Author Topic: E-mail Salutations  (Read 774 times)

Offline Fork Knife

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2018, 12:20:20 pm »
For colleagues I know, it's "Hi First name,"

For official type things with people I don't know, I use a standard business letter greeting: "Dear Dr. Jones:"

I try to find a way to end with a thank-you whenever possible, because I've read statistics that emails get the most and quickest responses when they close with thanks. Signing with your first name or nickname is also a signal of how you want the other person to address you, rather than using your full name.

I don't see common courtesies like "how are you" as fake. They are a ritual acknowledgement that we are both human beings sharing a planet and living as equals in a civil society. Like handshakes, or the cultural equivalent (like bowing), they reinforce the other person's independent existence.


Yes, it would strike me as rude and abrupt in a business setting. The attitude that only friends deserve basic civilities sounds a bit imperious.

This post, especially the bolded, is so good I want to commit it to memory.  What a great way to conceptualize courtesy - ritual acknowledgement that we are equals in a civil society. 

This reminds me of something the wisest, best person I ever knew once said: “Respect is not earned.  It is a human right.”

To clarify my earlier point, I am fully on board with being respectful and often use “I hope you are well”.....because I do hope they are well. I do not prefer the “how are you” when it is not truly meant or answered but instead just a flip throw away phrase. I always address emails by name, either “Dear Mr. Smith,” “Dear Bob,” or “Hi Jane” depending on the closeness of relationship. If I know a person well I talk abou specifics - “I hope your family enjoyed the cabin last weekend!” But I don’t ask people I have never met how they are - I find it weird! I say “I hope you are well. Next week is the deadline for blah blah blah...”

I do the same. I often start off my first email in a while with a “hope all is well” or “hope you had a nice vacation” or similar, and I sincerely do hope that.

But I rarely  ask “how are you” in a situation where the other person is socially obligated to give a fake answer (which is usually the case in work-related conversations).   

guest121

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2018, 02:26:40 pm »
For colleagues I know, it's "Hi First name,"

For official type things with people I don't know, I use a standard business letter greeting: "Dear Dr. Jones:"

I try to find a way to end with a thank-you whenever possible, because I've read statistics that emails get the most and quickest responses when they close with thanks. Signing with your first name or nickname is also a signal of how you want the other person to address you, rather than using your full name.

I don't see common courtesies like "how are you" as fake. They are a ritual acknowledgement that we are both human beings sharing a planet and living as equals in a civil society. Like handshakes, or the cultural equivalent (like bowing), they reinforce the other person's independent existence.


Yes, it would strike me as rude and abrupt in a business setting. The attitude that only friends deserve basic civilities sounds a bit imperious.

This post, especially the bolded, is so good I want to commit it to memory.  What a great way to conceptualize courtesy - ritual acknowledgement that we are equals in a civil society. 

This reminds me of something the wisest, best person I ever knew once said: “Respect is not earned.  It is a human right.”

To clarify my earlier point, I am fully on board with being respectful and often use “I hope you are well”.....because I do hope they are well. I do not prefer the “how are you” when it is not truly meant or answered but instead just a flip throw away phrase. I always address emails by name, either “Dear Mr. Smith,” “Dear Bob,” or “Hi Jane” depending on the closeness of relationship. If I know a person well I talk abou specifics - “I hope your family enjoyed the cabin last weekend!” But I don’t ask people I have never met how they are - I find it weird! I say “I hope you are well. Next week is the deadline for blah blah blah...”

I do the same. I often start off my first email in a while with a “hope all is well” or “hope you had a nice vacation” or similar, and I sincerely do hope that.

But I rarely  ask “how are you” in a situation where the other person is socially obligated to give a fake answer (which is usually the case in work-related conversations).   

I see what you're saying and I think we're on the same page. I misunderstood the comment about fake inquiries to mean skipping that bit entirely.

