A salutation in an email is the opening line where you address the recipient directly, usually by name. It is a short phrase or greeting that sets the tone for the rest of the message and provides an introduction. In business letters, salutations are limited to phrases such as "Dear Ms." or "Dear Mr." followed by the recipients last name. However, in most professional emails, it is still recommended to greet the person in the body of the message, even though the recipients information appears in the To field. A greeting adds warmth that a name and email address in the remote To field do not.

Below are some examples of salutations commonly found in email messages directed to a single recipient, listed from more formal to less formal:

• To Whom It May Concern:
• Dear Sir or Madam:
• Dear Mr. Smith:
• Dear James:
• James,
• Good morning, James.
• Hello, James.

The appropriateness of these salutations depends on the context and your corporate culture. In ongoing dialogues, you may consider deleting the greeting after the initial exchange, but if you are writing to clients or to people at your firm who are senior to you, don’t delete the salutation until they begin doing so themselves.

It is important to avoid some common mistakes in your email opening greetings, such as misspelling the recipients name or using an exclamation mark or period instead of a comma. Proofreading your email, including the salutation, is essential to make a great first impression.