11 Fun Alternatives to “I Hope You’re Well” for Your Outreach

This post is brought to you by Sendoso Sr. Customer Advocacy Manager Leslie Barrett

‍Suuuuurprise! You received another email that starts with some variation of “I hope you’re well.” Well, we’re not well—not even close!

As a customer advocacy manager, I have to build relationships with customers everyday via email, Slack, or Zoom meetings. It’s so natural for me (Miss Bubbly Personality) to start out the conversation with, “I hope you are doing great!” (🤭). Recently, however, I’ve scaled back to, “I hope you are enjoying your work from home time.”

But … no one was really enjoying that either, so I was stuck. How do I build a real human connection and be sensitive at the same time?

Being full of energy, positivity, and dad jokes, I’ve created a list of “I hope you’re doing well” alternatives. They may sound similar, however, these phrases allow you to slowly build relationships that last and at the very least will brighten someone’s day.  Here are some that are getting some laughs and reply messages:

11 Ways to Open a Conversation Other Than “I Hope You’re Well”

1. “How actually are you? Really? The good, bad, and ugly! Lay it on me!”
2. “I was going to start this email off with a time travel joke but you didn’t like it!”
3. “I hope your week is smooth like buttah!” (My personal favorite)
4. “Aloha! No, I’m not in Hawaii but it helps me to pretend I am.”
5. “I hope your coffee is as hot as your leads! Badum Bum. Thank you, I’ll be here all night!” (You can substitute leads for anything relevant to your prospect or customer)!
6. “I hope your spirits are as high as your click-through rates!” (Same here)
7. “At last, we meet for the first time for the last time!”
8. “Happy Not-Monday!” or “Happy Pre-Friday” (on Thursdays)
9. “I don’t always start my emails with ‘I hope you are well,’ but if I do IT IS NOT during a pandemic.”
10. Any Office quote: “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” (and then “ah yes…” to start your point)
11. Or,  “Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” ( Insert Office meme and you’re golden.)

But creating human connections is more than what you say; it’s how you act. At Sendoso, I have the great privilege to be able to send personalized gifts, branded swag, eGifts, virtual experiences and more to anyone at any time to help further the relationship. Here are some appropriate sends that have been working in today’s sensitive time.

Keeping Relationships Strong with Thoughtful, Light-Hearted Sends Sends

• Sendoso Choice with Charity Choice as an option: Build a closer connection with customers by demonstrating you’re in tune with their interests or give them the chance to donate to a charity of their choice.
• Birthday gifts!: Sending a b-day card with a physical gift card inside is a low-cost way to really make a customer feel special. Birthdays are the worst right now; this will be a delight!
• Pinatagrams: I had no idea how much joy this would spark with customers! Our holiday-themed reindeer pinatagrams were delivered before Christmas and customers were able to enjoy them with their families.
• Exclusive seasonal gift for my most active advocates: I love designing exclusive swag and I’m able to make them feel special with an item that no one else will ever receive. This past summer, I created custom-branded sandals (or “slides”) for an event called “Slide into the Holiday Season.”
• A welcome kit for my advocates with a really soft shirt and cozy socks!: The handwritten note acknowledges their work from home time and the gift is relevant with cozy essentials.

ANYTHING TO KEEP CHILDREN OR DOGS BUSY:

At Sendoso, we also have branded dog toys. Sending someone a box full of items for their furry family members goes a long way. I’m a working mom with a dog. It’s tough to juggle everything right now! I will send customers who have children an activity from Amazon. For example: coloring books, sticker books, slime, puzzles, board games, DIY donut kits, etc.

While Sending is the most effective way to stand out and build lasting relationships, use this upcoming year to try new fun ways to be clever and make someone smile through your emails, Zoom calls, or sending efforts!  It solves the challenges of staying creative, agile, and connected to your audience—no matter what tactics you’re using or where your audience is in the world.

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