[Update] 62 Business Email Phrases to Start Using Right Now | we are you – NATAVIGUIDES

Establishing and maintaining good relationships in business is essential. And since most people in the corporative world make their connections through emails, it’s necessary to have some communication skills. Mainly to avoid misunderstandings that can harm your contacts.

Here is a list with 62 email phrases you can start using in your business emails for better conversations with your peers, leads, clients, partners, and other recipients. We divided them into ten categories that you may need to use to form an entire body email, from making a proper introduction to saying your goodbyes.

Also, you will find both formal and informal phrases because writing emails depends a lot on the tone of voice you give to your brand and with whom you are exchanging emails.

But first, how do you start an email properly?

Your email salutation matters a lot more than you may think. People appreciate it when you call them by their names because it shows that you are talking directly to them. When you just use a salutation + name, they may have the impression that you are sending the same email to another 100 people  — which may be accurate, but you have resources to sort this out nowadays. Here are some common ways of starting an email:

Dear [name]: It’s more appropriate for formal emails. Use it when you address a person in a position of respect.

Hi [name]: It’s simple, friendly, and direct, but also informal. Use it carefully.

Greetings: Use it when you don’t know the name of the recipient.

Hi (everyone/ guys): This one is when you are emailing a group of people informally.

Now that you know how to salute correctly let’s move on to your email’s next parts.

1. “I hope you…”

Email content starting with good wishes are always a great way of being social and friendly. Remember that socializing is vital in the business world, and you don’t need to be so formal all the time. However, always be respectful and think twice before bringing to the table things that can sound offensive. These are some common examples that you can use:

Email content starting with good wishes are always a great way of being social and friendly. Remember that socializing is vital in the business world, and you don’t need to be so formal all the time. However, always be respectful and think twice before bringing to the table things that can sound offensive. These are some common examples that you can use:

I hope you are well/all is well: It shows you care about that person. It’s respectful and a safe phrase to initiate a friendly approach.

I hope you had a great weekend/week/day: It depends on which time or day of the week you are reaching out. This phrase is one of the most common in business emails.

I hope you enjoyed your vacation: It works when you have the information that the person was in their vacation period and when you want to continue a conversation that had to stop because of that.

I hope you feel better soon: When you know the person is recovering from a surgery or illness and therefore wasn’t available at work. Please pay attention to its variations, so you don’t sound like you are rushing them to do something. It may repel them instead of looking like a pleasant wish.

I hope you enjoyed the (name of the event): When you are reaching out after a corporate event that you have organized, using this phrase makes a great first impression, mainly if you will ask for something on the email.

2. “I am writing to you about…”

When you are emailing first, you need to introduce yourself and talk about the email’s purpose. Sometimes you need to remind that person of who you are if you have been in contact before.

You can be impersonal or do your homework and research about the recipient. Because when you personalize your message to show you are familiar with their work or doings, you increase the chances of receiving a reply. Here are some examples of general email phrases for introductions and some inspirations for personalizing them.

General email phrases

It’s [your name] from [your company]: Start by introducing yourself with your name and the company you work for. If you want to omit the company’s name at the beginning, that’s fine, but be sure that this information will be placed somewhere in the email body.

I am writing to you about… Here you can insert anything related to a previous conversation or meeting you had with the recipient. Also, you can use this introduction to talk about future events.

I am writing to ask/enquire/let you know/confirm/invite you to/to update you on/ask for…”: Use this when you want to ask for information, a positioning, make an invitation without further ado. It’s a way to be direct and keep the email short.

Might I take a moment of your time to…: If you want and/or need to be very formal, this is the best choice.

I am reaching out because…: It’s an informal way to introduce the reason for your contact.

Personalized email phrases

I read your article about [topic] in [channel] yesterday/ this morning. I couldn’t help thinking about…: This is an example of how you can start a conversation about something the recipient has published or done recently. Ensure precisely what you’re talking about to avoid misunderstandings and not to cause a contrary reaction to them.

Congratulations on [what the person has achieved]! I’m sure it’s inspiring to see how this can help…: Sincere compliments are always welcomed. Once again, only talk about what you are sure about this achievement and don’t exaggerate. Be completely honest with what you say to them.

3. “Thanks for…”

Showing gratitude is an excellent way of keeping your recipient’s attention and overcoming problems that come to you on customer service. Mainly because you need to focus on solving these issues as smoothly as possible.  And sometimes, the customer asked a simple question and didn’t even know it was a mistake, and you end up exposing and highlighting it. Let’s see some email phrases that will help in both cases:

Thanks for letting me know: This shows you acknowledge what the person has informed you and shows appreciation for that.

