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As a **potential customer** , how should I start and end an email if I am
emailing a business, for example, to ask about a product? How should I
introduce myself? Would I need to use 謙譲語 and 尊敬語?

Additionally, what would be the difference between if I knew the name of the
person I will be emailing and not?

I saw [this question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/15637) but
it seems to only address the case that I have already interacted with the
business in the past, which isn't the case.
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phrase-requests email
Greetings to use in email enquiries
Usually Japanese start or end an email with own name in business whether he is
stranger or colleague.

for example like this

```

    for a potential customer
    はじめまして、○○社の△△と申します
    今回は●●の件でメールをさせていただきました
    
    for a colleague
    △△です。お手数ですが今月分の支払いをお願いいたします
    
    C2B 11/8 23:32(Japan time) rewrote
    △△です。この度は●●社の○○という件についてお伺いしたいことがございます。
    
    B2C 
    ●●社の△△です。この度は弊社製品をご利用していただきましてありがとうございます。
    
```

By the way, if you write or speak about your own thing, you should use 謙譲語.  
謙譲語 are words or sentence which make the speaker so humble that the companion
is higher in status than the speaker  
And, if you refer about the companion, you need to use 尊敬語  
. 尊敬語 are words or sentence which make the companion high in status.
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Writing as a customer will be much easier than writing in business. You don't
have to be too nervous. Using basic 丁寧語 (e.g. 思っています instead of 思っている) will
suffice, though extra correct 謙譲語 (like 存じております) may somewhat improve your
impression.

As for 尊敬語, I don't think you need it. But to add one point, utilizing the
word 貴社 (or 御社) will be useful, like 貴社の製品 "your products".

You can start the letter with like "●●●● 様", or "●●●● 御中" (●●●● being the name
of the company). If you know someone to write to specifically, then start it
like "●●●● (department name) ○○○○様".
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