Top 15 "I Hope This Email Finds You Well" Alternatives Sending emails to people we have never met—or those we don't talk to very often—is stressful. First impressions matter, so we naturally try to be as nice and professional as possible: We double-check the name and email address, have a spell checker ready, and start with a good old "I hope this email finds you well..." You know what? We can do better. Sweet and reliable as it is, the "I hope this email finds you well" opening has lost all its original meaning and has become as standard and meaningless as the "ability to work under pressure" line on your CV or "traveling" as a hobby on your Tinder profile. Also, what if the email doesn't find them well? The opening line often appears in the email text preview, so it would be great to include a more relevant text to explain to the recipient what you need right away. To build rapport with whoever you are messaging - and show that you actually care about them, you can try one of these "I hope this email finds you well" alternatives: 'I hope you're doing well' Email Shifting the focus to the person you are emailing can go a long way. Sure, a stranger probably won't tell you how they're actually doing, but, at the very least, you are making the first step in the mandatory exchange of pleasantries. Example: Hi Mr. Johnson, I hope you are doing well. I am following up on our recent meeting in our Boston office. If you are still interested in our security systems, please let me know - I'll gladly share the document with our prices. Best, Cecil McFarlane, Associate Manager Top 'I hope you're doing well' Alternatives Here are the top alternatives for 'I hope you're doing well' email that will work at any situation. I hope you're having a productive week Basically an "I hope you are doing well" synonym, this phrase is best reserved for middle-of-the-week emails. This opening would work best if you knew that the person you are writing to is hard-working and appreciates industriousness in others. It's also a good email starter if you know that the recipient is currently attending a big event or conference. Sure, you can also use this to share a laugh with a person whose week is definitely not productive, but this sort of communication is best when left within a group of close friends. Example: Hi Ms. Dennings, I hope you're having a productive week. Once the conference is over and you are back in Brussels, I wanted to resume our conversation about the potential marketing cooperation. Would October 10th at 5:00 p.m. be a good time to call? Kindest regards, Tanisha Allen, Marketing Wizard @ Savona I hope you're having a good week Luckily for us, not everything has to be productive. Since the person you are emailing may be on vacation or just not too invested in their job to begin with, you can focus on how good their week is with this "I hope you are doing well" synonym. Important side note: don't use this opening on Mondays. Weeks are rarely good on Mondays. Example: Dear Jeffrey, I hope you're having a good week. I just got word from Abdul, our head of department, about a new contract we may be signing next week with Zaruda Co. This contract may require us to hire one more Account Manager. Please call me at 032-9932-323 once you get this email - we need to discuss the hiring procedure. All the best, Dyna from Customer Service {{banner_1}} It was great seeing you at [insert place name] Context is essential for the first contact, so be sure to provide it. If you met a person at a conference, networking event (or even a coffee shop, for that matter), you can send a quick follow-up to your meeting that goes something like this: Example: Dear Mrs. Siegfried, It was great seeing you at the Diversity seminar last Friday. You mentioned that you'd be interested in helping with our next canned food drive. If you are still up for it, I'd happily meet again to discuss the details. Please let me know when you are free. Best, Jerome Fitz {{template_16}} Congratulations on [insert recent accomplishment]! Showing compassion and celebrating success is another way to say, "I hope this email finds you well." Acknowledging the individual's input to this success is important. If you know that your recipient has recently accomplished something great, received an award, or even simply celebrated their birthday, be sure to start your email with the due congratulations. Example: Dear Joshua, Congratulations on your tenth "Employee of the Month" award! I was thinking that you could share your experience with our interns—some of them are eager to meet you. Could you drop by our office at lunchtime sometime next week? Kind regards, Ricardo G. Head of Hospitality Hope you had a great weekend! Now, this one is the best opening for Mondays. It could also serve as an icebreaker since people are more eager to share some of the positive impressions they got over the weekend than tell you how their working week is going on a busy Wednesday. Example: Hello Alice, Hope you had a great weekend! I have all the application forms I gathered since Thursday afternoon on your desk. Please let me know if you need help entering them into the system. Best, Bob I know how busy you are, so I'll be brief. Time is the only resource we can't win back, so we should always respect other people's time. This opening shows that you respect the person and that your request is important enough to bother them. However, when you use it, please ensure that whatever follows is actually brief. Example: Hi Dr. Livingston, I know how busy you are, so I'll be brief. The results of my experiments have shown something I cannot explain. I would appreciate it if you came over to my lab and examined the material I synthesized. What I've discovered may actually prove your theory. Looking forward to your reply, Dr. Frank N. Stein [Mutual contact] suggested that I reach out to you. If the person never gave you their contact info, explaining where you got their email is always a good idea. Some people are very protective of their personal data and time, so when you start a new conversation, mention a mutual friend or contact who shared your recipient's email with you. Example: Hi Mr. Yellonder, Frida Olaffson, my therapist, suggested that I reach out to you. I am writing a research paper on people who changed their professions after age 50 and would love to interview you about your experience with a career switch.  