Thank you for your understanding/patience: This kind of message compliments the customer while you still acknowledge the problem they are having, without apologizing for mistakes unnecessarily.

Thank you for your email about…: This helps to remind the person about the matter you are talking about and opens up a more friendly conversation, depending on the content of previous emails.

Thanks for sending/asking about/attending: It shows people that you acknowledge their actions and appreciate them.

Thank you for reaching out (to me): This is a more informal way to appreciate someone’s contact.

Thanks for your feedback on/your suggestion: It welcomes feedback and suggestions, making the person feel secure to continue giving them to you.

 

Extra tip: If you need to apologize for a major failure, use something simple like “Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.” But don’t spend your whole email apologizing. Instead, offer solutions for what has happened. Avoid using “Sorry for the inconvenience” because it sounds vague, informal, and insincere.

4. “Just a quick/friendly reminder that…”

You can use this kind of email phrases to provide information or address reminders to your recipients. It’s also useful when you want to call their attention to another thing in your email, mainly if you are writing to talk about more than one matter.

Please note…: If you want to call the recipient’s attention to a specific matter, use this.

Quick reminder…: This an informal way to introduce something that you want to highlight, such as near expiration dates or incoming meetings.

I wanted to update you: Use this phrase to tell your customers about troubleshooting that hasn’t been solved yet. Instead of openly addressing it as “an issue that hasn’t been fixed,” use “update” as a form of saying that you’re working to solve it.

I’d like to inform you that…:  A formal way to introduce a special announcement or give back a critical answer.

Just a quick heads up: An informal email phrase is often used to notify somebody of something, like a warning or a piece of helpful advice.

I hope you find this helpful: When you give them any information, advice, or even a solution for an issue they were having.

5. “I’m sending you…”

When it’s necessary to send attachments or even additional information that requires special attention of the recipient, these are some examples of how to approach this:

I’m sending you [file’s name] as a pdf file: Make sure to clarify the name of the file and its format, so the person feels more secure about opening it.

I’ve attached [file’s name] for your review: Again, remember to specify the file’s name and its objectives. Is it for the person to review, check or edit?

Could you please sign the attached document and send it back by [date]?: Use this one when you need that the recipient sends you back a signed copy, and you have a due date for that.

Please see the information below for more details about…: If you want to highlight information, such as addresses or essential quotes.

Here’s the document you asked for/we discussed: This calls the recipient’s attention to something they have asked before.

More information is available at [website]: If you want to share links, introduce what the person will find there.

6. “Please feel welcomed…”

Sometimes you’re going to have to ask someone for help or more information. Use phrases that create an open door on your communication with your recipient in a manner that they will feel that it’s possible to reach out to you whenever needed.

Remember to describe what you need first when you are asking for help. And whenever you’re providing information, you should give them a way to contact you if they have questions.

Please feel welcomed…: The phrase, “Please feel welcomed…” invites customers to reach out more times and makes them feel comfortable to do so.

Could you please…?: It’s a formal way of making requests, and ask for further explanations politely.

I’d appreciate it if you could…: Another way of asking for something politely.

It would be very helpful if you could send us/me…: You show the person that their help is very appreciated. You can use it to send additional information or files.

Please keep me informed/posted/updated: This makes the communication open so that the person can reach any time with new information about a matter.

If possible, I’d like to know (more) about…: You are not demanding anything, just letting the person feel comfortable sharing something specific with you.

7. “… please let me know.”

If you want to offer to do something for someone in the email, then demonstrate that you are happy to do it. Show the receiver that you are there for assistance in whatever is necessary. These phrases show people that you wish to help them out gladly:

I’d be happy to…: It expresses that you don’t mind helping, and the intention is to make the other person feel comfortable asking you anything they need.

If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know: It’s a formal way of offering additional help.

Let me know if you need any help: It’s the most common email phrase in this category. It’s an informal way to let people know that you are open to assist them when they need it.

… please do not hesitate to contact me: This works as a complement for phrases like “If you need further information…”. It emphasizes that you are willing to help.

… please feel free to contact me/to get in touch: It lets the person know that they can reach out to you whenever they need to.

8. “Unfortunately…”

Giving bad news by email is never easy, but there are ways to do it properly. It sometimes happens that you couldn’t attend to the person’s expectations somehow, and you need to give this information.

Unfortunately, we cannot/we are unable to …: This is the formal and polite way of giving negative responses.

I’m afraid it will not be possible to…: Use this informal phrase on a negative response, followed by a brief explanation of why it wasn’t possible to accomplish the person’s request.

We regret to inform you that…: It’s a polite and formal way to give bad news. Right after saying this, explain the reasons why it won’t happen.

