How to Introduce Yourself in an Email

Learning how to introduce yourself via email professionally is a vital tool for the modern workplace. While you may think video calls and IM chats are all the rage, email is still the number one way to communicate in the digital business world, and a good introduction is just as critical here as it is in real life. Proper email etiquette is especially crucial if you are a remote worker and email is one of your main ways of connecting with clients and coworkers.

When you want to strike up a conversation, begin a collaboration, check in on a project, or get access to important information, the trick is to nail the introduction. You want to engage the person reading your email and get directly to the point.  Especially if you’re in sales, your introduction is your digital foot in the door, and you know what people say about first impressions.

Here, we’re going to take a look at how to write the perfect professional introduction email, get your email read, and take your email engagement to the next level.

How to Introduce Yourself in Email – Checklist

1. Write a concise and relevant subject line
2. Write to the person, not the lead
3. Use a formal greeting
4. Include personal connections and referrals 
5. Be clear, concise but always courteous 
6. Write a professional closing
7. Proof and spell check
8. Include promised attachments 
9. Schedule your email 

Key Elements For Introducing Yourself in an Email

There’s a wealth of information online about how to write an introduction email, which can quickly become overwhelming and ultimately counterproductive. We’ve condensed the most important points into a simple nine-step guide so you can start writing introductions in a matter of minutes. 

Following each step logically and methodically will help you develop a foundation from which you can build the perfect introductory email for a range of applications, and from here, you can begin to refine your content to your specific requirements.

Write a concise and relevant subject line

This will often be the only part of your email that a recipient sees in their inbox, making it the deciding factor for whether or not they even open your message, so it’s got to grab their attention. 

However, don’t be tempted to drift into the shady world of spam subject lines. You need to concentrate on concrete information detailing what your email actually contains while ensuring it is succinct.

Never make promises or try to trick people into opening your message – at best the recipient will be annoyed, at worst the email won’t ever make it past the spam filter. Untruthful subject lines are the clickbait of email and nobody likes them. 

An example of a short, relevant, and truthful subject line could be: 

A Quick Hello from [company name]’s New Brand Manager | Recipient Company

This clearly states what the email is about, why they are getting it and includes a reference to the recipient so they know it isn’t just mass marketing. 

Bad subject line: 

You’ll Never Guess What… 

This has no information the recipient can act on and is clickbaity. What’s more, when they find out the big reveal is your new job role, they won’t be impressed, making an awful first impression. 

Write to a real person

The first question you should consider when asking how to introduce yourself via email, is who am I writing to? In a world where finding someone’s name is as simple as a minute or two on Google, there’s really no excuse for falling back on “to whom it may concern”. 

If you can get a little information on who you are writing to and address your intro email directly to them, it will help you tailor the content and make for a more compelling read. This leads on from what we said about the subject line: personalization lets the recipient know you aren’t just spamming emails. In fact, Just adding a person’s name can increase the chances of an email being opened by 20%!

However, it’s important to remember that this is a professional email introduction, so keep it relatively formal, even using a title if you’re able. For example:

Dear Dr. Jones, 

I am writing to you on behalf… 

You aren’t reaching out to “whomever” is reading it, you’re talking directly to Dr. Jones. 

Use a formal greeting

As mentioned above, when introducing yourself in an email professionally, a formal greeting is key. Formality is important as it provides a neutral way to say “hi” without assuming the receptiveness of your recipient. Even in today’s world of instant messaging and casual communication, formality still has a place when introducing yourself.

Chances are that you’ll switch to first names in a relatively short time, but it’s important to keep it as professional as possible for the introduction. While it may seem a little old-fashioned, “Dear” is the go-to opening for formal emails. 

Some examples of different levels of formality for email openings are: 

Formal: Dear Mr / Ms. Surname, Dear Job title

Less Formal: Good morning/afternoon/evening; Dear First name

Informal: Hi!

Include personal connections and referrals

If you are contacting someone for the first time through a mutual friend or colleague, then make sure you mention them in the email. Referrals are among the best ways to get your foot in the door and get a quick reply, and the ideal way to introduce yourself in an email. 

