How to Start a Business Email

A business email is one of many professional documents you should master. Proper business email etiquette may be the difference between the recipient actually reading your email or ignoring it completely. Be careful about often-overlooked areas of the email: Everything (from the "To:" line to the subject line and everything in the main body) must be spelled correctly and formatted properly.

Instructions

1. Use an email account with a professional-sounding email address. The recipient of your email will see your email address; it should look professional. An example would be to start a new email account using your name as the account name: "[e-mail]" would be a safe bet.

2. Open your email account and start a new message. Prepare to follow basic, business memo formatting by indicating who the email is to and what the subject is.

3. Format your email settings so that your recipient's name displays in the "To:" line and not their email address. Next, formally type the name of the recipient in the "To:" line. For example, if you are sending an email to John H. Smith, type it exactly as "John H. Smith"---not, for example, as "JOHN SMITH" or "JOHN H. SMITH."

4. Clearly indicate what the subject is in the "Subject:" line. Avoid typos and using all capital or lower case letters.

5. Begin your the body of your email with a professional salutation. If you are on a first-name basis with the recipient, a simple "Hello, John" will work. Otherwise, use a formal title such as "Sir," "Mr." or "Miss."

6. Type the contents of your email using complete sentences. Edit your email and use proper punctuation and grammar. End the email with a complimentary closing such as "Thanks again" or "Sincerely."

References

• writing.colostate.edu: Business Email
• businessemailetiquette.com: Business Email Etiquette Basics