How to Impressively Introduce Yourself in an Email

Have you ever gotten an email that sucks so much you don’t want to continue reading?

Or one that makes you wonder how anyone could have written like that. Worse, if you’re a writer of such anyway.

But sincerely, emails are important in our personal and professional lives today.

In fact, Radicati Group Email Statistics Report tells that people will send and receive 269 billion emails per day in 2017, with an expected 3.7 billion email users worldwide by the end of the year.

That being said, it is important to know how to write emails that get opened, clicked through or as the case may be, the reader to action.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression right?

Unlike meeting someone one-to-one where you can smile and shake hands, introducing yourself via email is an art that must be mastered if you will stand out from the hundreds of emails competing for your reader’s attention.

I know that writing an introductory email or a letter of introduction (LOI) can be nerve racking when there’s a need for perfect words.

Stop worrying because it won’t be perfect anyway.

Whether you’re reaching out to create a new relationship, seek for advice or collaborate. You need to learn how to impressively introduce yourself in an email in order to get a desirable response.

Now, let’s get to a step-by-step approach to writing an introductory email that gets high open and response rate.

Step 1: The Subject Line

If your email is not opened, it wouldn’t matter how brilliant your message is. It’s that simple.

Subject lines are what people see first and it determines their interest or lack of it.

A good way to write great subject lines is to keep it short, preferably under thirty characters or six words. (Read: There are exceptions to every rule) but this works.

Another thing is to be specific and intriguing; you could do this by going straight to your point, mentioning what you have in common or just write a curiosity based subject.

But, never ever write in all caps or use a line like “Hello” (you don’t want to be mistaken for spam, do you?).

Let’s take, for example, you can…

Mention something you have in common “Hello from a fellow Content Marketer!”

Mention your company “Hello from Big Field Digital”

Admire their work “Loved your article in Forbes”

Ask a question “Would you need this?”

Oftentimes, any of these would get your feet through the door. But you can read this if you want to learn more on how to write subject lines that get results.

Step 2: The Greeting

Your goal is to create a bond with the person you’re writing to; therefore your greeting should be personal and informal but not casual. (Don’t say what’s’ up when you can say hello)

Personalization is an important strategy when writing an email too, always use their name (first name preferably, remember the goal is to create a connection) and make sure that it’s spelled correctly.

Note that situations can determine how you begin your email, formal situations like when applying for jobs could require “Dear” while “Hello” or “Hi” would be appropriate for informal situations like colleagues or friends.

Often, I use “Hello” or “Hi” with the person’s first name.

Step 3: The Introduction.

Now, it’s time to introduce yourself, so let’s do it together.

First thing is, you need to be clear and concise about who you are – give details if you have anything relevant or in common with the recipient.

For instance, if you’re writing to a business owner to seek a freelance gig, you don’t need to include that you’re chorister in the church. That’s completely irrelevant except you’re writing to someone who actually cares about that.

Now, let’s go…

“My name is Lanre; I’m a Copywriter and Digital Marketer at BFD.”

“My name is Lanre; I’m a fellow member of the Wealthy Web Writer working in content creation for marketing agencies.”

With these samples, you’d have established credibility which is a good foundation to build on. (Mind you, you can get creative and do something better, but the goal is to create bonding so, simply is better)

Step 4: The Bond

What is your goal for writing this email to your recipient? This must be stated. If you respect people’s time, you will be respected for it. So, cut the BS and hit the nail right on the head.

If you have a mutual connection, this is the best place to mention. It gives a huge boost because people are more receptive if you’ve been referred by someone they know.

For instance: “I recently met with DJ Sobanjo, who told me about the great works you’re doing in your field. I have blown away. I think your company is a perfect fit for our agency to work with.”

“I’ve been following your blog since last year and I loved your article on using social media to sell. You shared wonderful insights that have been super helpful in my work.”

Step 5: The Call to Action

If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

Let your recipient know what you want. Be concise, and include a clear call to action. (This is very, VERY important)

It is common for everyone to consciously or unconsciously think “what’s in it for me” so, keep in mind that the greater the benefit for them, the greater your chance of getting what you want. (Read: Don’t ask for too much and don’t come off as needy or you will end up in the trash)

Sample: “I’d love to schedule a meeting to know more about your company’s vision and how we can collaborate. Would Tuesday or Thursday work for you?”

“I would love to know about your use of digital marketing, is it part of your marketing strategies and has it been working for you? We’re currently giving a free digital consultation and I think it will be helpful for you. Please let me know if you’re interested.”

Did you notice how I offered a benefit in exchange for their response? That’s my aim, to get the conversation started. Whether they’d need my service or not, I would get a response!

On to the next one…

Step 6: The Close

Every time you want to send an email, always do so by thanking your recipient and sign off with your name.

Some options are: “Thanks in advance”, “Thank you for your time”, “Cheers”, “Best regards”, “Kind regards” and so on are sign off words that receive high response rates.

Write It Now…

Subject Line: Hello from Big Field Digital…

My name is Lanre; I’m a Copywriter and Digital Marketer at BFD.

I recently met with DJ Sobanjo, who told me about the great works you’re doing in your field. I think your company is a perfect fit for our agency to partner with.

I would love to know about your use of digital marketing, is it part of your marketing strategies and has it been working for you? We’re currently giving a free digital consultation and I think it will be helpful for you. Please let me know if you’re interested.

Thank you for your time,

Lanre Peter

In Conclusion

Always check for spelling and grammatical error before sending your email, and remember to keep it short because your recipients don’t have time to spare that much.

Most importantly, be polite. The first impression last long, so the next time you’re writing an introduction email, use this simple method and you’ll have a high response rate.

Hold on…

Would you please share this with your friends?

Thank you!