Best Email Opening Sentences for Engagement

You’re just about to reach out to someone. You have the right email address and even the perfect subject line. But when it’s time to start the email, you’re suddenly at a loss for words. How should you begin? It’s not always easy to find the best email opening sentences.

First impressions matter, and whether your email is to an individual or you’re sending a mass message to your list, picking the best email opening sentences determines what kind of engagement you will get. 

Will the person continue to read and engage, or will their eyes wander? With so many notifications fighting for your recipient’s attention, you can’t afford to lose them in the first few seconds. 

So below, we show you how to decide what your email opening lines should be – and what to avoid.

How to find the best email opening sentences 

Once the recipient thinks your email deserved to be opened, the first words you choose can inspire someone to keep reading or focus on something else. 

People get more than a dozen emails every day, and many get multiple times that. It’s not unusual to have several back-and-forth replies to one email in the course of hours. 

However, most emails garner nothing other than indifference. Choose your words carefully, and the reaction you’re looking for has a chance.

Choose a greeting that suits your recipients

First, you want to adjust your greeting to suit the type of audience you’re writing to. 

Here are different ways to get the communication rolling so the recipient feels comfortable.

• Dear [recipient], 

This is a classic dating back to the 15th century. It’s formal but cordial, and it may especially resonate with an older audience.

• Hello [recipient],

This greeting is reminiscent of how people answer the phone. It’s cheerful yet still polite without being overly formal.

• Hi [recipient],

This greeting has risen to prominence. It’s amicable and the most casual way to give salutations. 

• Greetings [recipient],

Although not as familiar as “hello” or “hi,” saying  “greetings” to the person at the other end is unique. Although cordial, saying “greetings” gives your email an official flavor. It’s an underrated way to begin your email message.

• [Recipient], (Only the name of the person you’re addressing)

You may prefer just to write the person’s name and then begin your message. It’s straightforward. Although some people don’t mind it, others find it overly direct and even a tad rude. If you don’t know the person, it may be better to see if it’s something you think they’d appreciate first.

Related: Copywriter Laura Belgray on how to write great emails

Decide how to address your recipient

Calling someone Mr., Mrs., Miss, Dr., Rev., etc., followed by the last name has largely fallen out of vogue. However, it may be on-brand for you. 

It also helps to know more about the person you’re writing to. If you know for a fact that your recipient is thirty or forty years older than you, they’re more likely to appreciate your etiquette. 

Also, if you think your recipient is more on the traditional side, or if your company is of a more refined or luxury ambiance, use formal terms of address until told otherwise.

It’s “go” time: write the best first sentence with your recipient in mind

All too often, an email’s opening sentence is solely crafted with the sender’s own agenda in mind. Understandably, you’re sending an email because there is something you’d like to achieve. However, you don’t want to write your email with that mindset.

Before you begin writing, think about the person on the other end. What do you have to offer that helps them, makes life easier, provides clarity, or gives them peace of mind? 

If you’re in sales, think about their pain points. What would make them sigh in relief? If you’re in media or public relations, think about the audience that would consume the coverage you have in mind. What interests them?

In short, get out of your own way. Focus very little on yourself. Generally, the worst word to start an email is “I” – yet so many people do it.

Examples of email opening sentences 

Sometimes, the absolute best way to get your email started is to see some real examples like the ones below. You can adjust them based on your intent and industry. Just tweak and get your email started.

Reaching out about a business partnership

When you reach out to solidify a business partnership, it may help to begin by expressing that you hold your target and their company in high regard.

Example  #1:

Your recent achievements caught my attention, and I believe we have a unique opportunity to build on this momentum.

Example #2:

In light of our shared interest in (common industry or passion), I wanted to propose a partnership that could elevate our mutual goals.

Reaching out to tell someone about your product or service

Usually, your target gets many people offering something related to their industry. Your email has a lot of competition, so get to the point.

Example  #1:

Are you having a productive week? I have something exciting that could improve your current strategies, make your approach more productive, easier and more manageable.

Example #2:

You may find this opportunity particularly valuable as it aligns perfectly with what you’ve been working on.

Reaching out about a media opportunity

It’s always wise to think about how you can feature a variety of voices on your blog or in your content marketing. 

For instance, if you’re writing a piece for a publication, you can obtain quotes from experts in your industry to strengthen your message. They’ll appreciate the exposure, and your article, blog post, or video will become more compelling and credible.

Example #1:

Your work in the industry has been truly inspiring, and there’s an exciting media opportunity that I’d like to share with you.

Example #2:

With your impressive track record, we believe our media feature could significantly amplify your reach and impact.

Reaching out to a former colleague or collaborator

Regardless of your industry, you’ve probably collaborated with many people over the years. Some may be former colleagues from a company you used to work at, others may be industry peers you once worked with. 

Let’s say you need an answer to a question and your former colleague comes to mind. Or maybe you just got a new job and want to connect with a peer about a potential partnership. 

Example #1:

It’s been a while since we talked – how have you been? Hope things are going well at (company name)! 

Example #2:
First, congrats on your promotion – well-deserved! I’m excited for you and hope you’re happy in your new role!

Starting with a reference to a significant milestone in the person’s career or personal life creates an instant connection. Do that first, then move on to the question you’d like to ask. 

Reaching out just to network

In this digital age, we sometimes think of networking simply as connecting with someone on LinkedIn. If that’s the full extent of your networking efforts, you’re severely limiting yourself. 

Email allows you an excellent opportunity to begin communicating more intimately with someone. You can start to be of service to one another and may even develop friendships.

Example #1:

Your work is really impressive, and I’d love to have a coffee chat sometime to see how we can support each other.

Example #2:

I’ve been following your work and thought it would be great to connect and share some insights and experiences.

Carefully consider your email opening sentence 

People are inundated with emails, text messages, social media DMs, and phone calls. It’s a lot of communication, alerts, and notifications. That’s why it’s so important that you make a great first impression with your recipients.

So, before you hit send, read back what you’ve read. You don’t want to commit any faux pas. Make sure what you communicate isn’t presumptuous, condescending, or annoying. You’ve only got one first impression. 

Of course, you should carefully choose your words. However, you don’t want to be so trepidatious that you are afraid to reach out. Nothing works without you working.

Do you have the correct email address?

Now that you’ve decided on your best email opening sentence, you also need to check that the email address you have is correct. You may think that you’ll find out if the email is good on whether or not it bounces. Here’s why it’s not a good idea to let that happen:

• First of all, you’ll waste time composing an email that nobody sees. 
• Secondly, you’ll damage your sender reputation, meaning that your future email outreach will be hampered. If you use email frequently for work, your next message may land in spam. 

To avoid any email deliverability issues, run your recipient’s email address through an email validator. You can even check emails for free with ZeroBounce. And if you need to validate more addresses, signing up for an account will give you 1,200 free verifications a year.

Another tip to streamline your email outreach is to use an email finder. Even better pick an email finder that automatically verifies every result. Get in the habit of searching for new contacts this way, and you’ll save time and get better outcomes from the emails you send.