Offline JeanFromBNA

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #17 on: July 04, 2018, 05:23:08 pm »
I'll write, Good morning, Good evening, Good afternoon for a first email or a professional response.  Since I'm often addressing a group of men, I'll use Good afternoon, Gentlemen: In future back and forth conversation, the greeting gets dropped. 

In a person to person email where I know the person well, I'll often start my emails with, Hey, (name). That's become common in our field in Nashville, TN, US, and I think that it reflects the way we address each other when we are speaking in the office.  The courtesies come in the body of the email, e.g., "Could you please email me the approved plans for the scorched earth project? Thanks in advance."

Do y'all think signature blocks are pretentious?  I have one set up on my emails so that I don't have to remember to type out my professional designation when I need it for a formal response, and phone contact info. Not including a phone number on your email so that I can contact you for more information is a pet peeve.  Some things are easier or better discussed on the phone than typed in an email.

guest121

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #18 on: July 04, 2018, 05:44:11 pm »
Signature blocks would look odd on social notes, but on business or personal-business/official emails (like correspondence with your insurance agent or city government), they're just practical.

It's only pretentious if you use a made-up, pretentious title.

You can even create a personal sig block that just auto-pastes your first name and phone number. A handy thing for forgetful people like me.

Offline Lynn2000

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2018, 06:48:19 pm »
I think signature blocks CAN be pretentious, if someone takes the opportunity to load it with all kinds of irrelevant info that just screams, "Look at me! I'm so important!"

But if you often really do need to add your title and/or phone number to correspondence, then a signature block is very handy so you don't have to keep typing it over and over again, and maybe make a typo in the phone number sometime. Like if you are often addressing outside people, or even internal people who don't really know you, it might be helpful to have, "Senior Accounting Director" or whatever in your signature, so people are like, "Oh, I guess this is an official directive from Accounting, then."

When we advertise for student workers I get a lot of emails with long signatures, ridiculous given the context.

Hi, this is Bob Landon. I'm interested in the student worker position you have advertised, and I'd like to get some more information about it. Thanks!

Bob Landon
Class of 2021
Biophysics major, College of LAS
Phi Sigma Phi
Accounting Chair, Biophysics Club
Cell #:
Home #:
Email:


It's like a mini-resume. Now, some of that info is indeed useful to me. But, I'm just going to send him the same form to fill out that I send to everyone, and he's going to have to put his major, when he graduates, his email, relevant current and former jobs and activities, etc. on that, in the proper standardized format so I can easily look over it and compare him to the other 99 people I will get applying for the job. And I don't even know what Phi Sigma Phi is. Is he in a fraternity? Is that one of those "honor societies" that are basically just a resume-padder because you just pay them and they let you join and use their name? What does "Class of 2021" even mean these days? You'd think it means he is graduating in May 2021, but I find that's often not the case, and it's why I specifically ask, "When are you graduating? (semester and year)" because a lot of people will graduate in December or August, which could make a big difference in our hiring decisions.

So to me it's all just useless fluff at the end of his email that I kind of just roll my eyes at. It's that, "Throw everything possible in there because bigger is more impressive, even if it's not relevant" mentality.

And with professors you'll get stuff like

Dr. Harry Lewis
Doctor of Astronomy
Professor, Astronomy Department, University of North Dakota
Neil Armstrong Chair
Celestial Grant Recipient, 1993
[several lines of contact info, including website]


Like, get over yourself. Probably all you need is, "I'm Dr. Harry Lewis of the Astronomy Department of the University of North Dakota, and my research shows that..." Obviously, a phone number if you would like the person to contact you that way. They don't need your mailing address attached to every email, a list of all the awards you've won, your cross-disciplinary appointments, etc.. Mention what's relevant for that particular email, and only put in your signature the stuff you need a LOT.

