Avoid the Overused “I Hope This Email Finds You Well” With These 8 Alternatives

This morning, I was typing an email to my boss when suddenly my Gmail server showed me something frankly appalling. I’ve been a fan of the program’s autocomplete feature for a few months now; it’s made my quick responses and automatic replies easier and all the more spell-checked. Yet, as I started typing my email, the feature suggested I open with, “I hope this email finds you well.”

A quick search of my inbox confirmed my fears — I start nearly every email with that same overused phrase. And this was only one of my several inboxes. 

Below we’ll dive into why you shouldn’t use the cliché “I hope this email finds you well” and offer you eight alternatives to use instead. 

Why shouldn’t you use “I hope this email finds you well”?

The phrase “I hope this email finds you well” isn’t offensive in its own right, but when it’s overused, it can come off as impersonal and generic, as The Muse points out. For example, starting an email with “I hope this email finds you well” when you know for a fact the recipient has been out sick for the past week isn’t the most thoughtful personal way to begin a conversation. Instead (to show you actually care) you’d ask how they’re doing or if they need any help managing their workload.  When you resort to, “I hope this message finds you well,” those on the receiving end might spot the phrase and disengage before they’ve even read the rest of your email. 

Luckily, there are alternatives for every situation, whether you’re trying to network or are congratulating a coworker on a job well done. 

8 alternatives to “I hope this email finds you well.”

Do away with “I hope this email finds you well” and pick the right alternative for your situation below. You might try: 

1. “It’s a pleasure connecting with you again.” 

This classic line is the perfect way to affirm the good rapport you have with the person you’re emailing. Make sure this line is genuine by following it up with a specific reason as to why you’re glad to be reconnecting with them. 

Hi Allen, 

It’s a pleasure connecting with you again. You were a great help in finalizing expansion plans for the new warehouse in August. Since we last spoke, my team and I have improved our logistics processes. However, we’ve run into some problems with distribution and information processing systems. If possible, I’d really appreciate your perspective around how your team handles distribution and information processing at the Jersey City warehouse. Do you have any availability for a meeting this week? 

Thank you, 

Irene 

2. “[Mutual contact] mentioned that I should reach out to you.”

Mentioning a mutual contact you know and trust immediately establishes a connection between you and the person you’re emailing. But don’t make them the whole subject of the email. Once you’ve touched on the connection, make the switch to discussing your own reason for emailing.

Hi Yolanda, 

Rory Nells mentioned that I should reach out to you for more information around our sponsored ads on Instagram. When you have a chance, could you send me the reports you use to track performance of those ads? I’d like to share these in our next content meeting for my team to understand what ads our audience is engaging with and help us create future content. 

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best,  

Macy 

3. “I hope you’re having a good week.”

Although the “hope” in this line does recall the “I hope this email finds you well” cliché, this alternative adds a more personalized feel to your email correspondence. While you can discuss the reason you reached out later in the email, make sure you leave enough room for a transition. It’d be quite a scare to get well wishes and then hear about a company failure.

Good morning Ella, 

I hope you’re having a good week and have fully recovered from your cold. Unfortunately, it seems that it’s going around again — two members of my team are out sick as well. 

I wanted to update you that we’ve fully transitioned to the new uploading process when adding products to the site. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to schedule a time to discuss the new process further.

Thank you, 

Diana

4. “I’m eager to get your expertise on [subject you’d like the recipient’s expertise on].” 

If you’re looking for someone’s advice on a project, career move, or business deal, this line not only flatters the person you’re emailing but also gets the job done. If this isn’t someone you know well, make sure you triple check their background so you’re not asking a physicist for their economic expertise.

Hello Erika, 

I wanted to get your sales expertise on a potential business deal with United Herbals. I remember you mentioning that you had past experience in the herbal medicine industry. Do you have any availability this week to hop on a call to discuss further?

Thank you, 

Brianna 

5. “Congratulations on [accomplishment,  project, or event]!”

Reaching out to someone about their personal accomplishments is a great way to establish a close relationship. Make sure your compliment is genuine and you back it up with a short explanation. You can use this as an opportunity just to reach out to someone or to connect even further by discussing how their accomplishment will positively impact the company, team or your position specifically. 

Hi Taylor, 

Congratulations on the successful launch of the new customer service messaging platform! The new platform will allow me to seamlessly answer customer inquiries as they come in and hopefully reduce our customer response times. I’m incredibly excited to hear feedback from our customers, as I’m sure you are.  

Please extend my congratulations to the rest of your team. 

Best, 

Wanda

6. “It was great to see you at [event].” 

If you’re hoping to build a relationship, reach out to someone after you’ve run into them. Make sure to mention a few quick details — you don’t want to assume everyone will remember seeing you — and then expand on what you last discussed.

Hi Ellen, 

It was great to see you at the fundraising event this past weekend. I enjoyed our discussion about ways we could potentially partner with the American Breast Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. If possible, I’d love to continue this discussion with you — do you have any availability Wednesday or Friday of next week? 

Let me know! 

Wrenn

7. “How did [project or event] go?”

Asking directly about someone’s work or event demonstrates that you care and pay attention to what’s going on in their life. Choosing a project that relates to what you’re emailing about gets you bonus points.

Hi Sadie, 

How did the residential project go? I heard from Bryan that you finished the floor plans for those units. 

Would it be possible to hop on a call next week? I’d like for us to discuss how to proceed in pitching these to the Sunnywalk Apartments team. 

Let me know, 

Gabby

8. “Can you get back to me by [deadline]?”

Setting a deadline helps keep the person you’re emailing on track and gives you a timeframe of when you’ll get a response. This line works especially well with people who thrive on schedules.

Hi Jada, 

Can you get back to me with the fourth quarter reports by Thursday morning? I’m hoping to have these included in our company-wide email.

Thank you,
Laura 

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This article reflects the views of the author and not necessarily those of Fairygodboss.

Zoë Kaplan is the former staff writer for Fairygodboss. She writes about women, theater, sports and everything in between. Read more of Zoë’s work at www.zoekaplan.com.

Fairygodboss team editors contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article. 

Do you have any suggestions for how to start off work emails? Please share in the comments to help other Fairygodboss members.