6 More Formal Ways To Say “Please Provide…” At Work

“Please provide” is a common phrase you might see in business contexts. We use it when we’re asking for somebody to give something to us (usually that we’ve asked for in the past). This article will look at the most suitable alternative for formal situations.

What Can I Say Instead Of “Please Provide…” In A Business Context?

There are a few great choices that we can use in place of “please provide.” They include the following:

  • Provide
  • Could you give
  • Please deliver
  • Could you deliver
  • Please give
  • Supply
formal ways to say please provide

The preferred version is “provide.” Interestingly enough, removing the word “please” is sometimes the best thing to do to keep the formality and politeness up. “Please provide” shows an element of impatience, so “provide” on its own removes this idea.

Provide

Let’s start with the preferred variation. Simply removing the “please” is more effective than you might realize.

“Provide” is a great alternative to “please provide.” Removing the “please” is the first step to making it the most professional and polite business greeting. We use “provide” when asking for information or data to be given to us by the recipient of the email.

“Please provide” isn’t nearly as rude as you might think. However, sometimes “please” can be misconstrued. For this reason, we might feel more secure removing “please” entirely from the phrase and just focusing on the “provide” portion of it.

You can see it in the following example emails:

  • Dear Mr. Harrington,
  • I hope you’re doing well. If you could provide me with the information that I’ve attached in the field below, that would be great.
  • Thank you for your time,
  • Mrs. Money

Could you give

“Could you give” is another way we could write the phrase in a business context.

“Could you give” works well because “could you” allows us to stay polite. It gives people a chance to consider their options, even if they have to “give” us the thing they’re working with. “Could you give” is polite and reasonable, which works better than “please provide.”

While “please” might seem rude and rushed, “could you” removes both of those tonal issues. Now, we’re simply asking whether someone is capable of doing something for us, and whether they’re happy to “give” us what we’re asking for.

Here are some great examples that show you how it might work:

  • Dear Mr. Pritchard,
  • Could you give me some more information on the problem you’re having? I’ll look into it as soon as I’m back in the office tomorrow.
  • Thank you,
  • George Merriweather
  • Dear Susan Bones,
  • If you don’t mind, could you give me a little more information? I like to know everything about my clients before going into direct business with them.
  • I hope you don’t mind, and I’ll hear from you soon,
  • Mrs. Jacobs

Please deliver

“Please deliver” still uses “please,” but it might work in certain contexts.

While “please” has already been mentioned as an impatient word in some cases, “please deliver” still makes for a good alternative. Providing that we write it in business contexts where there isn’t a direct rush or sense of urgency, we can still use it in a polite manner.

The reason we might avoid using “please” comes from the tone. If we’re using “please” to pressure someone into delivering, then it’s likely that there are better options in this list. However, if we’re using it to be polite and calm, there’s no reason why “please deliver” won’t work.

The following example emails show you how “please deliver” might sometimes be superior to “please provide:.”

  • Dear Sir Walters,
  • Please deliver the documents to my door by the end of the day. I have big plans for what I’m going to do with them.
  • I look forward to seeing what you’ve got,
  • Mrs. Tam
  • Dear Craig Ritchie,
  • Please deliver the information as soon as you’re finished with it. I’m interested to see what we’ve got to work with.
  • Kind regards,
  • Mr. Samson

Could you deliver

“Could you” is yet another way we can replace “please.” We’ve already used it once before, but this section gives you a new verb with “deliver.”

If you don’t like “please” as a starter, you could swap it with “could you” in the phrase “could you deliver.” Again, we’re not putting any pressure on the person we’re talking with. Instead, we’re checking whether they’re happy and able to “deliver” whatever we’re asking for.

This is a really good way of showing that you’re trying to be as polite as you can. After all, we don’t want to alienate the person we’re emailing or speaking to before the conversation has even started.

The following examples will help you to understand how it might work:

  • Dear John Johnson,
  • Could you deliver a message to the team on the fourth floor? I believe they’re expecting this information from me.
  • Thank you for your time,
  • Sarah Hodge
  • Dear Mr. Hogarth,
  • Could you deliver the memo when you get a moment? I’m eager to find out what it could have written on it.
  • I look forward to seeing you soon,
  • Mrs. Smith

Please give

“Please give” is a simpler form of “could you give,” and we’re reverting back to using “please.”

“Please give” uses “please” again. However, it works well when we don’t want to rush the person we’re speaking to. Providing that the rest of our email or conversation is upbeat and friendly, there is no reason why “please give” can’t be seen as a polite response or question.

“Please give” is just another replacement for “could you give.” In fact, the two phrases of “please” and “could you” are interchangeable (as you might have already noticed from the rest of the synonyms in this article).

We can see how “please give” affects the following emails:

  • Dear Mr. O’Connor,
  • Please give me the information you’ve been working with. I’m anticipating vital results, and your work will be much appreciated.
  • Yours sincerely,
  • Robert Sours
  • Dear Mrs. Kullen,
  • Please give me a little bit of time to continue working on my findings. I’m sure I’m about to come across a scientific breakthrough!
  • I’ll make sure to keep in touch,
  • Dr. Janitor

Supply

Finally, we want to run you through “supply.” While it’s not the most effective alternative, it’s still a suitable replacement. Provided the situation calls for it, “supply” can work very well.

“Supply” works on its own when we want to be given certain information. It’s synonymous with “provide” and “deliver,” but we use it when we’re specifically looking for a certain thing.

“Please supply” is also an option, but we didn’t think it warranted its own section in this article. “Supply” works well on its own without the worry of “please” making it seem like a more impatient phrase than it needs to be.

The following examples will show you the best ways to use “supply” in a business context.

  • Dear Mr. Matthewson,
  • Could you supply the information to your supervisors when you get a chance? They will pass it up to me when they’re ready.
  • Thank you for your hard work,
  • Mrs. Murdock
  • Dear Ned,
  • Please supply me with your personal details so I can update them in the system. I’m sorry we haven’t gotten around to this already.
  • Yours sincerely,
  • Mrs. Brant

When Is It Sufficient To Use “Please Provide…” In A Business Context?

So, when is it sufficient to use “please provide” in place of any of the above. Well, the answer is that it depends on the context and the person you’re talking to.

There is nothing wrong with using “please provide” in any business context. In most cases, it’s expected when you’re looking to be polite about a request for information of some kind.

The only reason we might avoid using it is when the “please” could be construed as impolite or impatient. If this is the case, you’ll be better off with one of the synonyms we provided above.

These examples will show you what we mean. First, we’ll show you a good way to use it:

  • Dear sir,
  • I hope you’re doing well after our meeting.
  • Please provide me with the information that I’ve listed in the attached document, as I’m looking forward to working closely with you.
  • Kind regards,
  • Mr. Harris

As you can see, “please provide” is perfectly acceptable here. It’s not rushed, and it’s not rude. It works well to convey a polite meaning for “please provide.”

On the other hand, we might see this:

  • Dear Robert,
  • I’ve asked you again and again for an update on the new project.
  • Please provide me with an update immediately before I lose my patience.
  • Kind regards,
  • Mrs. Kitt

Here, impatience and rudeness are made apparent. Unless you’re a boss who doesn’t mind what their employees think about them, you shouldn’t write emails in this way.

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