General Email Templates: How To Write & Examples

Discover effective strategies and practical examples for crafting impactful general email templates in this comprehensive guide.
Try For Free Today

Whether reaching out to connect with someone, request information, share updates with a group or accomplish any common email purpose, templates allow you to draft key messages faster. High quality email template ingredients include segmented recipients, clear subject lines, tailored greetings, concise email body content and relevant signatures to professionally represent your brand.

This guide provides tips and versatile template examples for general email purposes you can easily customize communicating your core needs efficiently with proper etiquette. Let’s start by examining key structural elements that make emails successful for any context.

Elements of Effective Emails

No matter the exact email purpose, incorporate these critical ingredients:

1. Intentional Recipients

Even when batch addressing groups, customize the greeting area with individuals’ names when possible, along with relevant title details demonstrating respect worth their attention. Never “to whom it may concern” or “dear sir/madam” in this era. Segment other contacts.

2. Descriptive Subject

Summarize core contents effectively gaining open rates.  Vital for crowded inboxes. Include purpose topic, company name or timely details. Examples: “Follow-up re: Partnership Opportunity” or “Update from [Your Biz]”.

3. Tailored Greeting

Continuing personalization from recipient names, greet contacts appropriately signalling relational dynamics, for example “Hi John,” or “Good morning Mrs. Chang,”. Avoid overly casual or stuffy tones not suiting contexts. Set proper first impressions.

4. Concise Body Content

Succinctly yet clearly state your purpose in the opening sentence then explain relevant details required for your goal whether sharing information, requesting data, posing questions or proposing ideas. Use section headers organizing longer requests. Stick to need-to-know points.

5. Match Sign Off to Salutation

Wrap messages with valedictions matching greetings finishing the social cue. For example, “Hi Lindsey” aligned to “Many thanks” versus “Warm regards” which would feel overly stiff for casual start. Signals care and consistency.

Now that we’ve covered the key foundations of quality emails, let’s explore examples of effective templates tailored for five common scenarios with interchangeable components.

Versatile General Email Templates

Apply these templates across outreach goals adjusting specifics:

Personal Information Request

Recipients: John Smith

Subject: Meeting Follow-up

Hi John,

I wanted to personally thank you for taking the time to meet yesterday discuss bright minds internship opportunities with Acme Company.

Would you mind passing along the reports we discussed regarding typical intern assignments? I’d love to review scope of projects and required skills to position my graduate background accordingly when applying next season.

Please let me know if any other helpful details to share or feel free to give me a quick call today with any guidance to jump start preparations early! Speak soon and thanks again John.

Regards,
[Your name]

Group Update or Newsletter

Recipients: Segmented group list

Subject: August company update from

Dear all,

As summer winds down, I wanted to provide some key updates from across [Your company] over a very busy August!

Key headlines enclosed regarding:

  • New partnership deals signed
  • Upcoming fall product launches
  • Leadership additions
  • Awards and media coverage secured

As always, please reach out with any questions or comments especially on upcoming initiatives your teams can collaborate on together.

Sales Follow Up

Recipients:Jane Doe

Subject: Circling back re: [Product Type] subscriptions

Dear Jane,

I hope you've been well! I wanted to touch base regarding the custom digital subscription packages we discussed last month for Acme Company.

Please let me know any updates on stakeholder feedback deciding potential next steps. Would love to provide free access allowing your leadership team demo our dashboard and premium features hands-on if helpful.

Don’t hesitate to ping me directly at the number below if easier to discuss or setup a short call. Talk soon!

Best wishes,[Your name]

Referral Request

Recipients: [Name of mutual contact]

Subject: Quick request – referral introduction

Hi [first name],

I hope this note finds you well! I wanted to reach out because I noticed from LinkedIn we share several architecture contacts including your time together at Acme Constructure Firm.

Would you feel comfortable introducing me to their Director of Design Pablo? I’m exploring senior architect roles on entertainment industry projects and thought based on Pablo’s impressive mixed-use portfolio, he may have helpful career advice to share or perhaps current hiring needs fit.

