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You might wonder whether it’s really necessary to put much thought into how you begin your e-mails and other correspondence. Though, in job search e-mails, for example, using the wrong greeting could make you seem less competent and even cost you an interview.

Here are the six best ways to begin an e-mail, followed by five you should avoid at all costs.

Six best ways to start an e-mail

1. Hi [Name],

In all but the most formal settings, this e-mail greeting is the clear winner. It’s simple, friendly, and direct. If you want a slightly more formal tone, consider replacing hi with hello.

2. Dear [Name],

Although dear can come across as stuffy, it’s appropriate for formal e-mails. Use it when you’re addressing a person in a position of respect (e.g., Dear Lieutenant Smith) and in formal business missives such as a résumé cover letter.

Tip: In cover letters, use ‘Dear’ followed by an honorific and the person’s last name (if known) and a colon:

Dear Ms. Roberts:

If the recipient’s gender is unknown, or their name is the least bit ambiguous, use a full name instead:

Dear Terry Jones:

Avoid honorifics that imply marital status such as “Mrs.” Use “Ms.” instead.

3 Greetings,

There are a couple of useful alternatives when you don’t know your recipient’s name or you’re writing to a general e-mail inbox, such as feedback@[company].com. Greetings is one of them. But it’s also …

4 Hi there,

The advantage of Hi there is that it works well if you’re sending a mass e-mail or using a mail merge feature with customised name fields. You can set up your fields like this:

Hi [Name],

That way, when you use ‘there’ in the [Name] field, your recipient will see a non-specific greeting: ‘Hi there’.

Tip: Be careful with mail merges and mass e-mails. Using first names only is usually your best bet. People are likely to identify e-mails with greetings like ‘Hi Alexa J. Roth’ as spam.

5 Hello, or Hello [Name],

This one bridges the gap between the breezy hi and the more formal dear. It’s used less often, though, so be aware that it might stand out, and don’t use it if you want your greeting to be unobtrusive.

6 Hi everyone,

If you’re addressing a group of people, this is the way to go. We prefer it to more abrupt greetings like ‘All’, or the too gender-specific ‘Gentlemen’ or ‘Ladies’.

5 introductions to avoid

Don’t:

1. Misspell your recipient’s name. Ever.

Double-check the spelling of the person’s name and either get it right or omit it and use a generic greeting like Hi there.

2. Begin with Dear Sir or Madam,

Not only is this salutation stiff and formal, it shows that you couldn’t be bothered to look up a contact name and address someone specific.

3. Begin with To Whom It May Concern,

Don’t use this greeting with job application cover letters. Make a point to find the hiring manager’s name, even if that means calling the company and asking. If you can’t find a name, ‘Dear Hiring Manager’: or ‘Dear [Company] Team’: will work.

4. Write Hey! or Hey, [Name]!

Reserve this one for your friends and close colleagues.

5. Write Hi [Nickname],

Don’t assume familiarity and shorten the recipient’s name unless s/he asks you to do so.

Save this post and feel confident writing e-mails!