How To End An Email | (Full Guide) + Sample Closings Inside

Emails are a core part of the corporate culture. If you wonder why companies pay so much attention to the quality of their emails, it’s because they represent the company’s brand presence to employees, clients, and potential customers. The email system remains a powerful tool to drive growth in the 21st century. Most established companies already have standard email templates.

It’s important to put a lot of thought into your emails and understand how each part of the email impacts the image you present. This is super important when emailing someone for the first time. These elements, ranging from salutation to the closing line, can put you in a bad or good light based on how you use them.

This guide will show you what it takes to send a great email. You’ll learn how the end of your email adds value to your messages and how it might impact your response rates. We will also show you practical samples you can leverage to create yours. Overall, your email etiquette would have improved by the time you’re done reading.

 

Why An Email Closing Is Important

When you’re attempting to sell a service or product, an important thing to do is to have a call-to-action (CTA). You might think this doesn’t serve any purpose. But inviting people to check something out or nudging them in a particular direction often works.

Similarly, your closing line is the last thing your recipients read when sending an email. Therefore, you must carefully write something that’s motivating enough to drive a response.

For instance, if you meet a prospective client at a networking event, you’ll want to give them your card after having a conversation. “Oh, I had a great time chatting with you. Here’s my card. You can always reach me.”

Therefore, think about your email in a similar manner. It’s crucial to end it with a friendly yet professional statement. Doing this increases your chances of getting a response, especially when you’re reaching out for a prospective relationship.

Even if you’re just sending an email to a coworker, someone in the industry you operate, or you’re resigning from your job, ending your email professionally helps you create a formal outlook for yourself. Your sign-off serves as your email signature.

 

Here Are Some Tips For Creating A Professional Email Ending

When contemplating how you can effectively end an email, use the following tips as a guide:

 

— Use Your Full Name

Your full name is one of the ways to register your presence in people’s minds. You can have many people bearing your first name. But your full name? Quite unlikely. When you end an email this way, the email recipient does not doubt your identity and can easily categorize you in their minds.

— Maintain Professionalism

The best approach to sending an email message, especially to a new person, is to keep things professional. Erring on the side of professionalism will save you from unprecedented responses — or a lack of any — and help you make a positive impression. However, when you’ve exchanged a few emails, you can introduce some casualness into it.

— Be Sure Whether You Need A Closing

Sometimes, you might have become too comfortable with the recipient that you’re unsure whether you should sign off the emails. In this case, it’s better to sign off the email still professionally. Doing this indicates your attention to detail and respect for the recipient.

 

What To Include In A Professional Email Closing

An email isn’t complete until certain things have been included. These elements shape the email and make it suitable for your intended purposes. This section will discuss some key elements you should include in your email endings.

 

— Closing Line

The closing line is the last part of your email. It is as important as your subject line. You should thank the recipient and leverage that last part to call them to action, especially when sending a cover letter. This subtly shows that you’re anticipating a response from them. A great closing line might appear thus:

Thank you for your time and consideration for the interview. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

(Full Name)

— Your Full Name

Stamp your identity clearly by using your full name to sign off an email. This is especially important if you’re applying for a role or if you need a response to the email you’re sending. Therefore, use your full name in your resume, important documents, and email text.

— Professional Title

You should also include your professional title when signing off an email. This doesn’t have to include where you currently work. However, it should indicate what you do. For instance, your professional title can be “Account Executive”

— Company Name

However, if you wish to add your company, then by all means. This should come right below your professional title.

— Contact Information

The recipient of the email already has your email address by default. However, you should still add some other contact details to the email. This can be your phone number.

 

Best Business Email Sign Offs

You can consider numerous business email sign-offs when looking to end an email. Although there are many, we will highlight 20 options in this section. These include:

 

• Kind regards
• Best regards
• Sincerely
• Best
• Warm regards
• Yours faithfully
• Regards
• Fond Regards
• Thanks again
• Thank you
• Yours sincerely
• With gratitude
• Look forward to hearing from you
• With appreciation
• All the best

 

You might be sending professional emails in a semi-professional setting or to someone you’re conversant with. In such instances, you might try using some of the semi-formal options below.