After careful consideration, we have decided (not) to…: It shows that you have considered what the person has sent you previously. It’s also a way to soften the gloomy reply.

It’s against company policy to…: It’s a way of explaining why you can’t do something the person has requested when it goes against the company policy.

Despite my best efforts…:  You show the person you made efforts to solve something or give them a positive response.

9. “Looking forward to hearing from you.”

When finishing your emails, rather than using “Thanks again” or something similar, create an expectation to be answered. Let the dialogue open. These phrases will encourage them to give any additional help or feedback you need.

Please let me know if this works/if you are available/if that sounds good/if you can/if you can help/if you need to reschedule…: It’s a phrase to finish the email showing that you need a response about what you have sent to the recipient.

I look forward to seeing/meeting you: Use it when you are scheduling a personal appointment.

Any feedback you can give me on this would be highly/much appreciated: For when you need to finish the email asking for thoughts/feedback from the person.

I would appreciate your help in this matter: Usually, you finish an email with this phrase when you have described some situation or issue and need to ask for help with it.

10. Friendly email phrases to finish an email

Finally, you need to insert your goodbyes at the bottom of your email text. In business emails, you can’t merely send “Bye” or “See you later.” Use one of these email phrases:

Best regards: It’s a friendly way of saying goodbye and one of the most common in the business context. It may be best for people you have had conversations with before.

All the best: It’s colloquial but a friendly and social way to say goodbye.

Sincerely: It’s a formal business close, and one you are certainly not offending anyone by using.

Cheers: You can use this sign-off with your friends and close business colleagues. Depending on the voice tone you have for your brand, it also can be useful.

Have a great week/weekend/day/night!: It depends on which time you are sending the email. Be aware of timezones if you are exchanging emails with people from another country.

Stay safe: You can use it during conflicts or difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wrapping up

Knowing how to write an email properly makes a total difference in receiving or not an answer. Using the right phrases makes sure that you won’t offend or cause a wrong impression on the recipient.

When writing a business email, you need to know before in which context your recipient is. Do you need to be formal or informal? In the end, you must respectful in our words to avoid miscommunication. Now it’s time to apply these email phrases, open your inbox, and start giving your best at replying to your emails.

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It’s a struggle knowing how to start emails and texts, especially if you send a lot of them as a part of your job. The struggle can be even harder if you communicate with the same people throughout your week. 

Jump ahead to these sections:

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever before that you check in with your work and personal contacts. It’s important to ask about each other’s physical and mental well-being. The phrase “I hope you are doing well,” suddenly has more meaning. 

How do you check in with the people you know without using the standard phrase, “Hope you’re doing well”? Here are a few ideas.

Tip: If your email or text recipient recently lost a loved one, our post-loss checklist can help them sort through the complicated tasks and challenges they might be facing. 

How to Say ‘I Hope This Finds You Well’ in a Work-Related Email

How many texts or emails do you send in one eight-hour workday? Chances are that you send quite a few. Starting each one, “I hope this finds you well” sounds a little repetitive. In fact, the phrase has become so standard that it competes with “I’m sorry for your loss” as one of the most-used phrases. 

Here are some professional ways to tell someone, “Hope you’re doing well” in an email:

• “I hope you’re staying healthy.”

• “I hope this email finds you well.”

• “I hope you are having a productive day.”

• “How’s life in [City]?”

• “I hope you’re having a great week!”

• “I’m reaching out to you because…”

1. “I hope you’re staying healthy.”

Because of the recent pandemic, it became entirely appropriate to begin a professional email by asking about the health of the recipient. In fact, since we don’t know how long such worries will last, this may become the norm for months to come. 

2. “I hope this email finds you well.”

We know that this phrase only differs by one word, but it somehow sounds a bit more formal than “I hope this finds you well.” 

3. “I hope you are having a productive day.”

If you feel that asking about the recipient’s health is a little too personal, you may want to avoid asking about it altogether. After all, a business contact probably isn’t going to tell you that his grandma’s in the hospital or that he has been suffering from allergies lately. 

4. “How’s life in [City]?”

This is a great way to start a business email. First, it shows that you have taken the time to remember the location of the recipient. Those details are important.

Second, it is an open-ended question. The recipient can respond with a comment about the weather or discuss how the Tigers are doing. Finally, the question sounds somewhat casual and friendly, but it is not too informal.

5. “I hope you’re having a great week!”

You may want to avoid using upbeat-sounding introductions during a worldwide pandemic. But if you are a naturally perky person, why not share your personality through the wording of your emails?

Perky or not, consider limiting yourself to one exclamation point throughout the text of your message. Including too many exclamation marks looks unprofessional.

