Is there a right and wrong way to email sign offs when you are sending business emails. Every working person will have faced this particular dilemma at some point in their careers ever since emails became the medium of correspondence with Clients, co-workers and other professionals.
Many people would disagree saying that e-mails are anyway an informal means of communication, so why should we care about correctness while sending out e-mails. Well, not so anymore. More and more today, e-mails have replaced the concept of writing letters to other people and that is the primary means of communication.
The contents of your e-mail may be without any errors but if the “sign-off” is wrong, then you will probably regret not having learnt the etiquette of a proper “sign-off” before sending off your e-mail because sometimes the recipient of your e-mail would judge you on the basis of that “sign-off”.
But have no fear because we’re going to help you out by suggesting the best ways to sign-off on an e-mail and the ones to avoid.
Best email sign offs that never fail:
1. Regards.
It may sound dull to you but it works like magic in professional e-mails because there’s nothing remarkable or bizarre about it.
2. Sincerely
If you’re writing a cover letter, sincerely conveys the right tone for formal communication.
3. Best Wishes
A safe bet to use the above and it blends friendly and formal quite well. But be careful while using it because it can sound like it has come straight out of a greeting card. Just ensure that it matches with the content of your mail.
Informal Business
4. Cheers
According to a study conducted by the e-mail app Boomerang, using Cheers in an e-mail is most likely sign-off to get a response. The best way to use this is if your e-mails have been friendly and conversational but word of advice, unless you are British or Australian it may come off as over the top in more formal settings.
5. Best
Yes, it is short for best wishes but in a more expressive way. Many people use this as their sign-off which makes it as easy and convenient as regards in more formal settings. The only issue is that it sounds a little boring if you want your e-mail to grab someone’s attention.
6. As Ever
This is a good way of reassuring people with whom you are in frequent contact that things are good between you as they have ever been.
Appreciation and Requests
7. Thanks in advance
In informal settings, this works perfectly because it sets off an expectation from the other person-that you will be grateful when the person to whom you’re e-mailing comes through. However, be cautious while using this in formal settings because it may show you as being too demanding
8. Thanks
Nothing better than a simple “Thanks” to express your appreciation and gratitude. But like “Thanks in advance” it does tend to imply some expectancy, so use it only when you mean to convey “I expect you to do this.”
9. I appreciate…..
There’s nothing wrong in expressing your appreciation when someone has helped you out.
Must see in the Next Part: Email sign offs to avoid
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Email sign offs to avoid
1. Love
Please do not use “Love” as a way of signing off on an official e-mail or you will never hear the end of it. Of course, it’s perfectly alright to use it for family and friends. The same rule applies to hugs and XoXo
2. Thx or Rgrds
You’re no longer a teenager and also not using a text message. Use the proper words. There is nothing worse than seeing text message abbreviations on formal communications.
3. Take Care
It sounds nice and benign but if you think deeper, it appears as if you’re telling the recipient to be wary of potential dangers. Use it only if you know the recipient well and he or she has been through some kind of illness or problem.
4. Looking forward to hearing from you
Again another sign-off that sounds nice on surface but at the end it sounds passive-aggressive. The recipient may take it as “You’d better write back.”
5. Yours truly
This sounds as if you’re saying you belong to the recipient. It sounds insincere and absurd unless you’re writing to your family or friends.
6. Respectfully/Respectfully yours
This is okay if you’re sending it to some government office but it’s too formal for anything else.
7. No sign-off
In a world where everyone frequently uses e-mails from mobile devices, it is impolite to exclude a signature in a first time communication with the recipient. Of course, if the recipient and you have frequently exchanged e-mails and the recipient has dropped the sign-off, then it’s alright to to exclude the same on your part.
8. Name or Initial
This may work for short and informal e-mails, but it’s too cold and detached for others, especially if you’re connecting with the recipient for the first time.
9. Have a blessed day
Sometimes it’s best to keep out anything with religious connotations out of your professional communications unless it is to someone from your Church.
10. Sent from my iPhone or Samsung Galaxy or Blackberry etc
Sign-offs like this have become so common these days. While it does have its merits because it means that you don’t have to explain your typos and lack of conciseness in the communique, it sends out a message that you don’t care enough to do away with the default e-mail signature that came with the phone’s e-mail app.
There are creative and fun signatures that are being circulated in the internet but we wouldn’t advice you to use them. But some of the most creative ones are:
• My parents wouldn’t buy me an iPhone so I have to manually type “Sent from my iPhone” to look cool
• Sent telepathically
• Sent from my laptop, so I have no excuse for typos
• Sent from my smartphone so please forgive any dumb mistakes
• I am responsible for the concept of this message. Unfortunately, autocorrect is responsible for the content
• Sent from my mobile. Fingers big. Keyboard small.
• iPhone. iTypos. iApologize.
• My phone can’t spell for carp
