Business Email Assistance: How to Start and End an Email
Making an Announcement
- Please be advised that… (formal)
- Please be aware that… (formal)
- Please note that… (neutral)
- We are pleased to announce… (for good news)
- We are proud to announce… (for good news)
- Effective immediately…
- As of (date)…
- Due to recent events…
- As you know… (announcing something people are aware of)
- We regret to announce… (for bad news)
Note: Announcements can also begin with an infinitive.
- To address our issues with…
- To better serve our customers…
Making a Request
- I am writing to request… (formal)
- I am writing in reference to… (formal)
- I am writing to enquire about… (formal — requesting information)
- I would appreciate it if you could… (formal request)
- I was wondering if you could… (formal request)
- Do you think you might be able…? (formal request)
- I am interested in finding out more about… (neutral — requesting information)
- I would like to know if… (neutral — requesting information)
- Do you think you could…? (neutral)
- Would you please…? (neutral)
- Could you please send…? (neutral)
- Could you please…? (neutral)
- Can you please…? (neutral)
Following up on a Conversation
- As per our discussion… (formal)
- Per our discussion… (formal)
- In reference to our earlier conversation… (formal)
- This is to confirm that… (confirming something stated during a conversation)
- As we discussed on (date/day)… (neutral-formal)
- Regarding our conversation on (date/day)… (neutral-formal)
- As I said on (date/day)… (informal)
- Like I said on (date/day)… (informal)
Apologizing
- Please accept our apologies for… (formal)
- We would like to apologize for… (formal)
- We sincerely apologize for… (formal)
- I am deeply sorry for… (formal)
- I’m sorry, but… (informal, used for minor transgressions — e.g., I’m sorry, but I have to reschedule the meeting)
- I’m afraid that… (used for minor transgressions or softening bad news)
Extending an Invitation
- We would like to cordially invite you to… (formal)
- You are cordially invited to attend… (formal)
- We would be delighted if you joined us… (formal)
- We would like to invite you to… (neutral)
- You are invited to attend… (neutral)
- Would you like to go…?
- Any chance you’d like to…?
- I’d like to invite you to…
Congratulating Someone
- Congratulations on your…
- Congratulations on being…
- I was pleased to hear about…
- I was happy to hear about…
Reminding Someone
- Just a friendly reminder that…
- Just a quick note to remind you about…
- Just a brief reminder that…
- Have you had a chance to…? (gently reminding someone to finish a task)
- Just checking on the status of… (gently reminding someone to finish a task)
Delivering Bad News
- We are sorry to inform you…
- We regret to inform you…
- We regret to announce…
Note: We can also use expressions with “due to”, “after”, and “despite” to communicate bad news.
- Due to (reason), we are unable to…
- After consulting with…,
- After evaluating…
- Despite our best efforts,…
Responding after a Delay
- Please excuse the delay in responding to your last email… (formal)
- I apologize for the delayed response. (formal)
- Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. (neutral-informal)
Requesting Payment
- Our records show…
- According to our records…
- This is a reminder that…
Note: If multiple emails are needed, the tone typically becomes progressively more direct.
Responding to a Complaint
- Thanks for letting us know about…
- Thank you for informing us about…
- Thank you for sharing your experience with…
- Thank you for taking the time to write to us…
- Thank you for your email…
Note: Many experts recommend starting these responses by thanking the customer. The actual apology usually comes later in the email. Common expressions to apologize in response to a complaint include:
- We’re sorry for any frustration this may have caused.
- We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
- We sincerely apologize for…
Acknowledgement
- Thank you for your prompt reply… (formal)
- Thanks for getting back to me so quickly… (neutral)
- Thank you for the detailed response… (formal)
- Thank you for your order of… (neutral)
- Thank you for completing… (neutral)
- This is to confirm that we have received… (neutral)
- Thank you for your email… (neutral)
How to End an Email
Making an Announcement
- Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. (formal)
- Should you have any questions, please contact me. (formal)
- Should you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. (formal)
- If you have any questions, please contact me. (neutral)
- If you have any questions, please let me know. (neutral)
- If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. (neutral)
- If you have any questions, please call us at… (neutral – email to external contact)
- Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. (neutral – email to external contact)
- Thank you for your patience and understanding. (formal – announcing a delay)
- Thank you for your understanding. (formal)
- Thank you for your patience. (neutral – announcing a delay)
- Thank you for your cooperation. (neutral – usually for announcements to many people)
Making a Request
- Thank you for giving this request your consideration. (formal)
- Thank you for your consideration. (formal)
- I look forward to your reply. (formal)
- I appreciate your assistance. (formal)
- I appreciate your help. (neutral)
- Thanks for your help. (neutral)
- I look forward to hearing from you… (neutral – expecting a response from external contact)
- I hope to hear from you soon. (neutral – expecting a response from external contact)
- Thank you for your time. (formal)
- Please contact me at your earliest convenience. (formal)
- Thank you in advance for your prompt reply. (formal – to express urgency)
- Please get back to me as soon as possible. (neutral – to express urgency)
Responding to a Request
- Let me know if I can be of assistance in any way. (formal)
- Let me know if there’s anything else I can do. (neutral)
- Let me know if you need anything else on my end. (neutral)
- Hope this helps. (neutral/informal, often used as a sign-off as well)
Apologizing / Responding to a Complaint
- Once again, sincere apologies for…
- Once again, we regret…
- We apologize for the misunderstanding.
Extending an Invitation
- I sincerely hope you can attend. (formal)
- I hope you can attend. (neutral)
- I hope to see you there. (neutral)
Requesting a Meeting
- I look forward to meeting with you… (formal)
- I hope to see you soon… (neutral)
Other Ways to End an Email
- Thank you for your continued business. (formal email to a regular customer)
- Thank you for choosing… (acknowledgement of an order)
Sign-offs
- Warm regards, (formal)
- Best regards, (formal)
- Best, (neutral)
- Regards, (neutral)
- Thank you, (neutral)
- Thanks, (neutral)
- Thanks again, (neutral)
Other sign-offs:
- Have a great weekend.
- Have a great night.
- Hope this helps.
- Keep up the good work. (from a supervisor to an employee)