Offline Hotblack Desiato

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #20 on: July 05, 2018, 07:02:22 am »
The flip side to this is that many business have a standard format that emails must follow, and indeed a set format for the signature block. For example, my work email signature block has my full name, my job title, the name of the business I work for and its physical and web addresses, my direct dial and the switchboard number. We even have a prescribed font and layout for it.

In addition, we also have prescribed sign offs - i.e. 'Many thanks and kind regards' or 'kind regards'. Emails are also addressed to the person's first name, so 'Dear Bob' rather than 'Dear Mr Smith', even if it's the first time of contact. That may however be a convention of the industry and/or country I work in though (law, UK).

Internal emails are more relaxed, but I would always start them with at least the person's name and say 'please' and 'thank you' as appropriate. The 'how are you ' would normally be done on the phone - I wouldn't put that in an email. If its someone I haven't spoken to or emailed for a while, then I'd probably have a 'I hope you are well' type introduction before I moved onto the purpose of the email.
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guest121

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #21 on: July 05, 2018, 10:45:37 am »
I think signature blocks CAN be pretentious, if someone takes the opportunity to load it with all kinds of irrelevant info that just screams, "Look at me! I'm so important!"

But if you often really do need to add your title and/or phone number to correspondence, then a signature block is very handy so you don't have to keep typing it over and over again, and maybe make a typo in the phone number sometime. Like if you are often addressing outside people, or even internal people who don't really know you, it might be helpful to have, "Senior Accounting Director" or whatever in your signature, so people are like, "Oh, I guess this is an official directive from Accounting, then."

When we advertise for student workers I get a lot of emails with long signatures, ridiculous given the context.

Hi, this is Bob Landon. I'm interested in the student worker position you have advertised, and I'd like to get some more information about it. Thanks!

Bob Landon
Class of 2021
Biophysics major, College of LAS
Phi Sigma Phi
Accounting Chair, Biophysics Club
Cell #:
Home #:
Email:


It's like a mini-resume. Now, some of that info is indeed useful to me. But, I'm just going to send him the same form to fill out that I send to everyone, and he's going to have to put his major, when he graduates, his email, relevant current and former jobs and activities, etc. on that, in the proper standardized format so I can easily look over it and compare him to the other 99 people I will get applying for the job. And I don't even know what Phi Sigma Phi is. Is he in a fraternity? Is that one of those "honor societies" that are basically just a resume-padder because you just pay them and they let you join and use their name? What does "Class of 2021" even mean these days? You'd think it means he is graduating in May 2021, but I find that's often not the case, and it's why I specifically ask, "When are you graduating? (semester and year)" because a lot of people will graduate in December or August, which could make a big difference in our hiring decisions.

So to me it's all just useless fluff at the end of his email that I kind of just roll my eyes at. It's that, "Throw everything possible in there because bigger is more impressive, even if it's not relevant" mentality.

And with professors you'll get stuff like

Dr. Harry Lewis
Doctor of Astronomy
Professor, Astronomy Department, University of North Dakota
Neil Armstrong Chair
Celestial Grant Recipient, 1993
[several lines of contact info, including website]


Like, get over yourself. Probably all you need is, "I'm Dr. Harry Lewis of the Astronomy Department of the University of North Dakota, and my research shows that..." Obviously, a phone number if you would like the person to contact you that way. They don't need your mailing address attached to every email, a list of all the awards you've won, your cross-disciplinary appointments, etc.. Mention what's relevant for that particular email, and only put in your signature the stuff you need a LOT.

I couldn't find a "wow" button. I've never seen anything like that. How ridiculous!

I thought signature block just meant contact info and maybe business name/work title.

Wow.

Offline Lynn2000

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #22 on: July 05, 2018, 12:40:22 pm »
Yeah, if you have a company policy that your signature must include X info--which I can see being especially important for someone in the legal profession like Hotblack Desiato--then obviously you have to go with that.

But in the situations I'm familiar with, it really does seem to be people bragging about their achievements with every email they send, or packing irrelevant info into their signatures, perhaps under the impression that a larger signature looks more impressive or professional.

