A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.Figuring out how to start an email or instant message — especially when you're writing to someone you don't know very well — can be a challenge.Is "Hey" too casual? I don't need to continue reading.

However, this post is an exception, because it’s not about tech or UX.I am really, truly happy to receive emails from you, my readers!

When a salutation starts with a direct address like “H

Essential English Email Vocabulary. Sick of those standard email opening lines like "I hope you're doing well!"

If the other participant saw more options, it would be easier to reach a consensus and agree on the offer. A few years ago, I had NO CLUE how to start a conversation with new people. Let’s face it: starting a conversation can be intimidating.Whether you’re meeting a total stranger, trying to network, or on a first (or even tenth) date, it’s often difficult to know what to say to start a conversation and keep it flowing. Get our daily newsletter today. Be careful when you use an email conversation thread, though. Especially if you never contacted the other person.2–3 sentences would be enough to introduce yourself and highlight the purpose of the email. If you’re hoping to promote email marketing software but reach out to the head of public relations, you’re reducing your chances of success.Whether you’re carrying out a mass email marketing campaign or writing a bespoke email to a known recipient, it’s always useful to keep the purpose of your email in mind.Your goal might be to introduce yourself or your business for the first time (cold outreach); recover a lost lead or dormant customer; or simply to send out your monthly newsletter. Plus, it might get under the recipient's skin.Always use a salutation, Pachter wrote: "You'll seem friendlier if you do." Mario Tama/Getty Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock How and when you use them entirely depends on your brand style and voice:Using the time of day as a message opener is always a winner – it’s friendly, yet relatively formal:When something has triggered you to write an email, you can often get away with not using a salutation like “Dear” or even “Hi.” It’s perfectly acceptable to make the thing you’re writing about form the greeting itself.

An email thread treats related emails like a discussion by keeping related emails together in your inbox. “Hi [first name 1], [first name 2], and [first name 3],”When someone sees their name in a list, they’re more likely to open the email and read it.These greetings should be reserved for people you know well and with whom you share a more colloquial lingo.

as well as other partner offers and accept our Ian Gavan / Getty Images "Many people are insulted if their name is misspelled," Pachter said.

Here are 40 totally different email greetings you can use to start your message off right. Open Gmail. As you know, you can reach me by email, Twitter, or Instagram.Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. It always feels like bad news or a complaint will follow.

Then, you can adjust your tone based on the response you receive, if necessary.A surefire way of giving your recipient a bad first impression is to mess up on your grammar. weedezign/Shutterstock It gives recipients their first impression of you, and it sets the tone for the rest of the message. Drew Angerer/Getty November 24, 2015 at 6:10 pm - Reply If you want a slightly more formal tone, consider replacing hi with hello.