Help! Email salutations

[jahdra]

What is the best way to address emails? The default in our office seems to be not addressing them at all, just jumping straight to the point. That's ok for some things, but it seems too cold when I'm scheduling a meeting.



Besides, well, nothing, the other popular forms are: "Good morning/afternoon," "Hey, guys," and just listing out the first names of the recipients. First names are ok for them, but I don't feel comfortable addressing partners I barely know by their first names, and I especially don't feel comfortable addressing them by their nicknames! "Hey, Taz needs a meeting with Pippi and the Golden Child." No. Definitely not.



Any suggestions? Or am I just too tired to think clearly?

[chikky]

My usual response is:

Hello Everyone!!  Hope you are having a great day.  Here is the latest and greatest about (whatever).  Or various of that theme.  Then sign with Best regards, sincerely (again what ever),  and call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX with any question or email me (if it is in house)..

[chikky]

I am assuming you are sending e-mail to multipule addressees?

[bethalize]

I always write my work e-mails formaly, as you can never tell if people are taken them in the spirit that they were intended. If it is to one person I put "Dear John," or if it is a reply "Hi, John." if I know them well.



For a bunch of people I would put "To all members of the administrative committee" rather than "Dear Administrative Committee Member". That is just irritating, and junk mail. No one minds being on a list, but it is rather irritating to pretend it's a personal e-mail when it obviously isn't. If it is lots of people I would put "Dear All,".



 

[countrigal]

Depending on the level of the request/email, I often start meeting requests with simply "Attention" or "Dear Recipients".  I also use the "Hello All" for less formal and by name if it is one individual (first names if I know them, Ms/Mrs/Mr if I don't).  For very formal, or if I have never met someone I'm sending a request to it's "Sir" or "Ma'am".  (ie "Ma'am, so-and-so has asked me to schedule a meeting between yourself and...")  It's a nice opener, polite, and professional without it being a formal letter.



Just a reminder to us all... e-mails are something that get forwarded all over without our knowledge so anything we draft and sends should be in such a format that we will not be embarrassed to have others read.  I recently sent an e-mail to a co-worker which ultimately went to the Company President.  Thankfully I was polite and professional even though the original sender and I are buddies, but it reminded me to mind my manners in ANY e-mail communication since it is a permanent example of my communication skills.

[Katie G]

For multiple recipients in house, I usually begin with, "Good Morning/Afternoon All,....."  Since my recipients can be anyone from fellow admins to college deans and vice-presidents, it seems to strike a nice formal/familiar balance.

[laundryhater]

If it is someone I don't know (customer) or don't know well, I use "Dear Mr. Smith:"



If it is someone I have had contact with before but still have never met in person, I use "Mr. Smith" dropping the formal "Dear".



If it is a supervisor I know well, but not my direct supervisor, I use "Mr."



My supervisor, I use first name because I've worked here long enough that we are on first name basis in conversations.



If it's to our in-house staff or field staff, I am a lot more casual and sometimes don't even put a salutation at all.



It just depends on how familiar you are with the person in normal conversation. Obviously, if I saw the president of our company in the hallway, I wouldn't say to him "Hi Harold", I would say "Good Morning Mr. Smith". Because even though I know him, I don't know him well enough to be on a first name basis, I am younger than him (respect my elders), and he holds a higher office than I do.

[energizer]

My standard salutation for one person is Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Smith if I don't know them well or if their position requires formality.  I only use first names when appropriate.



For more than one person, I use Gentlemen, Ladies, or Ladies and Gentlemen, depending on the recipients.  If it's one of each, then I use the standard saluation above for each one (i.e., Dear Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jones).



I would think it depends on how formal you want (need) to be.



Hope this helps.



Energizer  

[daisylee]

For all individual emails, the name of the person you're sending it to...and the greeting would depend on your level of familarity.



For a group you don't know, simply Hello, or Good Morning/Afternoon (sales exec committee...or as appropriate)



For an entire office group, if the email is to be freindly or informatiive, something such as "Dear Office Mates" or "Members of the Rosemont Office Staff"...I've used them all and they seem to work fine!



Hope this helps!



Daisylee

[jahdra]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I've decided to use "Gentlemen" (and Ladies, should we ever actually have women in similar roles in our office.)

[bethalize]

I'm sure that we've discussed this subject before, but I have a real problem with being referred to as a "lady". It has so many connotations all to do with what I am supposed to (and not supposed) to do. I know that some people still consider it a compliment, but I don't. I would rather be referred to as a person, or if gender has to be mentioned, as a woman.

I would use it in an informal e-mail with a touch of irony, but never in a formal situation.



Liz



These Brits are real odd...

 

[energizer]

OK, Liz, but you didn't indicate how you WOULD prefer to be addressed.  If "Ladies" makes you uncomfortable, what would be better to use?  Perhaps I need to rethink what salutation I use when females are included.  Thanks!  

Energizer  

[phoenix55]

Depending on where you're from:



Y'all

or

Youseguyz



That was my small attempt at humor today.  When necessary, I try to use generalities: Staff, Management Staff, Administrative Staff, or some other identification using position titles if some formality is needed.  I find it interesting, having been around for some many years, to watch e-mail evolving into a formal way of communicating when at first it was considered so informal.

[bethalize]

I would, of course, prefer to be addressed by my name. If you are sending a group of us an e-mail because we are part of a committee or a work details I would expect someone to write: "To all the administrative committee" or "Dear Administrative Committee members" (not singular here, that is just plain annoying). or "To all those who were going to go out to lunch on Friday". An informal "Dear All" or "Dear Everyone" will suffice.

When there is a group of women in a room I find the use of ladies less easy to regulate. I mean, what do you call a group of women? Is "girls" more or less offensive? I don't mind ladies being used in a mock formal way, even if the person isn't aware of why they are saying it, just being courtly. I do mind it being used when someone could say "Would you all like to.." rather than "Would you ladies like to...". It's needless. You wouldn't say: "Would you people of colour like to..." if the group happened to all be black, or "Would you Jews like to..."  if the group was Jewish, would you? Gender should be immaterial in a professional environment as far as possible, just as religion, race, sexuality, age and looks should be.

Of course, it isn't, but it should be, and we should at least work towards it.

The thing I find particularly annoying is someone who thinks they can use the accusation that "you are not acting like a lady" as a form of censure. Damn right I'm not a lady! Ladies don't show anger, have an opinion, criticise others, correct others - all the freedoms that I use to protect myself and my working environment and my rights as a human being. There is also the aspect of subjugation to consider. Hands up who fancies being repressed by men!

And THAT is why I would rather not be addressed as a "lady".



P.S. I am not the social rank of a peer, or a wife of a peer or knight either.