How do I address someone correctly in an email?

Question

I'm sending some emails out to people I've never met or had contact with before. I can't decide whether to say 'Dear Helen', 'Hello Helen' or go really formal and put Dear Ms Jones. Also, some of them are doctors and I always like to be more formal then and address as 'Dear Dr Jones'. Is 'Dear Ms Jones' too much? If you received an email like that would it appear creepy? Thanks all.

Answer 1

I always say hi or hello unless someone has sent me an email with a "dear"in front of my name. Some older people do that.

--That Cheeky Lad

Answer 2

I think it's always best on first contact to go a bit on the formal side. I would not send somebody I don't know an unsolicited email saying "Dear Bob" as if Bob and I had been best buddies at school. I think "Dear Ms Jones" is just fine. If she responds by signing her email "Yours, Buffy" then you can refer to her as Buffy from then on.

Look at it this way: If you are overly formal, some people will look at it as the proper thing to do, and some people will say "Please call me Buffy." Either way, you've made the other person happy. On the other hand, if you say "Dear Buffy", some people will be happy while others will say "She doesn't even know me, where does she get off calling me Buffy?" It's a choice of satisfying 50% (let's say) of the people or 100%. On purely selfish grounds if no other, I'd go with the "Dear Ms. Jones."

Chat channels and lists are a bit different; there, the presumption is that you have some acquaintance, so I think starting informal is perfectly acceptable. It's similar with pronouns in other languages: on first contact of an unknown person in Spanish, I would most likely call them "Usted"; whereas, if you're both on a mailing list, I would start with "tú."

Answer 3

If you're sending out to a group how about "Dear All" and then it covers everyone? Otherwise I would go for "Dear Ms Jones" as the first message and then see how then respond and use that way in future. Better to be formal the first time.

Answer 4

You should use formal letter format, since most of these people have never met or spoken to you before. Use titles where appropriate. If writing to a public official or judge, "Dear Honorable Sir". Other possibilities:

Dear Doctor Jones
Esteemed Doctor Jones
Dear Mr Jones
Dear Mr Chris Jones

Avoid use first name by itself, and dont start with hello.
Good Luck!

Answer 5

From here we redesign new values .Everything before was built up on stupidity and hypocritical basis.Nobody unknown to you should be tagged as Dear.
Just say Hello MR,MRS,MS, and that would be enough.
e.g Hello ,mr jones ,...dr jones...sir /madame... But no Dear, because they are really not dear to you.Be honest.Let's change this madness for good.I 'm glad you asked this question.

Answer 6

I work in an office and we do use the "Dear Mr./Mrss/Dr./Attorney" title for emails as well as letters. Unless you know the person, you should not use their first name. When we address an organization we do not know, we sometimes put Dear Gentlemen or Dear Director. Hope that helps!

Answer 7

I would go formal with anyone I don't know. Dear Ms. Jones would be appropriate.

Answer 8

I would start with 'Dear' the first time I correspond with them and 'Hi' when you know them a little.

Maybe your point about doctors is right, otherwise I would always use first name no one bothers with surnames for emails.

Answer 9

The e-mails I get place my first name as if I know them a long time. I'd rather be all business like and address the person by their title and last name in the first contact.

Answer 10

Use Dear Sir/Madam.