 

• Yours truly
• Many thanks
• Faithfully
• Cheers
• Warmly
• Best wishes
• Sincerely yours
• Warm wishes
• Have a great day

 

As you can see, these sign-offs, especially in the first category, carry a professional tone. The recipient will understand that you’re communicating professionally and consequently will respond similarly.

You should also pay attention to how other people sign off their emails professionally. This will further give you insights into other sign-off options you can use. Once you’ve finally chosen some options you like, you can save them in your email settings and use them for relevant scenarios.

 

Email Sign Offs To Avoid

While you have several email sign-off options to use, there are many others you should avoid, especially in a formal business setting. Understanding the nature of your email and the recipient is important to know the right sign-offs to use. Here are some email sign-offs you should avoid.

 

• Love 
• See ya
• Talk soon
• Xoxo
• Hugs
• Thx
• See you
• See ya later
• Using emoticons

 

Doing any of these would mean you don’t regard your recipient professionally. These sign-offs can even do more damage, as the recipient might write you off as an unserious individual. The importance of maintaining professionalism in emails is to create a picture. Signing off your emails in an unprofessional manner adversely affects that image.

 

Sample Email Closings

Depending on the subject of the email, we have identified five ways through which you can end your emails. These email-ending examples are highly suitable if you’re applying for a role or looking to get on a project.

 

— Ending An Email For A Job Consideration

Thank you for your consideration and time. I had a great time speaking with you today and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards

(Your Full Name)

(Your Professional Title)

(Your Phone Number)

 

— Email After A Phone Screening

I had a great time speaking with you over the phone concerning (job title). I have attached my portfolio (you can also add your Linkedin profile) to this email for your perusal.

Kind regards

(Your Full Name)

(Your Professional Title)

(Your Phone Number)

 

— Email Following An Interview

The importance of follow-up emails after an interview cannot be overemphasized. Here’s an example of how to sign off your follow-up email.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to the next stage of the hiring process.

Best

(Your Full Name)

(Your Professional Title)

(Your Phone Number)

 

— Email In Response To A Meeting Request

I have gone over the details of the project, and I look forward to meeting you on Friday.

Regards

(Your Full Name)

(Your Professional Title)

(Your Phone Number)

 

— Offer Acceptance Email

You need to understand how to send emails for job acceptance. The email should show your excitement and anticipation.

I have had a great time all through the hiring process. I am excited about the new role and look forward to discussing further details.

With gratitude

(Your Full Name)

(Your Professional Title)

(Your Phone Number)

 

Ending Emails For Other Purposes

You might need to end emails for other purposes. This section will discuss some other ways to end an email.

 

— Ending An Email To A Professor

The level of seriousness business emails require applies when interacting with education professionals. Often, professors receive unprofessional emails from students. As such, you’d want to ensure your email is not only straightforward but also professional if you’re looking to get a favorable response. 

If you’re wondering how to sign off an email to your professor, here’s a sample of a professional email sign-off.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait for the next class. 

When you’re emailing your professor, you should send the email way before the time you require a response, as they mostly have very busy schedules. Essentially, ask for help or clarification when you need it from your professor. But do it professionally.

 

— Closing An Email With “Thank You”

One of the most popular ways to end an email is “thank you.” This is a no-brainer. The term easily helps people indicate that they value the recipient’s time. It’s also a common term that quickly shows gratitude.

While it’s pretty much easy to use “thank you” in informal emails, the case isn’t quite the same when you’re sending professional emails. Sending an email to show gratitude might be a factor that increases your chance during the hiring process. Therefore, you should understand how to use “thank you” in your email without sounding desperate.

Examples include “thank you for the interview opportunity today. I had a great time talking about my experience working in a (role). I look forward to bringing my skills to this new role and delivering accordingly.”

A great way to use “thank you” is to start your email with the term and also use it as the closing phrase. Twice is enough for strategic positioning without sounding awkward. Using this term to your advantage is a way of edging other candidates during the hiring process.