6. “I’m reaching out to you because…”

Think of your email inbox. If you’re flooded with emails all day long, you understand how difficult it is to read and respond to each of them. Make things easier on the recipient by skipping the niceties and cutting to the chase. 

‘Hope You’re Doing Well’ Messages for a Friend or Family Member

Checking on the well-being of a friend or family member is entirely different than communicating with a colleague or business associate. Not only should you use a less formal tone when sending messages to personal connections, but you can ask more intimate questions as well.

Here are some ideas on how to say, “Hope you’re doing well!” to a family member or friend.

• “I just wanted to check up on you.”

• “I’ve been thinking about you. How are you doing?”

• “How’s life in your world?”

• Send a meme or emoji.

• “I miss you! Are you doing okay?”

• “What’s up, buttercup?”

7. “I just wanted to check up on you.”

Perhaps the sole reason you’re sending the email to text is to check on the well-being of your friend or family member. If that’s the case, sending this short message would be entirely appropriate. 

8. “I’ve been thinking about you. How are you doing?”

Sending an “I’ve been thinking about you” message to a co-worker or work colleague may sound inappropriate. Sending that message to someone in your inner circle is a kind act.

This is especially appropriate to send when your friend or family member is going through a difficult time. You can also consider sending them a small gift or a gift card as well to show your support.

9. “How’s life in your world?”

Most of us have complicated lives full of varying responsibilities and drama. Asking your family members this broad question allows them to respond with information about their health, their work, and more. They can respond with whatever is most pressing on their minds.

10. Send a meme or emoji.

Sometimes to get the conversation rolling, all it takes is a well-timed funny or poignant meme. You may not receive a response. In fact, a person may only send a virtual laugh or not reply at all.

Sending a meme is a way of letting others know that you are thinking about them. That might be all your friend needs.

11. “I miss you! Are you doing okay?”

Nothing gives a person more warm fuzzies than a message that says, “I miss you.” In fact, we should share this sentiment with people more. 

12. “What’s up, buttercup?”

Do you have a particular term of endearment for your family member? Use the name in your texts or emails. Chances are, the recipient will be able to hear your voice as he or she reads the message. 

How to Say ‘I Hope You’re Doing Well’ After the Recipient Experienced a Loss or Tragedy

Do you know someone who is in the middle of a crisis? Perhaps he or she recently lost a job or received a scary diagnosis. It would be a mistake to ignore the situation. In fact, it would make you seem uncaring. Send a message to your friend or family member.

Some of these phrases would be more appropriate for work colleagues, such as if you need to send a condolence email to a client or staff member. Other messages should be reserved for your closest friends. Make sure you pick the appropriate tone so you don’t sound too formal or informal.

13. “I’m so sorry that you are going through this. Please know that you have been continuously in my

thoughts and prayers

.”

This message would be appropriate for anyone who’s going through troubling times. Remember, if you tell someone you are praying for or thinking about them, follow up with your promise.

14. “Despite all the troubles in the world, I hope you are doing well.”

Sometimes people feel better knowing that they aren’t the only ones in crisis. No one is immune to worry. Admit to this, but at the same time, send a wish that you hope that they are managing the stress appropriately.

15. “My heart is breaking for you. I hope you are doing okay.”

Did your friend recently lose a loved one? If you have ever lost someone, you know how devastating it can be. Don’t compare your hurt to someone else’s; your friend may feel better knowing that you have that connection.

Consider showing your support and concern with a small surprise like dropping off baked goods or sympathy flowers.

16. “You are important to me. Let me know what I can do to help.”

Follow up this sentiment with specific suggestions on how you may make life easier for the person receiving the message. Wishing someone well is different than doing something to help the person. Be a helper.

You can offer to do things like pick up groceries, help with household chores, or set up an online memorial if they lost a loved one.

17. “I recently heard about your loss. Please accept my sincere condolences.”

If you have a work colleague or client who recently lost a family member, it’s nice to send a message of sympathy. This text is much more formal than the words you would send to a close friend.

18. “Are you okay?”

Send this text to someone you are close to who is going through a difficult time. Even if you know that the recipient is sad, stressed, or worried, this question is essential to ask. Everyone has a breaking point. Make sure your friend hasn’t hit that point.

What to Do When You Can’t Find the Right Words

Have you ever been at a loss for words? Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say. You may have faced this when responding to condolences, when talking with someone who recently was diagnosed with cancer, or when someone lost a child. 

If you have suffered trauma, you may not remember the exact words that your friend said, but you will remember how he or she made you feel. Yes, words are important, but so is being there for those in pain. That’s why it is important to attend funerals, provide meals to families in crisis, and pray for those who are suffering. Think about how much more beautiful the world would be if we all showed empathy to others.