People can tell a lot about you or your business from an introductory email. It leaves the very first impression that can make or break your opportunity to get a new client, partnership, or employment offer. Therefore, if you want to make good first impressions, you should have an effective introductory email.
However, introducing yourself can be a struggle, especially in professional and business settings. Your email must be informative, showcasing your value, and also be personalized to resonate with the recipient.
But don’t be too worried, this post will show you how to write an introductory email like a pro easily. We also equip you with some practical templates and samples for different receivers or situations. So keep reading for the best introductory email writing tips!
What Is an Introductory Email and Why Is It Important?
Definition of An Introductory Email
The name says it all. You write an introductory email or a self-introduction email, to introduce yourself or your company to someone new, maybe in a personal or professional context. The goal is usually to make a first impression, establish a connection, offer a service, send an invite, apply for a job, ask for information or advice, initiate a conversation, and build a relationship.
You may send introductory emails in various situations, including:
Professional contexts:
- When reaching out to a potential client or a promising business partner.
- When applying for a position, introducing yourself to a recruiter or employer
- When starting a new job, working with a new team.
- When networking with a professor or mentor after a lecture.
Personal contexts:
- When wanting to stay in touch with someone new you’ve met.
- When reconnecting with an old friend or acquaintance.
- When joining a new social group.
Importance of An Effective Introductory Email
In today’s fast-paced digital world, an effective introductory email is more crucial than ever. A strong, polished, and error-free introduction enhances your online reputation and creates your professional image. It will capture the recipient’s attention quickly, help you stand out from numerous competitors, and succeed in your goal.
What’s more, writing emails is a powerful way to build relationships in an increasingly remote era. You can network with recipients from all over the world. A well-customized introductory email will aid you in building genuine connections and fostering rapport.
Well-written and informative introductory emails also save time and energy for both senders and receivers. You can communicate, avoid unwanted misunderstandings, and ensure a positive lasting impression.
Now that you’ve known the great significance of a good introductory email, let’s explore how to send an introductory email effectively with the 8 following steps.
8 Steps To Write An Effective Introductory Email
1. Write A Catchy Subject Line
An introductory email subject line is the very first thing that appears in your recipient’s notification and inbox. Thus, you should put the most effort into crafting a catchy and attractive subject line.
Not only captivating, but your subject line should be short, clear, and direct. You should keep it to 50 characters or less because longer subject lines can be distracting and may not be visible on mobile devices.
Also, personalize your subject line by using the recipient’s name or company name if possible. You can use a question mark to arouse the curiosity of the targeted recipient as well. These tactics help increase your email open rates.
For example, if you’re sending an introductory email to a new client, you can write “Exclusive offer just for you, [name]!”, or “Looking for a better CRM? Let us help”.
2. Choose A Right Email Greeting
Start your introductory email with an appropriate greeting that aligns with the recipient’s position and the context of communication. Is it a professional or a personal email? Are you sending this introductory email to a mentor, a potential client, an expert in your industry, a new friend, or someone else?
For instance, if you’re writing to an expert or a hiring manager, you should stay respectful, professional, and formal. Never use exclamation marks, emoticons, or fun greetings. You can use a formal one like “Dear [name/position/Sir/Madam]”.
In less formal emails, you can write “Good morning/afternoon/evening” to be friendly, or even “Hi there” if you’ve met the recipient. However, generally, you’d better not go too casual in the beginning.
Crucially, you should double-check to avoid misspelling the recipient’s name. You don’t want to lose points for such a reason, do you?
3. Personalize Your Opening Line
Everyone loves to be known! That’s why you should research your recipients, tailor your message to their interests and backgrounds, and do it right away in the opening line.
If you’ve had some connection with them already, try to mention it to grab their attention. If you know a consumer’s shopping habits, you can introduce some discounts to their interests. You can also give a specific and genuine compliment, as everyone loves it!
So, how to reach your recipients? Here are some suggestions.
If you’re a retailer, you can leverage Shopify POS software to collect necessary data and valuable insights into customer behavior and their preferences. Thus, you can craft tailored offers and loyalty programs to improve customer engagement across the Shopify website, and in physical stores, and increase conversion rates.
You can also research someone you haven’t met in person, let’s say, a hiring manager, by analyzing their LinkedIn and social media profiles. These profiles can give you valuable information about their backgrounds, interests, personalities, etc.
4. State Your Purpose of Reaching Out
After you have got their attention, you need to introduce yourself and explain the reason for your email. Remember that human attention span is becoming shorter, so you should get to the point quickly.
Explain who you are, what you do, and why you’re getting in touch with the person. Keep your explanation brief but specific enough, and always be honest about your intentions of reaching out.
