It can be tricky to figure out how to start an email. So, is I am reaching out a suitable way to do so? We intend to address this question below.
Keep reading to learn how to use I am reaching out in an email. Moreover, we’ll show you 10 alternative phrases that you can use to mix up your phrasing and keep your email correspondence diverse.
10 Alternative Ways to Say “I Am Reaching Out”
Check out these 10 examples of how to reach out in an email:
- I am writing to you
- I am contacting you
- Just to let you know
- I wanted to touch base
- I wanted to check in
- Just popping in to say
- I was wondering
- I wanted to follow up
- Regarding [topic]
- I wanted to let you know
1. I Am Writing To You
The phrase I am writing to you is a more formal variation of I am reaching out. Therefore, you can use this phrase to start a professional email when reaching out to a stranger.
For example, you can use this phrase to issue an inquiry about a job advertisement. Sometimes, it can benefit you to contact a member of a company’s recruitment team to learn more about the organization and the role advertised.
Have a look at the email sample below:
Dear Regina,
I am writing to you to inquire about the assistant position advertised outside of your building on Cordon Road.
Would this position be exclusively in-office, or is there an opportunity for remote working?
Kind regards,
Julien Lionel
2. I Am Contacting You
I am contacting you is another formal alternative that you can use when speaking to a fellow professional, such as a member of another organization.
This phrase allows you to clearly introduce the reason behind your email. This is ideal for a business email, as it is good to get to the point so as not to waste the receiver’s time.
For instance:
Dear Mr. Weller,
I am contacting you on behalf of my employer, Ms. Yolande Jorden.
Please provide your estimated budget for this event so that we can discuss our contribution further.
Sincerely,
Delilah Osborne
3. Just to Let You Know
You can use the phrase just to let you know to lead into a topic in a casual email to one of your colleagues.
If you have a friendly dynamic with your coworkers, you can use plain English in your emails and do away with regular etiquette. This keeps things short and to the point, which is ideal in a fast-paced office environment.
Check out the following email example:
Hi Duante,
Just to let you know, I’ve created a whole new file for Miss Keelie on Dropbox.
I’ll send you the code to access it.
All the best,
Seun
4. I Wanted to Touch Base
To “touch base” means to briefly make or renew contact with another person. Therefore, you can say I wanted to touch base in an email to a colleague if you would like to discuss an ongoing project.
This is a business casual variation of I am reaching out often used in work-related emails in the corporate realm.
Therefore, it would be appropriate to use this phrase even if you aren’t particularly close with the receiving colleague.
Have a look at the sample email below:
Dear Andre,
I wanted to touch base in reference to the assignment.
Have you had any success in your research?
Regards,
Leonard
5. I Wanted to Check In
If you are mentoring junior members of your workforce, you will probably email them from time to time to make sure they are managing in their role and are feeling suitably supported.
The phrase I wanted to check in is appropriate for a work email but has a friendly and approachable tone. This works well if you want to encourage junior team members to ask questions and approach you for help when they need it.
See the email below:
Dear Lilly,
I wanted to check in again and see how you’re fairing with Mr. Cole’s issue.
Have you found any helpful precedents?
Regards,
Tina
6. Just Popping in to Say
In an informal email to a colleague, you can provide a quick update with the phrase just popping in to say.
This phrase makes it clear that you are providing a non-urgent update on a particular situation.
It has a very relaxed and casual tone that wouldn’t suit a professional email to a client or superior. However, it works perfectly if you have a friendly dynamic with your team members.
For example:
Hi Clive,
Just popping in to say I found the notes I was looking for.
Thanks for your help!
Best,
Lydia
7. I Was Wondering
If you’re unsure how to write an email about a request, another casual way to say I am reaching out to a colleague is to simply say I was wondering.
People commonly used this phrase to request assistance from their fellows. It gets to the point but is phrased in such a way as to not sound impatient or demanding.
To see what we mean, check out the email sample below:
Dear Delia,
I was wondering whether you had some spare time to help with this assignment.
I think your finance experience is just what I need.
Let me know if you have a moment to chat.
All the best,
Freya
8. I Wanted to Follow Up
You can use the phrase I wanted to follow up if you have sent a previous email and have yet to receive a response from the recipient.
This phrase makes it clear that the subject of your email relates to a prior one. Therefore, it’s the perfect introduction to an email to a hiring manager if you have recently applied for a role and haven’t heard back.
Have a look at the following email example:
Dear Francesca,
I wanted to follow up regarding the job post from last week.
I provided my CV in a previous email. Did you receive it?
Kind regards,
Anise Richards
9. Regarding [Topic]
If you want to keep your email as short and concise as possible, you can immediately introduce its content with the phrase regarding [topic].
In the fast-paced business world, it is good to be straightforward and to the point in your correspondence with clients and fellow professionals. After all, time is money.
Therefore, let’s see how you can employ this phrase in an email sample:
Dear Miss Vera,
Regarding your inquiry, I will be forwarding you to our media department on the recommendation of my supervisor, Mr. Earl.
Yours sincerely,
Colleen Quest
10. I Wanted to Let You Know
If you’re emailing a colleague you are close to, you can jump straight in with the phrase I wanted to let you know. After all, the purpose of an email is to inform the recipient of something. So, why not make this clear in your opening line?
This phrase may be too casual for an exchange with a client or your boss. However, if you tend to keep things casual in your inter-office emails, this is a perfectly suitable alternative to I am reaching out.
Check out how we’ve used this phrase in our final example:
Dear James,
I wanted to let you know that I will be working from home tomorrow.
You can reach me on my home phone if there are any important updates.
All the best,
Shelby
Is It Correct to Say “I Am Reaching Out”?
It is perfectly correct to say I am reaching out in an email to a client, a colleague, or a superior when you are contacting them for a particular purpose.
This phrase has a rather casual tone, but it is used commonly in professional emails to introduce the subject of an email.
There are a number of more formal variations of this phrase, but you can generally use it regardless of the size or nature of your company.
So, let’s see a couple of email examples setting out how you can use this phrase in practice:
Dear Miss Vermont,
I am reaching out to you regarding your current contract with our organization.
Please contact me using the number below at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Christopher Theroux
Dear Xavier,
I am reaching out because I need your help with some coding.
Do you have some time to assist me this afternoon?
Regards,
Collin
So, we know that I am reaching out is a correct phrase commonly used to introduce a topic in an email.
However, this phrase may come across as rather standardized, and there are certainly more formal alternatives that you can use in a professional setting.
Therefore, to zest up your language and keep your work emails free from repetition, you can use one of our alternative phrases.
