click.
