Emails are one of the most important tools used by businesses today.
- More than 306.4 billion emails were sent in 2020, with marketers creating the bulk of those. Statistics show that 89% of marketing professionals use emails as their primary way to generate leads.
- Most professionals send more than 40 emails daily, with most spending 28 percent of work time on emails.
- Most people check their emails 11 times an hour! Around 84% keep their email operating in the background, so they don’t miss any while working.
- Why is there so much focus on emails? It’s because they work. The rate of opening professional emails is 20.89%.
One way that makes an email effective is by closing it in a way that provokes action. What else should an email close include? Take a look at our guide on how to end an email to learn more.
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How should you end a professional email?
Ready to send a professional email? Follow these steps:
Adjust your thinking about written communication.
Don’t think of the email as a letter. Think of it as a conversation, and the closing ends the conversation. You want to end it professionally, politely with a call to action.
Always use your full name.
Using your full name, including first and last name, is a formal way to correspond when you don’t know someone well. Some people use their middle initial also to enhance authority and professionalism. That is optional. Using your full name will also prevent confusion with someone else for the first time. As you get to know the recipient, you may move to just using your first name, but that is a long time down the road when you consider each other professional friends.
Use the appropriate tone.
Use professional language when you don’t know someone well, especially when applying to jobs. Those who are unsure should mirror the recipient’s tone in their return email. Let them set the tone between formal and casual. Those who remain uncertain should keep a highly professional tone.
Keep it brief.
Some people try to close the email with a long call to action. That is overselling. State your call to action in one sentence, thank them for their time, and close it out. Be sure to proofread it and check for typos.
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How to format an email close
The format of an email is always the same, even if the words and goals are different. Below are the components in order.
1. Include a closing line.
A closing line has the call to action and a line of gratitude for them taking the time to read the letter. The final phrasing should indicate that you are awaiting a response.
Example:
Thank you for taking the time to review my proposal. It would be my pleasure to show you my formal presentation at your convenience. I look forward to seeing what times you have available at your office.
2. Write an end greeting.
This is a phrase above your signature and name. It’s a formal end greeting, like “Sincerely,” which indicates the letter is ending. The phrase you pick depends on the purpose of the email.
3. Write your full name.
This makes it clear who sent the email. Use the same full name on every piece of correspondence, from a resume to a cover letter and other documents.
4. List your title.
All professionals put their titles under their names, so the recipient knows the department they work in. This is important if they call and get another department’s receptionist. Some people also put the company under their title to make it clear who is contacting them. This is typically done in bid proposals or sales pitches.
Example:
Sincerely,
John Smith
Sales Manager
XYZ Car Company
5. Include contact information
It’s always good to include additional ways to contact you even though the recipient has your email address. Some people rather call and talk on the phone. Plus, providing this additional information assures the email recipient that this is not a scam email because it has a verifiable identity.
Include a direct phone number at the office, along with a general office, cell, and fax numbers.
Best email sign-off phrases
There are different email endings you use depending on the purpose of the email and how well you know the recipient. You’ll need to select an appropriate sign-off.
Here are some closing examples:
- Sincerely
- Best regards
- Warm regards
- Kind regards
- Thank you
- Many thanks
- With gratitude
- Warm wishes
- Best of luck
- Good luck
- Sincerely yours
- Have a great day
- Blessed day
- Salutations
What should your email signature look like?
Email personal signatures have evolved over the years. That is, in part, to scammers posing as people and cloning letterheads for theft. An email signature provides a verification of who you are as well as how to reach you. It can inspire confidence in the recipient that you are a professional and are willing to put your name and picture on your ideas and proposals.
Here is what a personal email signature should include.
Your full name, job title, and company name.
As stated above, adding a full name and job title clarifies who is sending the email.
A professional photo of yourself.
A picture identifies you and adds a bit of confidence that the recipient is dealing with a professional. Make sure it is a professionally-taken picture because an amateur one will do more harm than good. In other words, don’t try to crop your face out of your last family vacation photo. Go a solo picture where you’re wearing business attire.
A direct phone number.
This gives the recipient a way to get in touch with you immediately if they have questions or want to make an appointment. Some people rather deal with others by phone.
A website address that is hyperlinked.