 

— Ending A Friendly Email

It’s not every time you send emails that they go out to a business partner, a recruiter, or your professor. Sometimes, you send emails to a friend or colleague. Emails of this nature are relaxed and friendly. Consequently, they are ended and signed off differently.

If you’re curious about ending an informal email, don’t stress it. Simply use the language you’d have used if you were speaking to them physically. Some of these options include:

 

• Cheers
• Warm regards
• Yours truly

 

These emails are conversational, and, as such, the phrases should sound normal and day-to-day. When emailing friends, you don’t require that much thinking since you’re not trying to get them to respond. Being a conversational email, they naturally will. Also, you’re not selling a product or applying for a job. So, there’s room for informalities and doing it as you please. When you’re done, you can use friendly email closing lines.

 

The Bottom Line

Understanding email sign-off hacks is an effective way to get things done in the corporate world. If you’re curious about ending a professional email, this guide has provided you with a comprehensive answer on the best email sign-offs.

Often, you’ll be sending emails to colleagues, clients, and even recruiters when you’re searching for a new job. You should know the tips to improve your chances of getting a response when you need one. You should also read your emails thoroughly to avoid typos and ensure you don’t use abbreviations.

Knowing the best ways to sign off your emails will help you out here. You use the right sign-offs for business emails and keep the informal ones for conversational emails with your friends. This guide has covered the importance of signing off your email, the sign-offs to avoid, and the ones to use.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you say at the end of an email?

When ending an email, especially a professional email, it’s important to sign off the email. This is a part of the professional culture even when you’re emailing your colleague.

The importance of signing off your email is highlighted when applying for a role or a project. Given that the recipient might receive tens of emails daily, one of the ways to establish your identity is to sign off your email with your details. These should include your full name, professional title, and contact information.

When you do this, you eliminate all doubts about your identity in the recipient’s mind. Now, they know it’s you and can respond accordingly when they are ready. Additionally, signing off your email improves your chances of getting a response. The sign-off is your way of subtly letting the recipient know that you look forward to their reply. You might think this is insignificant, but it’s a tactic that often gets people to respond to their emails.

Some of the things you can say include “best regards,” “kind regards,” “best,” and many others.

 

What is the most common email sign-off?

There are many email sign-offs in use. Often, people have their preferences concerning this, so it can be difficult to ascertain any as the most common. Of course, some of the most popular ones are “best regards” and “kind regards.” These email sign-offs are generally used in the corporate space, as you’ll find them on millions of emails.

Notably, it’s immaterial what email sign-off is the most common. If you’re sending an email, you simply need to choose any of the available options. People generally know the formal sign-offs when they see them. We have also listed up to 20 options you can consider in this guide.

Nevertheless, it’s not a bad idea to study the emails from other people to see how they sign off. This can significantly improve how you sign off your emails as well. However, we’ll advise that you note the email sign-offs to avoid. It’s important not to conflate the two. Using the wrong sign-offs can adversely affect the quality and perception of your email and, by extension, you.

 

What is an appropriate email closing?

An appropriate email closing speaks to the nature of the email. This means that there is no one appropriate email. For instance, a formal email sign-off would be wrong for an informal email. Likewise, an informal email sign-off won’t appear right on a professional email. The requirements of a business correspondence emails differ from that of a casual email.

Therefore, it’s important to know the appropriate sign-off to use. An appropriate email closing for professional emails in a hiring process might want to speak to gratitude for the opportunity and anticipation of the next steps. 

For example, “I am glad to have had the opportunity of interviewing with your team. I look forward to the next steps! Thank you.”

 

Do you end a professional email differently than a personal email?

Yes. A professional email demands a formal tone. You must end such an email on a relevant note accordingly. A personal email, on the other hand, is conversational and informal. You can end such emails as you deem fit. After all, you’re perhaps speaking to a close friend or a family member.

Concerning formal emails, there are established popular email sign-off options you can use. This is not exactly the case with personal emails. There’s a large room for creativity and comfort when sending personal emails. You can even use emoticons to sign them off.