Bringing something important up in conversations or emails is not always easy. However, you have polite alternatives other than “bring to your attention” to help you.
And luckily, this article has gathered those alternatives! Hopefully, these will help you to mix things up in your writing.
Is It Polite to Say “Bring to Your Attention”?
It is polite to say “bring to your attention” when updating someone about information. It is a fairly professional option that works well in most formal situations.
We recommend using it when emailing employees or people who answer you. After all, it’s quite a bossy phrase.
Check out this example to help you with it:
This is the information that I would like to bring to your attention. What do you think we can do about this?
Pros
- It’s polite.
- It’s useful in most professional emails.
Cons
- It’s very generic and bland.
- It’s a bit too bossy.
“Bring to your attention” is certainly an effective phrase. It works well in most business emails. However, it’s always worth having a few alternatives at the ready to keep things interesting.
Keep reading to learn another way to say “bring to your attention” in emails and letters. We’ve also provided examples for each to help you.
What to Say Instead of “Bring to Your Attention”
- Make you aware
- Let you know
- Point out
- Draw your attention to
- It is worth mentioning
- Inform you
- Tell you
- Be advised
- You should know
- Just to say
1. Make You Aware
One of the most familiar alternatives to “bring to your attention” is “make you aware.” It works well in formal emails because it shows someone they should be aware of something important.
Generally, this phrase works best when emailing employees. It shows you have important information to share with them and need them to understand it before you can continue.
Perhaps this email example will help you:
Dear Abigail,
I wanted to make you aware that we will be changing service providers come Monday 5th. Is this going to cause any problems?
All the best,
Sam Walker
2. Let You Know
While it might seem slightly more casual, “let you know” is a very useful synonym in professional emails. Phrases like “I want to let you know” and “just to let you know” appear in many work-related emails.
So, you should use this when emailing applicants. It shows you have some information to share with them (whether it’s positive or negative). The tone of “let you know” allows you to sound slightly more friendly, which might help to take some of the sting out of what you say.
Check out this email sample if you’re still unsure:
Dear Elliot,
I want to let you know that we’ve considered your application. We will get back to you when we have more information.
Yours,
Damian Greene
3. Point Out
It’s not quite as common as “bring to your attention,” but “point out” offers a really good alternative in many cases. You can use it in formal emails when you want to share something briefly with the other party.
Generally, “point out” applies when sharing less important information. After all, “point out” isn’t a particularly serious phrase to include.
Here’s a great email example to help you understand it:
Dear Allison,
I am writing to point out that we are still waiting on your response to the previous email. What are your thoughts?
All the best,
Stuart Langley
4. Draw Your Attention To
The original phrase “bring to your attention” has already proved itself to be effective. So, if it’s not broken, you don’t need to fix it. However, if you want something a little fresher, you could also say “draw your attention to.”
You can use “draw” and “bring” interchangeably here. Both work in formal emails to show that you have something important to discuss.
It works best when emailing employees after they’ve finished a task. You could draw their attention to a mistake they’ve made or something they need to work on.
Here’s a great sample email to show you how it works:
Dear Julian,
I am writing this email to draw your attention to the mistakes in your project. Could you please fix them for me?
Best wishes,
Sandra Morgan
5. It Is Worth Mentioning
When something is “worth mentioning,” it means someone should take it into consideration. We recommend using “it is worth mentioning” when there is something minor that someone must remember about an issue.
For instance, perhaps a customer reached out to complain about something. “It is worth mentioning” lets them know that you’re aware of their complaint, but you may not be able to do something at the minute to fix it.
This email sample will also help you understand it:
Dear Howard,
It is worth mentioning that we cannot address the following issue at this time. Please bear with us while we figure this out.
Kind regards,
Robert Samson
6. Inform You
Another common alternative to “bring to your attention” is “inform you.” It works well in business emails when you need to keep someone in the loop. Generally, it implies you have important information to share that you know someone hasn’t heard about yet.
It’s most common for this to appear in emails to employees. If you’re their boss, you should say “inform you” to let them know something that might change the way they do their work.
Check out the following example to see how it works:
Dear Ben,
We would like to inform you that you did not get the promotion. However, we hope you try again when a new position is available.
All the best,
Mr. Horace
7. Tell You
“Tell you” is a very similar alternative to “inform you” from above. However, using “tell” instead of “inform” makes it slightly more conversational. We recommend using it when emailing colleagues to highlight this more informal tone.
It’s a great one to include because it shows you have a more friendly relationship with someone. After all, “tell you” shows you’d like to share something new with them, but you don’t want to do it from an authoritative perspective.
You can also refer to this email example:
Dear Patrick,
This is to tell you that we are changing the system. You need to ensure that you’re up to speed with it before continuing.
Yours,
Mario Lopez
8. Be Advised
As someone’s boss, you might want to use “be advised” instead of “bring to your attention.” It’s a very professional way to tell someone to pay attention to something. Also, it’s polite, which is why it works so well here.
You can use it to inform employees about important changes. Making sure they are “advised” means they can only blame themselves if they forget about what you’ve told them or ignore your email.
This example should also help you understand it:
Dear Connor,
Be advised that we have had to call a meeting about this situation. Please attend at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Yours,
Darius Mortimer
9. You Should Know
“You should know” is a very confident phrase that shows you have relevant information to share with someone. Using “should” shows that someone must know the information, so they mustn’t skip or ignore your email.
Generally, this works best when emailing applicants. It lets them know about their application status because it’s important for them to be kept in the loop.
You should refer to this example if you’re still stumped:
Dear Hugh,
You should know that we have already filled this position. We hope this doesn’t cause any problems between us.
All the best,
Dr. Martins
10. Just to Say
So far, we’ve touched on good formal options. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be polite and informal at the same time. Try using “just to say” in more casual emails between colleagues and workmates.
It’s a great option because “just” takes the pressure out of the information you share. It lets your coworkers know you would like to mention something quickly without overwhelming them with information.
You can also refer to the following example to help you:
Dear Nicola,
This is just to say we will not continue with the project. We’ve given it to one of our clients instead.
Kind regards,
Amy Schwimmer