I wouldn't call it a major issue in my life. At worst I just kind of roll my eyes at the person before responding.

I remember back in the olden days when email was new, and we would load up our signature blocks with cool quotes, personal nicknames, images made from keyboard symbols, etc.. I don't recommend that now, in a professional setting at least. There's one guy at work I email about stuff, and his replies usually end with some random philosophical quote--different each time. It just adds to his oddness, which I find negative but not, like, threatening or anything.

Offline Loveandmoonsaults

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #23 on: July 05, 2018, 04:26:21 pm »
I always start each email "Hello". We're a small casual business, so this is for internal and external correspondence.

I think as long as you use please and thank you within your emails, you're not coming across as cold or anything. If anything it's just too casual over all.

I get plenty of responses with one liners and no signature block. What is worse is places that use generic signature blocks for shared boxes. I'm annoyed with our auto-generated emails being signed "Company Accounting" and "Company Sales Team". Then I get people sending messages to me all "Dear Company Accounting" and I twitch. Just say "Hello" without a name or "Hello AP" or whatever but the addition of the company feels like when someone is being cute using your full name in salutations. *twitch*

Offline cayenne

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #24 on: July 05, 2018, 05:10:18 pm »
For colleagues I know, it's "Hi First name,"

For official type things with people I don't know, I use a standard business letter greeting: "Dear Dr. Jones:"

I try to find a way to end with a thank-you whenever possible, because I've read statistics that emails get the most and quickest responses when they close with thanks. Signing with your first name or nickname is also a signal of how you want the other person to address you, rather than using your full name.

I don't see common courtesies like "how are you" as fake. They are a ritual acknowledgement that we are both human beings sharing a planet and living as equals in a civil society. Like handshakes, or the cultural equivalent (like bowing), they reinforce the other person's independent existence.


Yes, it would strike me as rude and abrupt in a business setting. The attitude that only friends deserve basic civilities sounds a bit imperious.

This post, especially the bolded, is so good I want to commit it to memory.  What a great way to conceptualize courtesy - ritual acknowledgement that we are equals in a civil society. 

This reminds me of something the wisest, best person I ever knew once said: “Respect is not earned.  It is a human right.”

To clarify my earlier point, I am fully on board with being respectful and often use “I hope you are well”.....because I do hope they are well. I do not prefer the “how are you” when it is not truly meant or answered but instead just a flip throw away phrase. I always address emails by name, either “Dear Mr. Smith,” “Dear Bob,” or “Hi Jane” depending on the closeness of relationship. If I know a person well I talk abou specifics - “I hope your family enjoyed the cabin last weekend!” But I don’t ask people I have never met how they are - I find it weird! I say “I hope you are well. Next week is the deadline for blah blah blah...”

I agree that polite civility is important, and I also dislike the "how are you" phrase. It's empty and meaningless for me even considering the broad social context in which it is commonly used. "Hello" and "good morning/afternoon" perform the exact same functions without the false question. I wish more people would go with those.
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Offline QueenFaninCA

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #25 on: July 06, 2018, 07:14:47 pm »
I always start with either "Hi,", "Hi name,", "Hi everyone," or "Hi ladies," (if appropriate). I skip this on the second reply or so if we end up having a discussion via email.

Offline Kiwi Cupcake

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #26 on: July 11, 2018, 12:44:59 pm »
Several posters said a canned closing in the signature line seems fake or bragging. I just realized that I don't even notice the signature block unless I need information like their phone number or something like that.

Offline Poesie

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Re: E-mail Salutations
« Reply #27 on: August 16, 2018, 06:06:36 am »
There’s a recent Ask A Manager question about how to write warmer emails without resorting to emojis. Kind of touches on some of the stuff raised in this thread so posting link:

https://www.askamanager.org/2018/08/how-can-i-write-warmer-emails-without-resorting-to-emojis.html