Margaret, a self-employed business woman, tells us that she gets confused about when to open an email with a salutation and when to leave it out. "Should a salutation be used with every email, even if you have been going back and forth with the individual?" she asks.

Sometimes it may feel unnecessary but in business you should always use a salutation. Email communication has become more and more informal which is being perceived as unprofessional. Be sure to layout your email so a salutation is appropriate and not awkward.

You do not need to open every email the same. Keep in mind you want your email message to have the formality of a letter and not the informality of a text message.

› Click here to listen to the professional polish audio clip