47 Best Email Salutations 2026: Professional Examples

Why Email Greetings Matter (And When You Can Skip Them)

Impact on Response Rates and Professional Image

Your email greeting does three things simultaneously: it establishes rapport, signals your understanding of professional norms, and positions the relationship dynamic. Research from the email productivity platform Mailshake shows that emails with personalized salutations achieve 26% higher open rates and 32% higher response rates than those without.

First impressions form within milliseconds. Before your recipient processes your request, proposal, or question, their brain has already categorized you based on how you addressed them. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Business Communication found that 68% of professionals judge email senders’ competence based solely on greeting formality match—too casual reads as unprofessional; too formal reads as outdated or disconnected.

Reddit’s professional communities reveal the real-world impact of greeting choices. One thread on r/jobs accumulated 847 comments debating whether “Hi” versus “Hello” matters for job applications. The consensus: it absolutely does, but context determines which direction. A graphic design applicant using “Hey there!” might signal creative culture fit, while the same greeting from a law firm applicant would eliminate them from consideration.

When skipping the greeting is acceptable:

• Reply chains within the same business day where the conversation has already been established
• Internal instant messages or very informal team communications
• Follow-up emails in an ongoing thread where you’re continuing a thought
• Situations where the entire company culture explicitly skips greetings (some startups)

The general rule: if you’re uncertain whether you can skip it, include the greeting. The cost of including one unnecessarily is zero; the cost of omitting one when expected can be your professional credibility.

Three Factors That Determine the Right Email Salutation

1. Your relationship with the recipient

Never met them? Start formal. Met once at a conference? Professional but warm. Email them daily? You have more flexibility. The relationship spectrum runs from stranger to acquaintance to colleague to close collaborator, and your greeting should reflect where you stand.

2. Level of formality required

Job applications, legal correspondence, and first contact with senior executives demand formal greetings. Routine business communications with peers operate in the professional zone. Internal team updates with people you know well can venture into informal territory. The formality level isn’t fixed—it shifts based on situation even with the same person.

3. Purpose of the email

Asking for something significant (job, investment, partnership) requires more formality than sharing information. Delivering bad news calls for professional tone regardless of relationship. Urgent messages benefit from direct greetings that signal priority. Your purpose modifies the baseline formality level set by relationship and context.

These three factors interact. You might normally use “Hi” with a colleague, but if you’re emailing them to request a reference for a new job, “Hello” or “Good afternoon” better matches the weight of your request.

The Complete Email Salutation List (Organized by Context)

This comprehensive list provides 47 email salutations organized by the context where they work best. Each includes specific usage guidance, examples showing the greeting in action, and pro tips to avoid common mistakes.

How to use this list: Start by identifying your situation (first contact, ongoing relationship, cold outreach, etc.), then scan the relevant category for options. When choosing between two similar options, default to the slightly more formal choice—you can always become more casual in subsequent emails, but starting too casual and trying to formalize later creates awkwardness.

Formal Email Salutations (For First Contact, Senior Contacts, Official Business)

These greetings signal respect, professionalism, and awareness of hierarchical or official contexts. Use them when the stakes are high, the relationship is new, or the situation demands traditional business etiquette.

1. Dear [First Name] [Last Name],

When to use: First contact with someone you’ve never met, especially for important requests (job applications, partnership proposals, media inquiries).

Example: “Dear Sarah Johnson, I’m writing to express my interest in the Senior Marketing Director position posted on your careers page.”

Pro tip: This greeting works across cultures and industries. It’s impossible to be “too formal” with this choice—worst case, they’ll invite you to use their first name in their reply.

2. Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [Last Name],

When to use: Academic settings, medical professionals, legal correspondence, or when the person’s title is integral to their professional identity.

Example: “Dear Dr. Martinez, Thank you for agreeing to serve as a reference for my graduate school application.”

Caution: Verify the correct title. Using “Ms.” for someone with a doctorate signals you didn’t research. When gender is unknown, use the full name instead.

3. Dear [Department/Team Name],

When to use: Emailing a general department inbox when you don’t have a specific contact.

Example: “Dear Hiring Team, I am submitting my application for the Software Engineer position (Job ID: 12345).”

