Starting your business email or letter with the right opening line can make a difference in how your message is received. The first sentence sets the tone and can determine whether your recipient reads on or hits delete.

Good business openings are brief but powerful. The best ones make the recipient feel valued while quickly getting to the point.

Examples of Good Opening Lines

Introducing Yourself to New Contacts

When reaching out to someone for the first time, your opening line needs to be clear and engaging.

Examples

• “Our mutual colleague, Jamie Martinez, suggested I contact you.”
• “I noticed your presentation at the Denver Tech Conference last week.”
• “Your recent article on renewable energy caught my attention.”
• “We met briefly at the Chicago Trade Show on Friday.”
• “Your company’s innovative approach to customer service impressed me.”
• “As a fellow graduate of Berkeley Business School, I wanted to connect.”
• “Your LinkedIn post about supply chain challenges resonated with me.”
• “After seeing your team’s work on the downtown project, I had to reach out.”
• “John Smith from (…) Corp thought we might benefit from connecting.”
• “I’m reaching out after following your company’s growth over the past year.”
• “Your recent interview on the Business Today podcast was insightful.”
• “As someone also working in the healthcare technology sector, I wanted to introduce myself.”
• “Your company’s commitment to sustainability aligns with our mission.”
• “I discovered your business through your excellent customer reviews.”
• “After reading about your new product launch, I wanted to connect.”
• “Your expertise in digital marketing is well-known in our industry.”
• “I noticed we’re both exhibiting at next month’s industry conference.”
• “Your profile on Industry Connect highlighted your experience in my field.”
• “I’ve been following your company’s innovative work since your launch.”
• “As a new supplier in your industry, I wanted to introduce our services.”

Following Up With Existing Connections

When writing to someone you’ve met or communicated with before, you can remind them of your previous interaction. This helps refresh their memory and provides context.

Examples

• “Thank you for our discussion last Thursday about the marketing proposal.”
• “I’m checking in about the project timeline we discussed on May 1st.”
• “Since our meeting at the conference, I’ve been thinking about your feedback.”
• “I wanted to follow up on our phone conversation from yesterday.”
• “It was great speaking with you last week about potential collaboration.”
• “Following our discussion about supply challenges, I found this solution.”
• “I’m writing to continue our conversation about the new software implementation.”
• “After our productive meeting, I’ve prepared the information you requested.”
• “As we discussed during our call, I’m sending the proposal for your review.”
• “I appreciated your insights during our meeting and wanted to address your questions.”
• “Since you expressed interest in our services, I thought you might like this case study.”
• “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me at your office yesterday.”
• “I’ve been considering your feedback on our initial proposal.”
• “Per our conversation at lunch, here are the details we discussed.”
• “I’m reaching out as promised during our meeting last Tuesday.”
• “Based on your interest in our product, I’ve prepared some additional information.”
• “After reviewing the points from our discussion, I have a few thoughts to share.”
• “I’m following up on our brief chat at the networking event.”
• “As mentioned during our video call, I’m sending the resources we discussed.”
• “I’ve made the changes you suggested to our project outline.”

Other Examples of Good Opening Lines for Email Messages

• “Following our meeting at the Chicago Tech Conference, I wanted to discuss…”
• “Your colleague Sam Thompson suggested I reach out about…”
• “After reading your article on supply chain management, I thought…”
• “As a fellow member of the Marketing Association, I wanted to connect…”
• “Your presentation at last week’s webinar raised some interesting points…”
• “I hope this email finds you well and that you had a productive week.”
• “Thank you for your prompt response to our previous discussion.”
• “Following up on our conversation yesterday about the Johnson project.”
• “I’m writing to inform you about an exciting new development.”
• “We appreciate your continued partnership with our organization.”
• “In response to your inquiry about our services…”
• “I wanted to share some important updates regarding our upcoming event.”
• “Based on your request, I’ve prepared the following information.”
• “Congratulations on your recent achievement!”
• “I noticed your company’s recent announcement and wanted to connect.”
• “Your expertise would be valuable for our upcoming project.”
• “The team has reviewed your proposal and we have some thoughts to share.”
• “After carefully considering your feedback, we’ve made several adjustments.”
• “We’re reaching out to our top clients about an exclusive opportunity.”
• “I’m pleased to confirm our meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.”
• “Your application for the position of Marketing Director has been received.”
• “As discussed during yesterday’s call, here are the next steps.”
• “We’ve completed our analysis of the quarterly results you requested.”
• “I wanted to personally thank you for your business this past year.”
• “Our team has developed a solution for the challenge you mentioned.”
• “Following our discussion last Thursday about the Watson project, I’ve prepared the requested timeline.”
• “Your insights during yesterday’s meeting helped shape our marketing approach.”
• “I noticed your team exceeded sales targets for the third consecutive quarter.”
• “The numbers from Q1 suggest we should adjust our strategy for the summer campaign.”
• “Your question about our return policy prompted me to research some options.”
• “After reviewing the feedback from the client, I wanted to suggest a new approach.”
• “The recent changes in industry regulations affect our upcoming product launch.”
• “Looking at the data from our customer survey, three key trends stand out.”
• “Based on your request for additional information, I’ve gathered these resources.”
• “Our team has identified a solution to the challenge you mentioned last week.”
• “While analyzing the quarterly reports, I found an opportunity to reduce costs.”
• “The upcoming deadline for the Johnson proposal requires immediate attention.”
• “Your leadership during the recent project transition made a significant difference.”
• “Regarding your inquiry about our enterprise pricing, I’ve prepared a customized estimate.”
• “Since our last conversation about staffing needs, several qualified candidates have applied.”
• “The feedback from your department helped us improve the new software interface.”
• “In preparation for next month’s conference, we need to finalize our presentation topics.”
• “Your team’s innovative approach to the Henderson account impressed our executive committee.”
• “The preliminary results from our test market show promising customer response.”
• “After careful consideration of your requirements, I recommend the following approach.”

For follow-up emails, you can reference your previous interaction:

• “Thank you for your quick response to my inquiry yesterday.”
• “I appreciate your feedback on the project proposal.”
• “After our discussion last Tuesday, I’ve researched the options we discussed.”
• “As promised during our call, here’s the information you requested.”
• “I’ve considered the points you raised in our last meeting.”

Examples of Subject Lines That Stand Out

Email subject lines often determine whether your message gets opened. Good subject lines are specific, honest, and create a sense of urgency when appropriate.

You might want to include action items or deadlines:

• “Proposal Review Needed: Feedback by Friday, May 9”
• “Meeting Request: Budget Planning for Q3”
• “Question about Invoice #45872”
• “3 Options for the Henderson Project”
• “Tomorrow’s Team Meeting: Agenda and Preparation”

Or, you can add personalization:

• “Your Feedback Requested: Marketing Strategy Draft”
• “Following Up on Our Conversation About Staff Training”
• “Ideas for Improving Your Customer Retention Rates”
• “Invitation: Exclusive Webinar for Premium Clients”
• “Quick Question About Your Recent Order”

Openings in Verbal Business Communication

The first moments of business interactions shape how others perceive you. Effective verbal introductions are clear and appropriate for the setting.

Phone calls might begin with your name and company. “Good morning, this is Taylor from Apex Solutions” works better than jumping straight into business.

Some effective verbal openings include:

• “I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today.”
• “Thank you for taking the time to meet.”
• “I’m looking forward to our discussion about [specific topic].”
• “Before we begin, I’d like to thank everyone for joining.”
• “I value your expertise on this matter.”