Please let me know if you’d be willing to share a friendly intro email between Pablo and I. I’d be happy to draft the outreach note for your review first as example work before sending. Many thanks in advance!

Best regards,[Your name]

Thank You Note

Recipients: Mary Chen

Subject: Thank you!

Dear Mary,

I just wanted to send a quick but very heartfelt thank you for generously volunteering your Saturday supporting our annual charity run fundraiser.

The gift of your time this weekend helped raise over $5000 towards the children’s hospital and we absolutely could not have successfully hosted this community event without thoughtful contributors like you on site managing key tasks. Please know your efforts made a tangible difference!

We appreciate you Mary and hope to see you next year! With gratitude,

[Your name + event title role]

Mix and match components from these email templates to quickly craft customized messages for any general email need. Now let’s go over some best practice tips for resonating professional emails.

How to Write Effective Emails

Beyond great foundational templates, apply these email writing tips:

Be Concise Yet Clear

Quickly state purpose in opening line with relevant details included concisely yet clearly conveyed using section headers and tight paragraphs for scannability.

Mirror Tone

Match the recipients’ language, professional decorum and relationship standing through appropriate greetings and sign offs signalling respectful dynamics.

Offer Next Steps

Close emails indicating applicable next actions, offers to help and availability along with gratitude for their time demonstrating responsive partnership.

Proofread Twice

Double check grammar, spelling, recipient names/details and contact information referenced in messages before sending to prevent miscommunications losing credibility early on.

Now that you know the formulas behind resonating email messages for myriad general purposes, let’s go over some FAQs responding to common email template questions:

General Email Template FAQs

What are good email template topics?

Templates work well for recurring email categories like outreach introductions, follow-up connections, informational updates, data requests, thank you notes, referral asks, and invitation messages. Identify frequent scenarios you email about then create templates around these use cases to save hours.

What should you avoid in professional email templates?

Resist over casual tones like using slang or “cute” emojis incongruent with formal business relationships early on. Also avoid overly demanding language or not offering next steps support. Templates provide polite starting structures conveying needs while demonstrating willingness to find mutual solutions.

What makes a good email template?

Quality templates frame consistent structure via clear subject lines, tailored greetings, scannable email body content sections and professional sign offs while leaving custom placeholder fields for personalized details on topics, offers, companies and names. They mix universal etiquette with flexibility

Do I need consent to add someone to an email list?

Absolutely. The core etiquette principle guiding all email communications involves respectfully obtaining consent before adding any contacts to email lists and honoring unsubscribes promptly. Never add recipients without their permission and relationship alignment first.

Investing a bit of time upfront crafting email templates for general outreach scenarios you commonly encounter makes properly conveying your regular communications needs much simpler over the long run while nurturing more personalization delighting recipients. Identify your top use cases then develop purpose-built templates showcasing your expertise through consistent structures signaling professionalism. The templates above offer helpful starting structures covering most general intents behind professional messages. Customize and send efficiently moving shared interests forward with contacts through reliable email templates reinforcing considerate approachability.

How to Use Just Think AI for General Email Templates

Just Think AI makes creating effective general purpose emails easy. Here are tips:

  1. Share your common email use cases - outreach, updates, requests etc.
  2. Provide preferred tone for each scenario - formal, casual, conversational
  3. Indicate any company or industry specifics to include
  4. Specify types of information to customize in templates

With this information, Just Think AI can generate customized general email templates tailored to your common needs and messaging.

Just Think AI Prompts for General Email Templates

When requesting general email templates from Just Think AI, provide:

  • Primary email use cases and frequencies
  • Desired tone for each scenario
  • Any company/industry details to incorporate
  • Placeholder fields needed per template

These details allow Just Think AI to optimize effective general email templates aligned to your common purposes and brand voice.

Let Just Think AI handle crafting versatile email templates so you can focus on priority business activities!