If you can participate in the interview, please message me with the most convenient time and date for a 30-minute video call. Your input will be extremely helpful. Yours truly, Thomas Watkins {{template_409}} I'd love an update on [insert task] No one likes a micromanager, but checking the task status is integral to project management. Timely checkups also help prevent crises when the deadline comes. Direct requests like "What's the status on…?" will sound impolite, so it's best to switch to a more sophisticated phrasing: Example: Hi Leslie, I'd love an update on the Barronson report that's due tomorrow. Do you have all the data you need? Can I help you with anything? Please let me know if the report can be ready on time. Best, Letitia Addams I really appreciate your quick response Waiting for someone and trying to catch up with someone are arguably the most excruciating activities. If the person you are emailing was nice enough to provide a quick reply, be sure to acknowledge it. Example: Hi Barker, I really appreciate your quick response. Yes, I do have a copy of my reservation. It's attached to this email. I hope we can sort this out quickly, as I'd hate to spend another night in the hotel lobby. Please let me know if I need to provide any other info. Kind regards, Cedrick Tongs It's a pleasure connecting with you again If you are resuming communication with someone you haven't talked to for 6+ months, start with a brief reminder on where you met and, optionally, where you left off the conversation. Letting people know that you are happy to talk to them again is more than just another way to say "I hope this email finds you well" - it's a display of respect and true interest in further communication. Example: Hi Eugene, It's a pleasure connecting with you again! Since our last conversation, I got a promotion and don't directly manage your account anymore. However, I would like to introduce you to Vanessa - she will be in charge of all your requests now. Vanessa, meet Mr. Eugene Sykes, the owner of Yago, who is our great customer. Please answer any questions he may have. Best regards, Plato Woodward, VP of Customer Success I'm eager to get your thoughts/expertise on [insert subject] Whether you are looking for in-depth feedback or just conducting a poll, reaching out to a relevant person is 50% of your success. Ensure you are fully transparent about why you're reaching out - and offer compensation for the recipient's time and effort. Example: Hi Daphne, I'm eager to get your thoughts on our new design. I'm Edwin, the Design team lead at Banko. We recently updated our interface and would like to get your feedback. Please take 5 minutes to complete this survey. We really appreciate your time and effort. As a token of our gratitude for completing the survey, we'll give you a 50% discount for your next transaction with Banko. I'll gladly answer any questions you may have. Best, Edwin Wilde How did [insert project/event] go? Follow-ups are an essential tool in communication. They let you gently remind your recipient about any prior arrangements you may have had, even if the person you are emailing was caught up in a hectic working week, event organization, or conference attendance. {{banner_2}} Example: Hi Lionel, How did the Comic-Con go? I heard that your booth was a huge success—it even appeared in the Channel 4 News report. I hope that now that you are done with the events for this year, you and I can meet and discuss the new comic book I am working on. I'm sure that kids will love Argyle the Fun Dog. How does Monday sound for a meeting? Looking forward to your reply, Maynard Wilson Thanks for your time [insert date of meeting/call] Follow-ups after meetings are no less important. They're a great way for you to show genuine interest and recap all the main points you discussed during the meeting.  Example: Hi Mr. Vrochek, Thank you for your time last Monday! I really enjoyed our meeting and wanted to briefly recap on all the things we discussed: We have agreed upon the t-shirt design and materials, but we should still discuss the collar type.We can make the first shipment on October 3rd, but we cannot make more than one shipment per weekWe don't require pre-payment, but we expect our invoices to be paid within 7 business days.We will not produce baseball hats this year, but we can discuss them during our meeting in January of next year. If there are some things that I missed, please let me know. Yours truly, Natalie Blackpen I hope [name of the project] is doing well  If you are aware of a project your recipient is currently working on—a new product, event, or charity—it's a nice gesture to start an email with a question on the subject that the person you are emailing cares deeply about. Before you use this opening, however, make sure that the project is still active and that you mention it won't make the recipient sad. Example: Hi Linda, I hope your Meals for Kids project is doing well. Would you be open to joining another project—a for-profit one this time? My wife and I were thinking of setting up a community bank offering low-interest microloans to small businesses like coffee shops. Your expertise would be indispensable, so I would like you to consider this. Hoping for a positive reply, Horace Gleeson Final thoughts There is no "perfect email opening" - you should choose the first sentence based on how well you know the recipient, how much you know about them, and, naturally, how relevant the opening phrase is. Make good use of these "I hope this email finds you well" alternatives, and always write emails you wouldn't mind receiving.
