13 Alternatives to “Looking Forward to Hearing from You”
“I appreciate your quick response.” This phrase is a simple and professional way to tell someone you expect a response for a time-sensitive matter. It doesn’t force them onto a strict deadline but still makes it clear there’s a sense of urgency—and that it’d be best to reply to you as soon as they reasonably can. Example: “Please let me know what your availability is for next week. I appreciate your quick response and look forward to setting up a meeting.” However, try to use this phrase only when the other person genuinely does need to respond quickly; otherwise, this phrase might come off sounding presumptuous or passive-aggressive. Other ways to say this phrase include: “A fast response is appreciated,” “I appreciate your timely response,” or “I appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.”
“We kindly request a response by…” This phrase may help you request information or a prompt response—especially from clients or contacts you have a generally positive relationship with. It’s polite but still direct, letting the recipient know exactly when you expect a response so they can make a plan to get back to you. Example: We kindly request a response by Wednesday, June 12th. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
“Talk to you soon.” “Talk to you soon” is a more informal phrase; it works best with anyone from colleagues you have a friendly working relationship with to a friend or acquaintance outside of work. It conveys the expectation that you want to chat again without being too specific—although you can easily change the phrasing around to be more concrete. Example: “We’re all set to meet up on the 20th. Talk to you soon!” You could also say, “Speak to you soon!” or make the phrase more direct by saying, “Talk to you next week!” or “Talk to you tomorrow!” Keep in mind that this type of casual signoff isn’t appropriate for formal work communication or people you’re speaking to for the first time.
“Unless I hear otherwise, I’ll assume…” This phrase can help you wheedle a final decision out of someone who’s being indecisive. It usually works better when used to speak to members of your team of colleagues you’ve worked with before; it implies that you don’t need a response if your assumption is correct but that you expect to be notified if the current plan changes. Example: Unless I hear otherwise, I’ll assume we’re moving forward with the marketing strategy discussed yesterday.”
“Please keep me informed.” Short and direct, this phrase works well when you’re overseeing a project, employee, or team of employees and need to be notified of any update. It also conveys a sense of trust in the person you’re talking to because you’re not giving them specific instructions—just asking them to use their best judgment and keep you in the loop. Example: “Please keep me informed as new data keeps coming in!” Try using this phrase around people you’ve worked with before rather than a new hire or colleague since you might need to be more specific or direct in those cases.
“Let me know if you have any questions!” “Let me know if you have any questions” is a polite and friendly phrase that doesn’t require a response; it simply lets the recipient know they can reach out anytime if needed. It’s handy when you need to email a manager, client, or colleague because it’s open and collaborative; its friendly tone even makes it helpful when emailing someone for the first time. Example: “Here’s the schedule for next week. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!”
“Let me know if you’re interested, and I’ll…” Use this open-ended phrase when emailing someone who doesn’t necessarily need to respond to you—if you’re trying to make a sale, tell them about a business venture, or ask for help on a work project, for example. It’s polite and gives the recipient room to either disregard the email or reply. Example: “I think you’d be great for this project. Let me know if you’re interested in joining the team, and I’ll update you with the next steps.”
“I’d love to hear your feedback.” When you use “I’d love to hear your feedback,” it implies that you’re expecting comments from the recipient—either on whatever you talked to them about, a project you’re working on, or some other important matter. It’s also a positive, friendly phrase because it shows the other person you value their input (without pressuring them for a reply). Example: “The completed spreadsheet is attached. If you have any feedback, I would love to hear it!” Similar expressions include, “Let me know if that sounds good to you,” and “I’m eager to hear your thoughts on this!”
“Can you let me know…?” Use this phrase when you’re looking for a specific piece of information. You might ask this question in the body of an email or sign off with it to remind the recipient that you’ll be waiting for an answer. Asking, “Can you let me know…?” prompts the recipient to consider your question and get back to you in time. Example: “Can you let me know if I understood these instructions correctly? Thank you!” You could also ask questions like, “Is this assumption correct?” or “Does this work for you, or would you prefer something else?”