People trust friends more than strangers – it’s simple enough – so an association with an acquaintance will immediately enamor them to you. Keep it clear without making it sound forced, for example:

… Jane Smith passed on your email after she and I discussed my work as [role]. She thought our connecting could be mutually beneficial so I wanted to introduce myself and suggest a call this week.

Be clear, concise but always courteous 

Today, people are busier than ever—in both their professional and personal lives. No one has time for long and rambling emails, so make sure you get to your point straight away. Increasingly, people tend to skim emails to get the gist, so don’t be afraid to bold your most important points and use bullet points when introducing yourself in email.

It is a fine line between curt and concise, so make sure not to sacrifice professionalism for the sake of brevity. To avoid this, pay special attention to including a formal but pleasant opening first sentence, the most common of which would be opening such as: 

• I hope this email finds you well 
• I hope you’re doing well
• I hope you’re having a good week 

Write a professional closing

When learning how to write an introduction email, you’ve got your formal greeting and your professional closing. These are the two bookends to your content, and they underpin a professional first impression.

Formal: Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Yours truly

Semi-formal: Best regards, Kind regards

Informal: Cheers

Unlike with the opening, you may be better off with a semi-formal closing to convey a warmer tone as you wrap up the email. 

Proof and spell check

It should go without saying that spelling mistakes and typos are a big no-no. This is your chance to make a good first impression, so proofreading your message at least twice is the absolute minimum when introducing yourself in email. Use a service like Grammarly if you don’t trust your proofreading skills.

If you don’t think it’s that important, think again – one study in 2013 found that 59% of respondents to a British survey wouldn’t use a company that had obvious mistakes on its website or in its marketing. They cited a lack of trust, care, and professionalism. 

Include promised attachments

If you are emailing someone for the first time or even the 100th time, be sure to double-check that you’ve included any attachments that you promised. One of the easiest ways to make yourself look unorganized is to promise an attachment with more information, but fail to include that attachment in the email.

Many email providers now have an automatic warning for when you promise an attachment and then fail to follow through. However, they are never 100% reliable so you should still get into the habit of manually checking. 

One of the simplest ways to make sure you never forget an attachment again is to start with it. If you know that an email needs an attachment, make it the first thing you do before writing the body or adding the address (which should be the last thing you do!).  

Schedule your email

Sending an email on Friday at 7:00 PM is probably not the best time if you want it to actually get opened, read, and acted upon. Using a business email app that includes the option to schedule your email gives you the flexibility to write a message when it suits you and have it hit the recipient’s inbox when it suits them.

You should research when people in your field are likely to read their emails and schedule it for around that time. 

If you’re trying to reach busy executives, for example, then sending an email first thing on Monday morning isn’t the best time as they are probably already inundated with other tasks and messages. If, however, you know that executives in your field tend to catch up on email over the weekend, then a message scheduled for 6:00 AM on Sunday morning could be just the thing you need. Don’t forget to confirm time zones as well since this can play a big role, especially with an increasingly remote workforce. 

How to Write an Introductory Email – Samples 

Now that we’ve covered the core concepts of how to introduce yourself in an email, here are a few samples you can use as inspiration. Remember, keep it concise and friendly without being too casual, and pay attention to the opening and closing greetings.

How to Introduce Yourself via Email — Sample 

How to Introduce Yourself to a Potential Employer via Email — Sample

How to Introduce Two People via Email — Sample

How to Introduce Your Company via Email — Sample

Whatever the reasons you want to learn how to write email introductions, you need an app that helps you get things done in a more efficient manner. Spike has pioneered a new way to use email by simplifying your Inbox so it’s as easy as a chat IM. It’s called Conversational Email, allowing you to send out formal introductory emails with the clarity of IM messages and keep all your communications in a single place. 

Spike clears the clutter making it easier to talk. Conversational Email puts real conversation at the heart of your communications. Both in the office and out of it. What’s more, Spike’s Priority Inbox delivers only the most important messages to your inbox, stashing everything else in the “Other” folder for when you have time. This gives you the clarity and space you need to craft truly great email intros using our tips above. 

Spike also includes Collaborative Notes that are always synced and backed up, so you can easily take notes about your conversations with potential clients so you can easily reference back to previous conversations. 

Updated 3/14/2022