Here are some ways to say your purpose in an introductory email:
- I wanted to connect with you…
- I have a proposition for you…
- Reaching out for collaboration on…
- I’m getting in touch to discuss…
- I’m eager to get your input on…
- I’d like to inquire about…
5. Highlight Your Value Proposition
No matter who you are reaching out to, you must provide them with value in every part of your introductory email. Yes, your competitors provide value as well, so how to compete and stand out from the crowd?
To do that, you must show them the unique selling point that they can only get from you or your business rather than anywhere else. Besides that, you should know their pain points to offer a suitable product/service to deal with their struggle.
6. Include a Call To Action
Now, you can propose a call to action (CTA) for your recipient, such as inviting them to connect further, schedule a call, offer additional information, subscribe for further updates, make a purchase, and so on.
An effective CTA should be short, simple, straightforward, and tempting. Use imperative sentences to encourage the recipient to take action. In addition, you should emphasize the value or benefit that they can get from following your CTA.
You can also create a sense of urgency by pairing phrases like “for today only”, and “limited time offer” with action words like “download”, and “subscribe”.
CTA in an introductory email examples:
- Get a free trial for today only
- Free? Sign me up!
- Check the new collection
- Order now, get 50% off
- Shop now with 15% off
- Only available here
- Get your gifts in time
7. Show Your Gratitude
Close your email with a thank you to the recipient for their time and consideration. It helps show your gratitude and create a sense of kindness.
Some suggestions for a professional thank you:
- Thank you for your time…
- Thank you for taking the time to…
- I appreciate your time and attention in…
- Many thanks for giving me your time.
- Please accept my great appreciation for your time.
8. Send follow-up emails
After the introductory email, you should keep sending follow-up emails to the recipients to increase reply rates or stay on top of their minds and their inboxes.
Introductory Email Samples
Here are some introductory email samples for you to use.
1. How To Write An Introductory Email to Potential Clients
Subject: David, want to boost your retail experience?
Dear David,
I hope that you are doing all great!
This is Mary from XYZ, a company that makes top-notch retail solutions. As industry pioneers, we develop cutting-edge Point of Sale (POS) systems intended to improve your business operations and enhance customer experiences.
We know all too well that retail has become a minefield, with more and more competition coupled with evolving customers’ expectations. With XYZ, you can access these features and more to simplify your business workflows with options like inventory management, accounting, and customer relationship management (CRM) sales analytics to produce optimal results for gaining a competitive edge.
I think XYZ has something helpful to your business like improving checkout time, handling inventory efficiently, or pleasing customers…
I have linked a brief overview of our POS system. Happy to jump on a call as well, if you are interested in specifics and how we can support your goals.
You can find me at mary@xyz.com and 0123456789.
Thank you a lot for spending your priceless time.
Regards,
Mary James, Business Consultant at XYZ
2. How To Write An Introductory Email Between Two Parties
Subject: Introduction to Mary
Dear David,
How are you doing? I hope this letter finds you in great condition and spirits.
David, I want to introduce you to Mary James, a business consultant with 3 years of work experience at XYZ. She can analyze your business problem to design the best solution.
I hope you get a chance to talk. I’ll let you guys take the chat from here.
Have a nice day!
Thanks,
Jessica Brown
3. Sample of An Introductory Email for Job
Subject: Marketing Executive – David Smith
Dear Hiring Manager,
I hope you’re doing all well at the current time.
In the cover letter, I have introduced myself as David and I am writing this letter to apply for the position of Marketing Executive in XYZ.
Currently, I have been working as a marketing executive for over 3 years, so I think I suit the position you are looking for.
Below are my resume and portfolio in case you need to review. If you need more information, please contact me via this email or my phone number 0123456789.
Regards,
David Smith
4. Example of An Introductory Email to A Professor or A Mentor
Subject: Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Chemistry
Dear Professor David,
My name is Mary James and I am a third-year Chemistry student at XYZ University. I am writing this email to ask for a research opportunity in your Chemistry lab next semester.
I am doing well in my class with a good GPA score of 3.8. I have conducted a research paper about [name of research article] as an undergraduate.
I am very interested in your current research topic on [name] and I hope to learn more from you.
I have attached my CV to this email to help you know more about me. Thank you for spending your treasured time reading my email. I hope to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Mary James
5. How To Write An Introductory Email to A New Team
Subject: Introduction from XYZ’s new business consultant
Dear business consultant team,
I’m Mary James and I start to work at XYZ as a business consultant next week. I’m excited to work with you guys and I’m writing to introduce a bit about myself.
I love cats, reading books, and watching movies. I just moved here last month and I’ve been exploring this city. If you guys have the time, let’s have some coffee this weekend.
See you soon,
Mary
Conclusion
Hope these 8 steps can give you some knowledge of how to write an effective introductory email, make a great first impression, and build lasting relationships.