Pro tip: This beats “To Whom It May Concern” because it shows you at least know which department should handle your inquiry.

4. Greetings,

When to use: Extremely formal situations where you want to maintain maximum professional distance.

Example: “Greetings, I am writing on behalf of [Company] to formally request documentation regarding our recent transaction.”

Note: This greeting feels stiff to most American recipients but is appreciated in some international business contexts.

5. Dear [Full Name],

When to use: First contact when you know the person’s full name but not their preferred form of address.

Example: “Dear Alex Chen, I came across your article on cold email best practices and wanted to reach out regarding a potential collaboration.”

Pro tip: This gender-neutral approach avoids the “Dear Sir or Madam” problem while maintaining formality.

6. Good morning/Good afternoon [Name],

When to use: Formal business contexts where you want warmth without casualness.

Example: “Good morning Jennifer, Thank you for scheduling time to discuss the Q4 marketing strategy.”

Caution: Only use time-specific greetings when you’re certain of the recipient’s time zone.

7. To the [Job Title/Role],

When to use: Applications when a job title is listed but not a name.

Example: “To the Marketing Director, I am writing to inquire about freelance content creation opportunities with your team.”

Professional Email Salutations (For Business Contacts, Colleagues, Most Work Emails)

This category covers 80% of professional email situations. These greetings strike the balance between friendliness and professionalism.

8. Hi [First Name],

When to use: The workhorse of professional email greetings. Use it for colleagues you know, clients you’ve established rapport with, and most routine business communications.

Example: “Hi Marcus, Following up on the proposal I sent last week. Do you have any questions about the implementation timeline?”

Pro tip: “Hi” with a first name and comma is the safest default for 90% of professional emails.

9. Hello [First Name],

When to use: Slightly more formal than “Hi” but still friendly. Perfect for first emails to someone you’ve been introduced to.

Example: “Hello Rachel, Tom Williams suggested I reach out to you regarding the new product launch strategy.”

10. [First Name],

When to use: Direct approach for established colleagues or ongoing email threads.

Example: “Sarah, The design files you requested are attached. Let me know if you need any adjustments.”

Caution: This can read as abrupt. Save it for people you email regularly.

11. Good morning [First Name],

When to use: Professional greeting that adds warmth, particularly effective for customer-facing roles.

Example: “Good morning David, I wanted to check in on how the implementation is progressing on your end.”

12. Hi there,

When to use: When you have a relationship with the recipient but haven’t spoken in a while.

Example: “Hi there, It’s been a few months since we connected at the Portland conference. I wanted to share some exciting updates.”

13. Hello everyone,

When to use: Professional emails to multiple recipients where you want to maintain a polished tone.

Example: “Hello everyone, This email contains the finalized agenda for next week’s quarterly review meeting.”

14. [First Name] – (with em dash)

When to use: Modern, efficient greeting for professional peers in fast-paced industries.

Example: “Jordan – Quick question about the budget allocation for the LinkedIn campaign.”

Cold Email Salutations (For Prospecting and Outreach)

Cold email greetings carry extra weight because you have no relationship equity. When running cold email campaigns with platforms like La Growth Machine, personalization in your greeting can be the difference between a 2% and 15% response rate.

15. Hi [First Name],

When to use: Your default for most cold prospecting emails. It’s professional, friendly, and allows you to quickly move into personalized context.

Example: “Hi Amanda, I noticed you recently posted about scaling content production on LinkedIn. That challenge is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you.”

Why it works: The greeting itself is standard, but following immediately with specific, researched context shows personalized outreach. La Growth Machine’s approach of combining email with LinkedIn touchpoints means your recipient may have already seen your name, making “Hi [Name]” feel like a natural next step.

16. [First Name], quick question –

When to use: Cold outreach that benefits from an immediate hook, particularly for busy executives.

Example: “Michael, quick question – how is your team currently handling lead enrichment for cold campaigns?

17. Hi [First Name], [Mutual Connection] suggested I reach out

When to use: Warm introductions where mentioning the mutual connection immediately establishes credibility.

Example: “Hi Rebecca, Sarah Chen suggested I reach out regarding your team’s outbound strategy.”

