A good email starter sets your emails apart from everyone else’s. You may want to use something friendly and polite like “I hope this email finds you well.”
It’s good to know if there are some better formal choices, though. And that’s where we come in.
This article has gathered some great synonyms to use as a polite email opening.
Is It Formal to Say “I Hope This Email Finds You Well”?
It is formal to say “I hope this email finds you well.” It’s a very popular choice in most professional emails. It’s always used as the greeting in the first line.
It’s one of the most polite greetings you’ll come across in formal emails. That’s why we recommend it when keeping things as respectful as possible.
Here’s an example to show you how it works:
I hope this email finds you well. I would like to know if you have any updates for me.
Pros
- It’s a great introductory phrase for an email.
- It’s very professional.
Cons
- It’s impersonal.
- It’s overused and very generic.
You can always use “I hope this email finds you well” to sound as polite and professional as possible. Although, we have lined up a few other alternatives to help you spice things up.
Read on to learn how to start a professional email with another way to say “I hope this email finds you well.”
What to Say Instead of “I Hope This Email Finds You Well”
- I hope you’re well
- I hope you’re having a productive week
- I hope all is well
- I know you’re busy, so I’ll be quick
- Are you well?
- How are you doing?
- It’s good to connect with you again
- It’s great to hear from you
- I thought I’d reach out
- I just thought I’d check in
1. I Hope You’re Well
You will often say “I hope this email finds you well” as a nice way to open an email and check in with the recipient. Therefore, a simpler alternative like “I hope you’re well” is a great way to replace it.
We recommend using it if you don’t know how to start an email politely.
It’s a great phrase when emailing clients. Generally, it shows that you care about their life outside of your professional connection with them.
Also, why not review the following example:
Dear Mr. Jensen,
I hope you’re well. It’s important that we meet at some point this week to discuss the future of this business.
Kind regards,
Sarah Millican
2. I Hope You’re Having a Productive Week
When emailing employees, you may want to wish them well relating to the workload. Something like “I hope you’re having a productive week” is a great way to do that.
It shows that you wish someone well without sounding too personal or friendly. Instead, wishing for a productive week shows that you still want them to keep up with their work.
That’s why it’s best when you’re the manager. It shows that you’re still after efficiency and diligence, even if you start an email politely.
Here’s an example email to show you how it works:
Dear Taylor,
I hope you’re having a productive week. Please let me know when you’re free to discuss the matters relating to the previous email.
Kind regards,
Adam Sandler
3. I Hope All Is Well
You’ll often find positive and polite phrases at the start of an email to help build good working relationships. So, something like “I hope all is well” is great to include when emailing colleagues.
It’s a good choice because it shows you care about your coworkers. It relates to life inside and outside of the workplace. That’s what makes it so effective in most professional cases.
This email example will also help you with it:
Dear Craig,
I hope all is well on your end. I think it’s important that we sort this project out before the deadline next week.
Thank you so much,
Melissa McCartney
4. I Know You’re Busy, so I’ll Be Quick
Maybe you’d like to email your boss to ask them a question. However, you might not want to use “I hope this email finds you well,” as you know that your question could cause problems for them.
Instead, try “I know you’re busy, so I’ll be quick.” It’s great to include in a professional email when you don’t want to waste someone’s time.
It’s respectful of someone’s schedule, making it a good option for your boss. From there, they can decide when to reply (if it suits their schedule).
Perhaps this email example will help you as well:
Dear Miss Kingston,
I know you’re busy, so I’ll be quick. Would you like to meet with me on Friday to discuss things further?
All the best,
Jon Grammar
5. Are You Well?
We haven’t touched on any questions yet. If you use the right question, they can be just as effective as “I hope this email finds you well.”
Try using “are you well?” when starting an email. It’s a great way to find out how someone is getting on.
Also, because it’s a question, it allows the recipient to respond more openly. They can answer your question before replying to the rest of your email.
So, if you want to build a good relationship, this is a great place to start.
Check out the following email sample:
Dear Melanie,
Are you well? It’s been a while since we’ve caught up. We mustn’t forget about the targets we set for ourselves.
All the best,
George Bendy
6. How Are You Doing?
Another great question to start an email is “how are you doing?” This simple choice encourages the recipient to answer you before continuing with the email.
You may use it when emailing clients. After all, it will help you build a better relationship with the clients you have at work.
Clients often stick around when companies are kind and polite. Therefore, phrases and questions like this at the start of your email will do a lot of good for your business.
Here’s a great sample email to help you:
Dear Mr. Richards,
How are you doing? I would like to meet with you over the coming week to find out what the plan is.
Yours,
Rebecca Selling
7. It’s Good to Connect With You Again
If you’re looking to introduce yourself in a friendly and polite manner, try “it’s good to connect with you again.” We highly recommend this when catching up with an old colleague.
It shows that you’re happy to speak with them and want to wish them well.
Similar to “I hope this email finds you well,” you can use this phrase to share positive wishes. It’s great to include if you’re trying to sound more friendly to the recipient.
You may also review this sample email:
Dear Casey,
It’s good to connect with you again. Please let me know which days you’re free to meet with me next week.
Kind regards,
Andy Tonne
8. It’s Great to Hear From You
“It’s great to hear from you” works really well in professional emails. You should use it when someone has reached out to talk to you first, and you want to wish them well in your reply.
Luckily, it’s still synonymous with “I hope this email finds you well,” but it works slightly differently.
You should only use “it’s great to hear from you” when replying to clients. It only works as part of a reply, showing that you appreciate someone reaching out to you and want to see how they’re doing.
Check out the following example to see how to use it:
Dear Erik,
It’s great to hear from you, and I hope you’re doing well. If you’re not too busy, we should meet on Friday to talk things through.
Yours,
Bob Rogers
9. I Thought I’d Reach Out
Perhaps “I thought I’d reach out” will also work nicely for you. You can use this phrase to explain why you are emailing someone.
It’s also great to include it at the start of an email. It still shows that you wish someone well and want to hear more about what they’re doing.
You can use it when emailing clients about projects coming up. It shows that you’d like to start the email politely before getting into the more specific business elements.
Check out this sample email as well:
Dear Mr. Kyte,
I thought I’d reach out to let you know what the plan is. We need to discuss this further to explain what’s happening with the project.
Yours,
Jonathan Snow
10. I Just Thought I’d Check In
“I just thought I’d check in” is a great phrase to include in a business email. We recommend using it when catching up with old coworkers.
It’s a good choice because it shows that you’re interested in seeing how someone is.
Since it’s a friendly and polite phrase, most emails will be made better by its inclusion. So, try it out the next time you connect with an old colleague.
Here’s a great email example to help you with it
Dear Harriet,
I just thought I’d check in to see how you’re getting on. Would you like to meet with me on Friday?
All the best,
Sean Albatross