How To Write A Formal Email? (Tips + Examples)

You might have to write a formal email daily.

Whether you run a business, work in a corporate firm, or are a B2B professional, writing and sending formal emails are essential to your workday.

Have you ever felt unsure about finding the right tone for a proposal?

Or have you paused before clicking “send” on a cold outreach email, wondering if your words sound as professional as you need them to be?

Well, we all have been there before.

To help everyone write formal emails, we have compiled this guide on “How do I write a formal email?” It includes best tips and practices with examples (that you can also use).

How to Write a Formal Email- Table of Contents

• What is a Formal Email?
• 5 Elements of a Formal Email Format 
• 5 Tips to Write a Formal Email
• 10 Examples of Formal Email
• Dos & Don’ts of Formal Email Writing
• Why Should Your Email Greetings Be Professional?
• Start Sending Effective Cold Emails Today
• FAQs

What is a Formal Email?

Any professional and work-related written communication via email is known as a formal email.

Formal emails usually have a standard structure, polite tone and are written directly to the point. The content contains zero fluff or stories around the main context of the email.

You can exchange a formal email with your business partners, unknown prospects, office colleagues, business stakeholders, and academic stakeholders.

Formal emails differ from the regular texts you can send to family and friends for casual conversations. 

Now that we know that, let’s understand the five elements of formal email format. We will help you craft formal emails effortlessly.

5 Elements of a Formal Email Format

All formal emails have a predefined structure that should be followed irrespective of the intent. Following a formal email format helps you create a brand consistency and professional approach.

So here are the top five super essential elements of any formal email:

1. Email Subject Line

Most of the recipients have inboxes full of cold emails. Then how would you stand out? It’s simple – with your personalized subject line.

The subject line summarizes the email, the biggest reason a reader will stop scrolling and open your email.

Here are a few examples of well-thought formal subject lines with their professional contexts:

1.1 General Formal Email Subject Line:

Meeting Request for Project Update

Follow-Up on Q3 Sales Report

Request for Information Regarding Upcoming Conference

1.2 Cold Email Subject Line:

Exploring Collaboration Opportunities with [Company Name]

Helping [Recipient’s Company] Achieve [Specific Benefit]

Proposal for Streamlining [Specific Process] at [Company Name]

1.3 For Job Applications or Professional Inquiries:

Application for [Job Title] Position – [Your Full Name]

Inquiry Regarding [Job Title] Opening at [Company Name]

1.4 For Follow-Up or Reminder Emails:

Follow-Up: Meeting Request for Partnership Discussion

Reminder: Upcoming Deadline for [Project/Task] on [Date]

1.5 When Requesting Information or Action:

Request for Additional Details on [Topic]

Action Required: Approval Needed for [Document/Proposal]

1.6 For Business or Sales Proposals (Cold Outreach):

Proposal for Enhancing [Specific Area] at [Company Name]

A Strategy to Improve [Specific Metric] for [Company Name]

Unlocking Growth Opportunities for [Recipient’s Company]

2. Email Greetings

How you greet your recipient in your email matters a lot. It’s like the first “Hi” when you meet someone in person.

But be super thoughtful about the formal email salutation. Here are a few examples of formal email greetings you can use in different cases:

2.1 General Formal Greeting:

Dear [Mr./Ms./Dr. Last Name],

Hello [First Name],

2.2 If the Recipient’s Name is Unknown:

Dear Sir/Madam,

To Whom It May Concern,

2.3 For a Group or Team:

Dear [Team/Department Name],

Dear All,

2.4 When Addressing a Professional Title:

Dear Professor [Last Name],

Dear Director [Last Name],

2.5 When Addressing Multiple Recipients:

Dear [Mr. Last Name] and [Ms. Last Name],

2.6 For Formal Business Communication:

Dear Valued Client,

3. Email Body Content

Above all, the body content of the formal email should be direct and detailed. This means that the email should only discuss relevant points while giving the essential details.

It should neither be too fluffed nor contain insufficient information. 

Note: The best tip is to write an email that fits the visual screen size. Below is the best example for reference:

4. Call to Action

A formal email must have a call to action; it doesn’t matter if it’s not cold outreach or a sales pitch.

