Emails are an unavoidable means of business communication. They can’t be classified as either letters or conversations, but as the evolution and combination of those two communication forms.
As it’s the case with any means of business communication, ending your email the right way is important for many reasons. Some of them are:
- a proper sign-off indicates the end of a message
- it motivates the reader to take action
- it leaves the reader with a positive final impression
- it identifies the sender and their intentions
- it provides the recipient with sender’s contact information
Let’s now see what you should and should not include in your email endings and go through some examples of email sign-offs you can use for your business communication with prospects and colleagues.
Email sign-off examples you can use
Semi-professional email sign-offs
- Cheers – A universal sign-off, but it’s more appropriate in situations when you know the recipient well or have already established some kind of a bond.
- Later – A casual email sign-off, best used on someone you already know. Otherwise you risk being misinterpreted by some.
- Thanks! – Less professional than “Think you”, good for wrapping up an email in which you are requesting something from the recipient.
- Warmly – A sign-off you can use if your email doesn’t have an overly professional tone.
- Yours truly – A pretty neutral and professional email ending, although somewhat archaic.
- See you around – A friendly sign-off that can be used with someone you know and have met before in person.
- Sent from my iPhone – This sign-off can indicate that eventual typos in your email occurred because you were typing on your phone. It also makes your email sound casual.
- Have a wonderful weekend – An email sign-off you can use on Fridays which sounds thoughtful.
- Happy [weekday] – A friendly email ending which sounds genuine.
- Good luck with the [event-project] – Use this sign-off when the person you are sending your email to is someone who is participating in an event or starting/finishing a project.
- Drop me a line if you have any further questions – After, hopefully, successful exploratory meeting with your prospect, make it clear that you are here for them if they have any further questions.
- Your friendly [your job title] – A cheerful sign-off you can end your business email with.
- Sending you good vibes – A positive email ending to show your prospect you are on their side.
- Go [prospects favorite sports team] – If you know that your prospect is a fan of a certain sports team, show them you rooting for that team too.
Professional email sign-offs
- Best – A simple and universal email sign-off.
- Best regards – The same as the previous one, but sounds a bit more professional.
- Kind regards – A professional sign-off, but with a bit lighter tone.
- Regards – A straightforward email ending that you can’t go wrong with.
- Sincerely – A bit archaic but still professional sign-off.
- Thank you – The same as “Thanks” but more appropriate for professional emails.
- Looking forward to hearing from you – A typical ending of your first email, where you expect a reply from your prospect.
- Excited to be working with you on [project] – An email ending that shows your prospect you are serious about doing business with them.
- Will follow up with some more info soon – Use this email sign-off in situations where you need to check something and get back to your prospect later.
- Thank you in advance – A sign-off for emails in which you are asking your prospect to get back to you with an answer or info.
- With gratitude – A professional sign-off showing your gratitude for a potential or current business deal.
- Respectfully – This ending is appropriate when you are sending an email to someone who’s in a high position or is an authority in their field of business.
5 Dos and 5 Don’ts of Email Sign-Offs
Email Sign-Off Don’ts:
1. Don’t skip the closing
The purpose of email closing is to signal the recipient that it’s the end of the message. By including some kind of closing at the end of your email, the recipient can be sure that they received the entire message and that part of it wasn’t cut off. This is especially important in longer email conversations, where email clients sometimes place a part of the message after those three dots.
2. Don’t use oversized logos and company info
We don’t always have a choice to include a company logo in our email signature, but if we do, it’s important to try to make it subtle and tasteful. Big company logos, unnecessary information about the company, and lengthy email disclaimers can distract your recipients from the main point of the message.
3. Don’t have typos in your sign-off
Your entire email should be typo-free and that’s especially important for your email sign-off. Here, you need to be very clear with your final message or call to action, and any typos or bad grammar can ruin your entire effort of connecting professionally with someone.
4. Don’t use overly familiar greetings
Save the quirky or overly familiar greetings for your friends and family. Although you don’t always need to be too formal when writing professional emails, bear in mind that your recipients are expecting a certain level of professionalism on your part.
5. Don’t use the same sign-off in every email
Avoid using only one generic sign-off in your emails. This email element can save time and still serve its purpose of informing the recipient about the end of your message, but you should leverage its unused potential of personalizing your sign-off to strengthen the connection between you and your recipient or get them to take action.
Email sign-off dos:
1. Personalize your email ending
Email templates are a great way to save time and automate a part of your marketing or sales processes, and Autoklose is a great tool for this. Just make sure you implement some kind of personalization into your email campaign. One of the easiest ways to personalize your approach is through the sign-off where you can include your recipient’s name and a personalized message or a call to action. It is well known that referring to someone by their name builds trust and helps them remember the conversation better.
2. Include your full name in the sign-off
If you are sending someone an email for the first time, don’t assume that they will remember it or your name easily. In fact, most people forget names shortly after the introduction. For that reason, make sure you include your full name in the sign-off so it can be more easily remembered by your email recipients.
3. Include your title and contact information
When sending out business emails it’s appropriate and even desirable to include your title and affiliation with the company you are promoting. Besides the title, you can include your phone number, company website and even your social media profiles for LinkedIn or Twitter. Just don’t overdo it by promoting your projects and publications.
4. Include a call-to-action or a question
There’s no better place to insert a call-to-action than in the finishing sentences of your email. This will be the last thing your email recipient will read, so it will be the freshest info in their mind. Capitalize on this by adding something that will prompt them to take action. This may be a call to try your services or a question that will reveal their needs or preferences about the subject discussed. This also tells the reader how they should respond to your email and what the next steps are.
5. A/B test and improve
As said before, don’t stick with only one email ending. Always test different kinds of sign-offs and tweak accordingly. If something is not giving you desired results, get creative and try a different approach. Autoklose comes with the A/B testing feature that will help you find the best email sign-off.