A hyperlinked website address allows the email recipient to explore your company or portfolio on their own so they can decide how to proceed.
Social media icons with links to any professional profiles you want to share.
This allows the recipient to get to know you and verify your success. Be careful which icons you list because some personal profiles shouldn’t be shared. For example, you can list your LinkedIn profile or a targeted TikTok ad.
How should you end an email to a person you’ve never met?
You want to make a good impression, so it’s best to take a formal approach when sending email messages to people you’ve never met. However, the formula remains the same. You thank them, give them a call to action, and let them know you are available to make an appointment or answer questions.
It’s good to allow them to ask questions since you’ve never met them. They probably have a few. The phrasing should be something like, “I appreciate the opportunity to share this proposal with you and hope you see the benefit in it. I look forward to meeting you at your convenience to go over it in more detail. Please feel free to call me directly with any questions.”
Then you give the end phrase, your full name, title, company, and direct contact information since it’s a formal email. The idea is to make it as convenient for them as possible to reach you. That is particularly important when you email a stranger.
An example would be:
Sincerely,
John T. Smith
CEO
Motivation Inc.
555-555-5555
[email protected]
How can you end an email that asks for help?
The formula is basically the same as any other email, but your call to action is a bit more urgent. Those who have written or received charity or political emails know how the closing sentence typically reads.
Below is an example.
We appreciate you taking the time to consider our needs. With your help, we can end pet overpopulation and reduce the number of animals killed daily in animal shelters across the country. Please consider sending your tax-deductible $20, $50, or $100 donation today to We Help Animals. We look forward to working with you to end this horrible situation. Thank you for your support.
Do’s and don’ts to end a business email
The way you end an email could open or close an opportunity. There are ways to end it well and ways you could cause a disaster and ruin your chances of achieving your goals.
Do:
- Consider reviewing email templates to find and explore professional email endings.
- Be polite.
- Thank them.
- Put in a call to action
- Give them a way to reach you anytime.
- Make it clear that you will make yourself available to answer any questions.
Don’t:
- End abruptly.
- Make your closing paragraph too long.
- Be arrogant in your call to action.
- Be too casual.
- Use abbreviations like ‘thx.’
- Add any emoticons to your subject line or email message.
- Use an inappropriate sign-off like, xoxo.
- Forget a signature.
FAQs
A professional email closing is one that thanks them and asks them to do something. It should also ensure your availability. An example would be, “I appreciate you reviewing my ideas for your new interior design project. I would love to go over these in more detail at your earliest convenience. Please call me anytime to set an appointment.”
The most common phrase to sign off an email is “Sincerely.” It’s simple, formal, and denotes a certain amount of care and honesty. People accept it at all levels.
Those who are sending an email to a friend can have a completely different tone. It’s an informal email. With a friend, you can just use your first name at the end and a warm email closing phrase like “Have a great weekend.”
An email to a colleague is more professional.
This gets into a bit of marketing, but you get people to respond to emails by making it easy for them to do so. That includes having a hyperlinked website address where they can immediately purchase a product or donate. Include a direct phone number so they can easily call you without having to scroll up or look up your number.
Confidence is displayed by knowing you have something of value that could help the person you’re communicating with through email. Arrogance begins when you start thinking they are lucky to have what you’re offering. Your overall tone should be about them and how you can benefit them, not about you.
Emails from a student should end respectfully with a clear message that identifies your point or question. Close the email with words like “Thank you,” “Best wishes,” or “Sincerely.” Steer clear of emojis, profane language, and slang.
Most friendly emails are to people you know well, like personal emails, so you can end those with words like “Affectionately,” “Love,” or “Fondly.” You can end a thank-you email with “Gratefully.” However, you should also send a physical thank-you note if a friend or relative did you a personal favor or gave you a gift.
Many people send emails from their mobile devices. The “Sent from iPhone” disclaimer lets people know that the message may contain typos. Most of the time, it’s okay to have it at the end of an email. However, if you’re sending something like a resume, it might seem a bit unprofessional.
Follow-up emails are typically sent two to three days after initial correspondence. They’re usually a few sentences long and simply meant to remind or nudge the recipient to respond. You want a friendly vibe to the message too.