Why it works: Leading with the mutual connection transforms a cold email into a warm introduction. Response rates for referral-based cold emails run 3-4x higher.

18. Hi from [Your Company],

When to use: Brand-first cold outreach when your company name carries recognition.

Example: “Hi from La Growth Machine, We’ve helped 5,000+ B2B companies generate 3.5x more responses through multi-channel prospecting.”

19. Hello [First Name], I’ve been following [Their Company/Work]

When to use: Outreach to potential partners where demonstrating genuine interest provides differentiation.

Example: “Hello Chris, I’ve been following Acme Corp’s expansion into enterprise sales tools. Your recent blog post about AI in sales prospecting was particularly insightful.

20. [First Name], noticed you’re [Specific Trigger Event]

When to use: Trigger-based cold email where you’re reaching out because of a specific event.

Example: “Jennifer, noticed you recently joined Acme as Head of Sales – congratulations! I wanted to share how we’ve helped other sales leaders in similar growth-stage situations.”

Why this works: Trigger-based outreach has 5-8x higher response rates. When scaling with tools like La Growth Machine, you can automate trigger detection while keeping personalization authentic.

Email Greetings for Groups and Teams

21. Hi everyone, – Informal to semi-professional team emails, project updates.

22. Hello team, – Addressing your direct team with slightly more professional tone.

23. Hi all, – Quick updates to groups, particularly in email threads.

24. Good morning/afternoon everyone, – Time-specific team communications.

25. Dear [Department Name] team, – Cross-departmental communications.

26. [Department/Project Name] colleagues, – Professional address to cross-functional teams.

27. To the [Company Name] team, – Company-wide announcements from leadership.

Informal Email Salutations (For Close Colleagues)

28. Hey [First Name], – Close colleagues in casual company cultures.

29. Hi there, – Friendly internal emails, quick questions.

30. Morning [First Name], – Casual greeting for frequent communication.

31. [First Name]! – Expressing enthusiasm about positive news.

32. Yo [First Name], – Extremely casual, use with caution.

33. [First Name], hope you’re doing well – – Reconnecting after time apart.

34. Happy [Day of Week], [First Name]! – Very casual, culture-dependent.

Email Greetings for Follow-ups and Replies

35. Thanks for your reply, [First Name] – Responding to someone who provided information.

36. Great to hear from you, [First Name] – Unexpected positive replies.

37. Thanks for getting back to me – Expected responses.

38. Following up on [Topic], – When previous emails received no response.

39. [First Name], quick follow-up – – Efficient follow-ups on pending items.

40. Hope this finds you well, [First Name] – Following up after time has passed.

41. [First Name], checking in – – Status check follow-ups.

42. Per my previous email, – Escalation or time-sensitive follow-ups.

Additional Professional Salutations

43. Good evening [Name], – Evening communications in same time zone.

44. [Name], hope your week is going well – Warm opening for routine check-ins.

45. Dear Colleagues, – Formal address to professional peers.

46. Hello there, – Slightly more formal than “Hi there.”

47. To: [Multiple Names], – Addressing small group of 2-3 people by name.

How to Choose the Right Email Salutation: A Decision Framework

Step 1: Assess Your Relationship

Never met, no previous contact: Start formal. “Dear [Name],” “Hello [Name],” or “Dear [Title] [Last Name].”

Met once or briefly: Use professional greetings: “Hello [First Name],” or “Hi [First Name].”

Regular contact: “Hi [First Name],” works for most situations.

Close colleague: Match their communication style with flexibility.

Step 2: Consider the Context

Making a significant request: Add one level of formality.

Delivering sensitive news: Maintain professional tone regardless of relationship.

Routine business: Use your relationship baseline.

Time-sensitive: Direct greetings signal priority.

Cold outreach: Professional with immediate personalization. When running multi-channel outreach with La Growth Machine, your email greeting often comes after the recipient has seen your LinkedIn profile, so “Hi [Name],” feels like natural conversation progression.

Step 3: Factor in Industry and Culture

Corporate, legal, finance: Default formal.

Tech, startups, creative: Casual is often the norm.

Academia: Title usage matters significantly.

International: Research specific cultural norms.

