What’s wrong with using “I’ll touch base with you” in an email? “Touching base” simply means getting in contact with someone. (It’s believed to derive from baseball, where a player must touch four bases to score a run.)
Unfortunately, a Glassdoor survey revealed roughly one in four employees think “touch base” is the most annoying buzzword. So if you often toss it around, you might be irritating your coworkers, prospects, and connections.
“Touch Base” Alternatives
1) “I’ll call you at [date and time] to [gauge your progress, see if you have any questions, review your work].”
Instead of the vague “touching base,” this line spells out exactly when you’ll contact the other person and what your purpose will be.
2) “Can we meet for [X minutes] sometime [this week, next month, next quarter] to discuss [topic]?”
If your meeting is going to be relatively quick -- or it’s too far away to pick a specific day -- try this question. It accomplishes the same purpose as “let’s touch base” but gives more detail and secures your recipient’s buy-in.
3) “Let’s check in via [email, Skype, Slack, text, a phone call] once [X benchmark is hit].”
Maybe you can’t pin down a date because you’re waiting to pass a certain milestone -- like you want to talk to your prospect as soon as they’ve gotten the go-ahead from Legal. Clarify the communication channel you’ll use and the key event so both parties know exactly what’s going to happen next.
4) “Let’s meet again in a [week, month] for [X purpose]. Are you free on [date and time]?”
Because you’re asking if they’re available, rather than if they’d like to speak again in the first place, this soft close makes a second meeting more likely -- while still giving them a choice in the matter.
5) “Please send me an update on your progress on [date].”
Do you need to touch base so the other person can brief you on what they’ve accomplished? Be explicit. Far from sounding rude, this statement actually puts them at ease by giving them your exact expectations. As an added benefit, you sound confident and in control.
6) “Before I can do X, I need [Y dependency]. Want to [meet, talk] on [date and time] so I can fill you in on how it’s going?”
Try this casual version of “touching base” when you’re in the midst of a project that requires participation from others.
Shorter alternatives to “touching base”
You can also try these short and sweet options.
- “Huddle about A”
- “Speak about B”
- “Talk through C”
- “Share our thoughts on D”
- “Brief each other about E”
- “Update each other on F”
- “Give each other the news on G”
- “Share our progress on H”
- “Provide an overview of I”
- “Quickly sync up about J”
- “Fill each other in on K”
- “Catch each other up about L”
- “Contact you about M”
- “Call me about N”
- “Swap our feedback on O”
- “Discuss P”
- “Chat about Q”
- “Hear how you’re doing with R”
- “Get in touch about S”
- “Restart our conversation about T”
- “Learn more about U”
- “Noodle over V”
- “Think out loud about W”
- “Talk about X”
- “Powwow about Y”
- “Brainstorm ideas for Z”
Now that you've got these alternatives up your sleeve, you never have to annoy anyone with your workplace jargon again.
FAQs
Some synonyms for touch base include: Catch up. Chat. Have a chat.
What is a better way of saying touch base? ›
Some synonyms for touch base include: Catch up. Chat. Have a chat.
How do you say "just wanted to touch base"? ›
Nine “Touch Base” Synonyms
- Let's discuss this… Let's touch base next week. ...
- Let's schedule a meeting for… Let's touch base on October 6th at 9:30 AM. ...
- Let's have a conversation on… ...
- Let's update each other on… ...
- Let's brief each other… ...
- I'll follow up… ...
- I'll contact you… ...
- I'm following up on…
What is another word for touch base?
| communicate | chat |
|---|
| go into a huddle | interview |
| discuss | vent |
| debate | huddle |
| hold discussion | consult each other |
92 more rowsLet's touch base is an expression used to suggest to someone that you touch base or briefly reconnect. It's rarely used in formal or academic writing.
What is another name for a catch up meeting? ›
A catch-up meeting is also often called a “catch-up call” or “check-in.” If your catch-up meeting is more formal and about a current project or initiative, calling it a “status meeting” or “progress meeting” might make more sense.
Is touch base an American phrase? ›
ORIGIN: This reference stems from baseball, the quintessential American pastime. There are 4 bases in the game, and the reference means to “touch base” to score a “run” (point). (Hint: Americans love using sports terminology in their idioms.
What is a good subject line for a touching base email? ›
Here's an example of a compelling subject line for a touching-base email: "Checking in: How are things going, [Recipient's Name]?" This subject line conveys a sense of personal connection and genuine interest in the recipient's well-being. Using their name adds a personalized touch, making them feel valued.
What's another way to say "just checking in"? ›
1. “Let's catch up.” “Let's catch up” is a great phrase to use when you're on a somewhat casual basis with the recipient.
What is an example of a touch base message? ›
An example might look something like this: Hi Beverly! I'm just touching base to see if you've had a chance to discuss our proposal with your team. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
It's most often used in a business context, but it can also be used in informal contexts to mean the same thing. It's rarely used in formal or academic writing.
Is touching base a good subject line? ›
Not only do they come off as wasteful and inconsiderate of the prospect's time, they simply don't work. In fact, “Touching base” was found to fail 50% of the time. Bottom line: always have a reason for following up.
How to touch base with an old client? ›
Connect on a personal level. Using personal events can be an effective method of reconnecting with old clients and engaging them in a conversation. For example, if you've recently heard of an old client getting married or receiving a promotion, you may send them an email congratulating them on these events.
When your boss wants to touch base? ›
Touch-based meetings are more like catch-up meetings. Contrary to some beliefs, they are informal in nature and are only organized to get reports on the progress rather than calling out or reprimanding anyone — meaning you should not fret whenever your supervisor asks for a touch base meeting.
What does touch base mean in vocabulary? ›
to communicate, make contact, or reconnect, especially quickly or briefly: It's important to reach out to the client at least twice a year, just to touch base and update the account. They touched base with every political group on campus during the campaign season.
What does touch base mean in professional terms? ›
Touch base is an idiom often seen in business contexts meaning to make contact or reconnect with someone briefly, as in "let's touch base next week." The phrase is thought to have some relation to baseball where both runner and fielders have to "touch base" in order to be safe or record an out.
How do you say touch base in email? ›
An example might look something like this: Hi Beverly! I'm just touching base to see if you've had a chance to discuss our proposal with your team. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
What is a synonym for lets connect? ›
let's collaborate. let's combine efforts. let's come together. let's communicate. let's communicate face-to-face.
