Who Sent You M@il?

Quite often, you may find yourself sending E-Mail to someone you don't know or don't know too well. Identify yourself in the E-Mail clearly so that you the recipient knows who you are without a doubt. It may be helpful to add details like how you found out about the recipient or any prior meetings or E-Mail exchanges if you think it would serve to jog the recipient's memory. You may also want to indicate what the E-Mail is about and what you need from the recipient.

Ideally, these points must be communicated in the first one or two lines of your E-Mail. Otherwise, you may find that your E-Mail goes straight to the ol' trash can.