Email Salutations to Avoid (7 Common Mistakes)

1. To Whom It May Concern

Why it’s problematic: Signals zero effort to identify the recipient. HubSpot analysis shows 45% lower open rates.

What to use instead: Research for a specific name, use “Dear Hiring Team,” or “Dear Marketing Director.”

2. Dear Sir or Madam

Why it’s outdated: Makes gender assumptions in 2026 and excludes non-binary individuals.

What to use instead: “Dear [Full Name],” or “Dear [Job Title].”

3. Hey / Hey there (in wrong contexts)

Why it backfires: In cold emails or job applications, signals lack of professionalism. Woodpecker.co found “Hey” achieved 18% lower response rates in B2B contexts.

4. No greeting at all

Why it feels rude: Diving immediately into content reads as transactional and disrespectful.

When it’s acceptable: Quick replies within same-day threads or very informal team communications.

5. Exclamation points in professional greetings

Why they backfire: “Hi!!!!” reads as over-enthusiastic or unprofessional. Boomerang shows 20% fewer responses.

The right approach: Use comma after name. Save exclamation for content.

6. Time-based greetings across time zones

Why it’s awkward: “Good morning” received at 7 PM reveals mass email or lack of consideration.

7. Misspelling the recipient’s name

Cardinal sin: Always double-check spelling. One Reddit thread showed hiring managers immediately discard applications with name misspellings.

Email Salutations and Cold Email Success

When running cold email campaigns with platforms like La Growth Machine, personalization multiplies response rates. Research-based greetings that mention recent achievements or mutual connections significantly outperform generic openings.

La Growth Machine’s multi-channel approach combines email with LinkedIn touchpoints, meaning your greeting builds on previous brand exposure. This strategy generates 3.5x more responses than email-only campaigns because recipients have multiple touchpoints before your personalized greeting arrives.

Best practices for cold email salutations:

• Use “Hi [First Name],” then immediately prove personalization
• Reference specific trigger events or mutual connections
• A/B test different salutation approaches
• Leverage multi-channel sequences for better context

FAQs About Email Salutations

Should I use a comma or colon after the greeting?

Comma is standard for emails. Colons are more formal and typically reserved for business letters.

Can I use emojis in professional email greetings?

Avoid emojis in professional greetings. Save them for content if company culture supports it.

What if I don’t know someone’s gender pronouns?

Use their full name: “Dear Alex Johnson,” rather than assuming with Mr./Ms.

Is “Hi” too casual for business emails?

“Hi [First Name],” with proper capitalization and comma is professional standard for most business communication.

How do I greet my boss vs a client?

Match established patterns. If your boss uses “Hi,” reciprocate. New clients start with “Hello [Name],” until rapport develops.

When can I skip the greeting entirely?

Same-day email thread replies, very informal internal messages, or follow-ups beginning with “Following up on…”

What’s the best greeting for a job application?

“Dear [Hiring Manager Name],” when you have a name, or “Dear Hiring Team,” when you don’t.

Should I match the greeting style of the person who emailed me first?

Yes. If they start formal and you reply formally, they’ll either maintain that or signal they want more casual communication.

Conclusion

The right email salutation creates an appropriate first impression, signals professional understanding, and sets tone for everything that follows. Data shows personalized, context-appropriate greetings can increase response rates by 50% or more compared to generic alternatives.

The decision framework is simpler than 47 options might suggest: assess your relationship with the recipient, consider the context and purpose, and factor in industry and cultural norms. When uncertain, “Hello [First Name],” or “Hi [First Name],” works in 90% of professional situations.

For cold email outreach and prospecting, your greeting becomes even more critical because you have no relationship equity. The greeting should be simple and professional, but what immediately follows must prove personalized research and relevant context. When scaling outreach with platforms like La Growth Machine, the multi-channel approach (Email + LinkedIn touchpoints) transforms cold outreach into warm recognition, driving 3.5x higher response rates than email-only campaigns.

The most important insight: your greeting choice reveals as much about you as it does about how you view the recipient. Getting someone’s name right, matching appropriate formality, and choosing inclusive, modern language all signal competence, thoughtfulness, and professional judgment. Master these 47 salutations and the framework to choose between them, and you’ll develop the intuition to make the right greeting choice instantly in any professional situation.