To Greet or Not To Greet in Emails

With more emails being exchanged than ever, several kind readers have emailed me on the topic of whether incorporating a greeting in your emails is necessary. Or is it “a waste of time”?

As with most issues, discretion is key. Generally, you should include a greeting. In other, less formal, quick back-and-forths — it may not be necessary. But for me, I just can’t send an email without a greeting.

Greetings are a Social Courtesy

When you call someone, you always say “Hi”, “Hello”, or offer some sort of greeting before you start rambling away about the reason for your call. It is the same if you are in person, right?

It is also common to ask how someone is doing or what is new. That’s called human interaction, and it helps the communication become a conversation between two human beings.

If you were to call someone and just start talking without a purpose, that’s a bit ostentatious and rude. Those you are calling probably cringe when they hear your voice. The same can apply to email.

How would you react if someone called you and was so concerned about what they wanted to say that they went right into why they were calling without this little nicety? People prefer to communicate with those who show the basic courtesies and present themselves in a friendly manner.

Some say they are too busy to type a simple ‘Hello’ or ‘Hi’. Really? 3-6 keystrokes? A few more keystrokes if you type a name (which is also recommended).

The little effort it takes to type a “Hey, John!”, “Hi, Jane:” or a “Hello, Sally:” can make all the difference in the world in setting the tone of your email.

Don’t be Cringey

Without a nice greeting (Hello, Hi, G’Day, Hey) at the beginning of your email, your content is more often perceived as demanding or terse. We don’t want to come off as rude or bossy, do we?

With email, the tiny little courtesies, such as including a greeting with every email instead of just blurting out your comments, demands, or questions, will go a long way to being perceived as someone who is a pleasure to communicate with. When the other side sees your name in their inbox, they’ll be excited to see what you have to say instead of mumbling “…now what?”

There are those who believe that general writing rules and skills do not apply to email. Just because you are not writing it by hand doesn’t mean you are not writing. It’s an informal communication tool, yes, but that doesn’t mean courtesy is unnecessary. There is always a need for courtesy.

Without a greeting:

Did you get my email with the questions about this weekend? I need your response.

With a greeting:

Hello, Jane:

Hope you are doing well!

Did you get my email with the questions about this weekend? I really need your response.

Thank you!
John

Do you see the subtle difference in tone and intent? Especially when you add a closing and your name to wrap things up?

Now, there are times when in a personal back-and-forth email conversation, you wouldn’t use a greeting because it is not necessary. For example, when I am emailing my sister, after a series of emails, one side or the other may just type back a humorous comment. No greeting necessary — we are in a conversation.

However, a simple courtesy of a greeting in an email can serve to reflect that you are a pleasant person to communicate with. It helps to build relationships and encourages future discussions.

Well worth the few extra keystrokes required, don’t you agree?