Whatever your end goal is, you should mention it in the email. Also, you should give further direction to your recipient.

Below are a few examples of CTAs relevant for different intents:

4.1 General Business CTA:

Please let me know if you require any further information.

I would appreciate your feedback by [specific date].

4.2 Meeting Request CTA:

Let’s schedule a meeting to discuss this further. Please let me know your availability.

Kindly confirm a suitable time for us to meet at your convenience.

4.3 Follow-up CTA:

I look forward to your response and hope we can proceed with the following steps soon.

Please advise on how you’d like to proceed.

4.4 Project/Proposal CTA:

I would be happy to provide additional details or clarify any points, so please don’t hesitate to let me know.

If this aligns with your needs, kindly confirm by replying to this email.

4.5 Cold Outreach CTA:

Would you be available for a brief call next week to discuss how we can assist your business? Please let me know what time works best for you.

If this sounds interesting, could we set up a time to discuss it in more detail? I’m available [specific date/time] and can accommodate your schedule.

4.6 Sales/Partnership CTA:

If you find our proposal suitable, please let us know how we can proceed.

I’d love to discuss how our services could benefit your organization. Would you be available for a call?

4.7 Feedback Request CTA:

Your input is valuable to us. Please share your thoughts by replying to this email.

Please review the attached document and provide your feedback by [date].

4.8 Job Application CTA:

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions regarding my application.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps in the hiring process.

5. Email Signature

Email signature play the most noteworthy role in a formal email.

You should mention your designation, company name, and the contact details provided by your company to establish your credibility in the formal email.

Here are a few examples of formal email signatures for multiple professional contexts:

5.1 Standard Professional Email Signature:

Best regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Job Title]

[Company Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

5.2 Cold Email Signature:

Best,

[Your Full Name]

[Designation]

[Company/Agency Name]

[Contact Number]

[Linkedin Profile Link]

5.3 Corporate Email Signature:

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Position Title]

[Company Name]

[Phone Number | Email Address]

[Company Website]

5.4 Educational/Research Email Signature:

Yours sincerely,

Dr. [Your Full Name]

Associate Professor, [Department]

[University Name]

[Phone Number]

[University Email Address]

5.5 Email Signature with Business Social Media Handles:

Kind regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

[Phone Number] | [Email Address]

LinkedIn: [LinkedIn Profile URL]

Website: [Company Website]

5.6 Professional Consulting/Service Provider’s Signature:

Warm regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Position]

[Consultancy/Service Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

[Service Website]

5.7 Legal/Compliance Signature:

Respectfully,

[Your Full Name], Esq.

Senior Counsel

[Law Firm Name]

[Phone Number] | [Firm Email Address]

Licensed in [State/Region]

5.8 Legal/Financial Context Signature with Optional Disclaimer:

Regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Position]

[Company Name]

[Phone Number] | [Email Address]

[Company Website]

Disclaimer: This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete this message immediately.

These signatures maintain professionalism while providing all necessary contact information and keeping the email formal and well-organized.

5 Tips to Write a Formal Email

Here are five quick tips to help you write an ideal formal email. Go through each one of them carefully before crafting your next professional email:

1. Work on the Subject Line

The shortest subject line is the best. An email’s ideal subject line length is 7 to 10 words or 100 to 140 characters.

The formal email reader will examine the subject line before opening the email.

So, make sure you craft a thoughtful subject line. Here are a few quick tips while writing a subject line:

• A formal email should be unique and well-thought-out
• A formal email should be direct
• A formal email should make a legit point
• A formal email should connect well with your target audience
• Write in sentence case and not title case
• Avoid using spammy words
• Don’t write in all CAPS lock

2. Focus on Your Language

Consider the email body’s content as your battlefield. You must win your battle with the recipient using the appropriate language.

So skip the fluff and get to the point straight in your formal email’s first or second paragraph. 

Don’t be too technical or casual while writing the formal email body’s content.

Consider the following pointers while writing a formal email body’s content:

• Check for punctuation errors, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors
• Don’t use any triggering words or phrases
• Proofread the formal email’s content twice
• Skip using social media chat abbreviations 

3. Keep Up Formal Tone 

How you greet a person in your formal email is crucial. Your email greetings or salutations, though just a few words, set the tone of your entire email.