“Can you point me to the right person?” Say whoever you’re talking to—a colleague or manager, for example—isn’t the right person to answer your question (or they don’t have time to respond to all of your queries). In that case, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask them for a nudge in the right direction. Just be sure to phrase your question politely! Example: “I’m unsure if you’re the person to contact about this matter. If not, or if you’re unable to look at the proposal, could you point me to the right person? Much appreciated!”
“Always happy to hear from you!” If you’re looking for a warm, friendly way to respond to someone and leave the door open for communication in the future, this phrase can do just that. It’s open-ended and more casual than some of the other phrases here, sending the message that you’re flexible and the other person can reach out to you anytime. Example: “Feel free to reach out with any questions. I’m always happy to hear from you!” Use this phrase around people you already have a good relationship with—whether that relationship is personal or professional.
“Please respond at your earliest convenience.” This phrase is common among professional communications; it’s formal and direct, indicating urgency without forcing the recipient to respond instantly. Basically, shows the recipient that you’re flexible and don’t expect them to drop whatever they’re doing, but you’d still like a response as soon as they can manage it. Example: “Please respond at your earliest convenience and let us know what time you’re available for the presentation next week.”
“Let’s…” or “Please…” Sometimes, the best way to communicate with a colleague, client, or employee is to give them a direct call to action. Start the request with “Let’s…” or “Please…” and then explain exactly what you need from them, whether that’s an answer, information, or for the recipient to complete a task of some kind. This phrasing can also help you ask for a follow-up email! Example: “Let’s discuss this further on Thursday. Could we meet in your office at 10 am?” Example: “Please forward these instructions to the rest of the team and let me know about any questions we should address.” If you want the request to be a bit warmer in tone, you could also say something like, “I’d appreciate it if you could send me those documents this week.”
What does “Looking forward to hearing from you” mean?
The phrase politely conveys that you expect a response from someone. You might use it when you want to let the recipient get back to you on their own time but still make it clear that a response is warranted (since the phrase is less open-ended than “I hope to hear from you.”) Nonetheless, it’s a warm and welcoming phrase, conveying that you’re excited to hear from the recipient. The expression “Looking forward to hearing from you” uses a phrasal verb, combining “hear” with the preposition “from.” It essentially gives the word “hearing” a new meaning; in this case, it means “get a reply.”
When should you say “Looking forward to hearing from you”?
This phrase is appropriate to use as a sign-off in professional emails. Whenever you’re talking to someone and want a response from them (sooner rather than later), you can use this phrase to prompt them. You might use it while emailing a colleague you’re working with, talking to a recruiter, reaching out to a prospective client, or in an interview follow-up email. Still, it’s also a good idea to swap out this phrase with the variants above to ensure you don’t overuse it; otherwise, “looking forward to hearing from you” might end up feeling too unspecific or impersonal. Instead of using the same phrase, craft responses that might apply to your specific situation. This is helpful because: Building a more customized, personal response can help you gain the trust of prospective clients and make sales. Personalized responses that don’t all have the same phrase can also show the person you genuinely care about your interactions with them and consider them important. Switching up your responses depending on the situation can also make you look more professional to colleagues and clients.
Is “I look forward” or “Looking forward” correct?
Both phrases are usable and mean the same thing overall. Technically, the phrase “Looking forward to hearing from you” doesn’t have a subject—but it’s still common workplace jargon, so using it instead of “I look forward to hearing from you” isn’t a problem. The only thing to keep in mind is that “I look forward to…” is more formal, so consider using it over “Looking forward…” when it’s important to sound super professional. For example, you might say, “Looking forward to hearing from you!” when messaging a manager with whom you already have a rapport. On the other hand, you might say, “I look forward to hearing from you,” when reaching out to a potential professional mentor for the first time.
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