How To Address An Email

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You may wonder why properly addressing an email is important and even what good this article is to mankind. Well, wonder no more.

While it seems like addressing an email is the most insignificant aspect of writing it, an email that is addressed properly helps give the reader or recipient a good first impression and also establishes the tone for the rest of your communication.

In this article, we show you ways, tips and examples on how to give a proper address in an email.

What To Do Before You Address An Email

If you want to write an impressive email that will be pleasing to your recipient, don’t just jump headfirst into it.

You would need to make some research to address it to the right person and in the right tone and manner.

Here are a few things to look out for while doing your research:

1. The sex of the recipient

You would like to know how to refer to your recipient, whether it’s a he or she. Also, knowing what pronouns he or she likes to go by is important.

2. The Position or Authority

What role does he or she play in that organisation, or what is his or her career path? For example, is he/she a CEO, a doctor, a governor or a professor?

3. Double check to ensure you get the correct spelling of his or her name

This shows that you did your homework and suggests professionalism. Look up their name on their company’s website if you don’t know how to spell it.

4. Do your best to get the official email address of the recipient

Unless they do not have one, most people prefer to receive a formal email in their official email address instead of the formal one.

1. Make Use of Suitable Email Greetings/Salutations

The right email greetings set the tone for the rest of the message; hence, it is necessary to use a proper one.

When you address someone in an email appropriately, you potentially decrease the chances of your email getting neglected.

Below are some examples:

When you address someone you know personally, use a casual “Hi/Hello”. Use “Dear (person’s name)” for salutation

When addressing someone you do not know, use greetings such as “Greetings of the day!” or “To Whom It May Concern”. For the salutation, use “Dear Sir/Ma’am” or “Dear(person’s name)

When you address someone who holds an official position or authority, skip the greetings and go straight to the point using the right salutation, such as:

“Your Excellency” for a president/governor
“Hon’ble Mr Justice” for a judge
“Hon’ble Minister(last name) for a minister
“Dear Prof.(last name), for a professor

2. Use A Professional Email Address

When addressing someone professionally, it is best to send the message through an official email address.

Thus, it could be ([email protected]) instead of a personal email address that looks too casual and informal.

An Email address that looks good and professional could suffice if you do not have an official one.

Using a professional email address creates a good first impression on the recipient, makes the recipient read your emails with due seriousness and authority and gives you a good chance of getting positive feedback.

3. Make the Subject Line As Clear As Possible

Your subject line is the first thing your reader sees in his/her inbox.

It is, therefore, very important that you address your email with clear subject lines that summarise your email message perfectly in the least possible words and characters.

4. Keep A Brief/Straightforward Email

We are in a fast-paced world, and many people are short on time. Hence, you need to ensure your email is concise and cuts straight to the point.

This applies most especially if your email is addressed to a person of influence or in a position of authority.

Writing a brief message shows respect and value for your recipient’s time.

5. Proofread your Email Message

In the words of Alexander Pope, “To err is human; to edit, divine.”

While typing, it is normal to have minor typos and grammatical errors. However, these minor errors are viewed differently in the professional world and could affect how seriously your email is taken.

It is paramount to crosscheck your email more than once to ensure it is error-free and pleasant to the reader.

Conclusion

It’s critical to use the appropriate tone and attitude while emailing. As a result, you must begin and end each message acceptably to the receiver.

This article has effectively explained the necessity of properly addressing someone in an email, described the processes for doing so and given you some pointers to go about it.