So, you must create a lasting first impression by starting your email with a formal salutation.

Go through the below tips to write a formal email greeting that wins hearts:

• Skip greetings with informal tones like “Hey,” “Howdy,” and “What’s up?”
• Use formal words like “Good day,” “Greetings,” “Dear,” and “Good morning.”
• Create a simple combo of “Hi + Mr./Miss + recipient’s last name” to maintain a formal tone
• Add “Doctor” or “Professor” while writing an email to a scholar or academic authority

4. Double-check Fonts & Format

Any formal email should be entirely in one font. Furthermore, taking care of font size and the overall email format would be best.

Considering the fonts and formats of a formal email is equally important as the language you use. Keep in mind the following aspects:

• Choose a formal font like Calibri, Times New Roman, Sans Serif, etc.
• Keep the font size of the entire formal email body content the same
• Choose the “normal text” option for the font size of your email body content
• Check the email format before sending

5. Keep Your Email Short

Let’s agree on one thing: no one loves to read long texts and lengthy emails. So, keep it short.

Experts say you should keep your formal email between 120 and 150 words.

The shorter your email is, the more relevant and appealing it will be to the reader. Here are our favorite things to remember:

• Keep sentences short. Ideally, between 14 to 20 words
• Avoid redundancy in a sentence and paragraph
• Don’t stretch on one point for too long
• Keep 3 to 4 sentences in each paragraph

10 Examples of Formal Email 

To save time and effort, we have written ten examples of formal emails that might help you with your daily needs. Just have a quick read one by one and use the template as per your requirements.

1. Cold Outreach

2. Prospect Follow-ups

3. Agency

4. Event Invitation

5. Feedback Email

6. IT Client

7. Job Application

8. Client Apology Letter

9. Business Proposal 

10. Cost Estimation

Dos & Don’ts of Formal Email Writing 

Why Should Your Email Greetings Be Professional?

How you greet a recipient in the email ensures how well you get their response. So, here are the top three reasons why your email greetings should be professional:

A. First Impression

The way you start your email matters the most. How you greet your recipients will ensure they read your email further.

If you greet the recipient casually, you won’t create a first formal impression; they will leave your email immediately without reading it.

B. Build Rapport

A formal email can convince the recipient with its formal language and tone. Hence, it helps you build a rapport that will stand out in the receiver’s eyes.

If you don’t know the recipient, a formal email creates trust between you and the recipient at the initial stage, which helps in future business collaborations.

C. Better Response Rates

If your email sounds casual, the chances of getting a response rate will decrease even if you have landed out of the spam folder.

That’s because the reader will only engage with your email and respond to it if it conveys a business purpose, has a formal approach, and has a formal intent.

Start Writing Clear and Professional Emails Today!

You never know which one of your formal emails will help you build a business relationship, create an impression on your client, or bring in more leads to achieve your next target.

But remember, most of us only read emails if they are well-structured and impactful.

So, if you want to leverage the benefits of writing ideal formal emails and kickstart your cold emailing campaigns, email automation tools are your best friend.

Saleshandy is cold email automation software that helps you write personalized formal emails easily.

FAQs

1. What is a Cold Email?

A cold email is a formal communication sent via email to an unknown recipient to introduce yourself, a product, or a service.

It can start a business discussion or relationship or create a professional connection.

2. What is The Ideal Length of a Formal Email?

A formal email with a word length between 75 and 125 is considered the most impactful.

However, depending on your email objective, you can stretch the word limit to 200 words.

3. How to Send a Formal Email?

You can manually send a formal email one by one if you know the recipient.

If you have lined up potential prospects, you can send them using an email automation tool like Saleshandy.

It helps you compose customized emails, test different variants, launch your campaign, and track its performance.

4. What is The Difference Between Formal and Informal Emails?

The primary difference between formal and informal emails is the purpose.

Formal emails are for professional purposes, such as building connections or marketing.

However, informal emails are for personal and casual conversations.

5. How Do You Tell If an Email is Formal Or Informal?

You can identify whether the email is formal or informal by looking at the email greeting, structure, closing signature, and overall email purpose.