There are several situations where you might think about writing a follow-up email. Or you might hate the idea, but your head tells you it’s the right thing to do. This is most likely when:
You haven’t heard back after what seemed like a positive job interview.
You have written a cold-call email to a potential client and haven’t heard back.
You have responded to an online query from your website, but there has been no reply to your email.
It can be an unnerving experience, and there is always the risk that you will be seen as pushy. Being pushy, of course, is not going to get you the result you want.
By considering the following guidelines for each component of the email, you can make your follow-up email more effective. Use QuillBot’s AI Email Generator to make sure your emails have the right tone.
Emails are a key communication tool in academic as well as professional contexts. Starting emails with an appropriate greeting and opening line is crucial to setting the right tone and making a good impression on the recipient.
There are a variety of greetings and openings that you can use. Consider the relationship you have with the recipient to ensure that you choose appropriate options for the context. You can use our AI Email Generator to craft the perfect email!
Ms., Mrs., and Miss are titles used to designate women in formal contexts, such as at the start of an email or when meeting someone for the first time.
Traditionally, the correct term to use is based on the woman’s age and marital status. Today, the first consideration should be the individual’s own preference for how she should be addressed.
Ms. (pronounced [miz]) can be used for any woman regardless of marital status.
Mrs. (pronounced [miss-iz]) is used for a married woman regardless of age.
Miss (pronounced [miss]) has traditionally been used for unmarried women of any age but is now more typically used only for girls under the age of 18.
Just checking in is a common expression used to start an email or other correspondence. It is often used to follow up on a message sent before or to request an update on an ongoing activity. It is intended to be friendly but still alert the recipient that you anticipate a response.
However, this expression is overused and may come across as passive-aggressive, so it is better avoided. When contacting someone to follow up on a previously discussed topic or project, you should avoid a pushy or insincere tone. Use QuillBot’s AI Email Writer to achieve the right tone for your email!
The following alternatives encourage a response without seeming to place pressure on the recipient.
Emails are a foundational aspect of professional life, so knowing how to appropriately start an email and end it are skills worth mastering. Emails should end with a closing line, a sign-off, and an email signature.
Using the right final words will leave a good impression and help to build rapport. There are numerous options for how to close your emails, and the expressions you use should be matched to the context and the relationship you have with the recipient.
You can use QuillBot’s AI Chat to draft emails quickly and easily with a variety of different closing lines.
Hope you’re doing well (or hope you are doing well) is an expression that is often used at the start of emails or other correspondence. It demonstrates interest in the recipient’s well-being before diving into the body of the message.
This is a friendly, natural expression, and it is perfectly acceptable to use in both formal and informal contexts, including professional communication.
Hope you’re doing well email exampleDear Cecilia,
I hope you’re doing well.
I’ve got the reports you requested ready and will send everything to the client this afternoon.
Kind regards,
Paolo
That said, because the expression is used so often, it may seem insincere. Varying the expression or using alternatives can help you to avoid this and keep a fresh and engaging tone, particularly when you are writing to the same person. QuillBot’s AI Chat can help you draft emails using fresh language that’s appropriate for your context.
I hope this email finds you well is often used to start an email in a friendly but formal, polite way.
This expression is suitable for professional communication but may come across as a bit stiff in communication with people you are already familiar with. Additionally, because it is used so often, it might come across as cliché or inauthentic.
To avoid this, you can use alternative email openings to break the ice without sounding too formulaic.
TipQuillBot’s AI Chat can help you draft emails. Just give it a prompt like “Write an email to my team congratulating them on meeting their sales goals this quarter,” and then edit the draft to make sure it matches your tone and includes some personal details.
Dear Sir or Madam is a common greeting in emails or letters to people whose names you don’t know. Although this expression is still used, it is preferable to use other greetings as this phrase is rather impersonal and dated.
Ideally, communications should directly address the recipient by name. If you are unable to find this information, you can instead use the name of the group or department or the person’s job title. If you are not writing to one specific individual, you can use “To Whom It May Concern.” Use QuillBot’s Email Writer to help you create emails with the right tone.
Alternatives to Dear Sir or Madam examplesDear Ms. Pulan, …
Looking forward to hearing from you is often used to end an email or other correspondence. This expression is a friendly way of emphasizing that you expect the reader to reply.
“Looking forward to hearing from you” is a common expression that is neutral in terms of formality, so it is perfectly acceptable to use. However, since it is used so frequently, you may want to change it slightly if you are worried the reader may simply skim over it.
The following alternatives give you options to adapt the expression to the type of response you are looking for.
QuillBot’s AI Chat can help you draft emails with language that’s appropriate for your particular context.
Regards is an expression used to close an email or other types of correspondence. It shows respect to the recipient and wishes them well. Regards should be followed by a comma and your name on a separate line.
Regards can be used as part of a number of phrases to sign off in an email. Other versions of this expression can be used for more formal or less formal situations.
QuillBot’s AI Chat can make drafting emails for any context quick and painless.
Regards email exampleDear Professor Callahan,
I am reaching out in relation to your request for papers on criminal law. I have several potential submissions that may meet your criteria.
