I’m running out of words/phrases to start a work email. Don’t want to jump straight to business and want to start off friendly.

What do you use these days?. Don’t say “I hope you’re doing well and staying healthy”.

@frostedechoes it may start to sound inauthentic

@pratik I mostly get straight to business. Howevever, if it's a good acquaintance I do end on a personal note. As the relationship grows, the email tone subconsciously reflects it.

@sp Makes sense. I just have to get past it after the last two years.

@pratik “Hoping all is well” is one of my most common right now

@pratik “Wazzup, Dude! 😻😻😻”.

No, if it’s personal business, (I don’t have any other kind anymore), I just say “Hello!”, and start on a positive note (something I’m happy about), then the meat of the message, then a positive note and greeting. (It’s the “sandwich-method”.)

For personal stuff, I go with whatever fits the relationship or occasion.

@pratik I prefer to get straight to business in my work emails. If it is a person I have a prior working relationship with, and I have not talked to that person in a long time, I will state what I want up front, and then end the email with a friendly sentence or two that refers to our working relationship.

I go to this point because I had to teach myself not to apologize for something—like bothering the person, asking them to do something, or thinking that I did not reply to their email quickly enough—in all my emails. Also, in the past I had some coworkers whose emails would contain a paragraph of wind-up before getting to the point. It was really annoying to read, so I don't like to write anything before getting to the point.

I'n not all-business, all the time, though. I just prefer to do friendly chat in phone calls or while the my coworkers are waiting for a Webex meeting to begin.

@Cheri Receiving a message starting like this would surely lighten up my day 🤗

@pratik For friends and acquaintances: "Hi X, (on to content)". For business correspondence: "Friends, (on to content)".