How to Start an Email to a Company

Finding the Right Person to Email

Before worrying about your email opening, find the right person. A personalized email to a named individual is 10x more effective than one sent to info@company.com.

• LinkedIn: Search for the relevant department head or decision-maker by job title.
• Company website: Check the "About" or "Team" page for names and roles.
• Press releases: Recent company news often names key people.
• Email finder tools: Tools like Hunter.io can help locate professional email addresses.

Greetings When You Know the Person's Name

• Dear [Name] — Professional and appropriate for formal business outreach.
• Hi [Name] — Works for most business contexts in 2026. Friendly yet professional.
• Hello [Name] — Slightly more formal than "Hi." Good for first contact.

Greetings When You Do Not Know the Person

• Dear [Department] Team — "Dear Customer Service Team" or "Dear Hiring Team."
• Hello — Simple and neutral. Avoids gendered assumptions.
• Dear [Company Name] Team — Personal enough without requiring a specific name.

Avoid: "To Whom It May Concern" (outdated), "Dear Sir/Madam" (assumes gender), and "Hey" (too casual).

Best Opening Lines for Company Emails

Job Inquiry

• "I am writing to express my interest in the [Position] role listed on [where you found it]."
• "I am a [your title/background] interested in opportunities at [Company]."
• "[Mutual connection] recommended I reach out about potential opportunities on your team."

Business Partnership or Sales

• "I noticed [Company] recently [specific observation], and I believe we can help with [relevant value]."
• "I am reaching out because [Company]'s work in [area] aligns closely with what we do at [Your Company]."
• "I have an idea that could help [Company] with [specific challenge]. Would you have 10 minutes to discuss?"

Customer Inquiry or Complaint

• "I am a customer and have a question about [product/service/order]."
• "I recently purchased [product] and am experiencing an issue with [specific problem]."
• "I would like to inquire about [pricing/availability/features] for [product/service]."

Complete Opening Examples

Partnership Outreach

Dear Sarah, I came across [Company]'s recent expansion into the European market and was impressed by the speed of your growth. At [Your Company], we specialize in helping companies like yours streamline their [relevant area], and I think there could be a strong fit.

Job Inquiry (Cold)

Hello, I am a senior product designer with 7 years of experience in B2B SaaS, and I have been following [Company]'s product development with great interest. I would love to explore whether there are any design opportunities on your team.

Customer Complaint

Dear Customer Service Team, I am a loyal customer of [Company] (account #12345) and am reaching out about an issue with my recent order (#67890). The item arrived damaged, and I would like to arrange a replacement.

Tips for Emailing Companies

• Research first: Learn about the company before emailing. Reference something specific to show genuine interest.
• Be concise: State your purpose in the first two sentences. Busy professionals skim.
• Include a clear CTA: What do you want them to do? Make it easy and specific.
• Use a professional email address: firstname.lastname@domain.com beats cooldude99@gmail.com.
• Follow up: If you do not hear back, send a follow-up email in 5-7 business days.

For ending your company emails, see professional email endings. Also explore professional openings, emailing multiple people, and writing emails faster.

Use AI email tools like Monssot to draft professional outreach emails in seconds.

Explore all guides in this series: how to start an email, start professionally, start to a professor, start to a teacher, start to multiple people.