What Your Email Sign-Off Says About You
Starting an online business, or any enterprise for that matter, will require you to send hundreds of emails everyday to different people. Composing an email can be a tremendous job, though. In some cases, it could either make or break a possible partnership or impress or turn off potential clients.
You need to be careful in writing your communications. If you have a virtual secretary who’s replying to messages on your behalf, you might want to give them a heads-up on the email sign-offs you prefer.
One of the things that have everybody split in their opinions regarding emails is the sign-off. There are varying thoughts about what the best email sign-off is. Of course, there is absolutely no single correct answer since it also depends on who is receiving your message.
To guide you on how you can appropriately end your emails, here are a few sign-offs and what they mean.
“Thank you” and “Thanks”
Saying “thank you” or “thanks” is a way of showing your sincerity to the recipient especially if you are asking the person to help you with something. It makes them feel that you are recognizing the load of work that you have given them and that you want to thank them for their assistance. You should, however, avoid saying “thanks in advance” as it would make you look presumptuous.
“Regards” and “Kind Regards”
“Regards” and “Kind Regards” are often used for short emails about minor stuff. It can also be a good sign-off if you’re corresponding with a new co-worker whom you’re still trying to get to know. It’s not too casual like “cheers” but not too stiff and formal either.
“Cheers”
“Cheers” has a very friendly ring to it. However, it’s considered as a casual yet professional sign-off, so feel free to use it at your own discretion. If you’re corresponding with clients, though, it would be best to save this for someone with whom you have enough background. If you’re writing to clients that you are still trying to get a read on, “regards” might be a safer choice.
“Best”
“Best” has an open-ended feel, which makes it suitable for a variety of emails. It evokes a general emotion, so you can use it when corresponding with anyone — your boss, your acquaintances, or even your clients.
“Sincerely”
“Sincerely” is quite an old sign-off, but it hasn’t lost its charm yet. It can give a warm and positive feeling to the recipient, so you might want to use this if you’re aiming to show courtesy.
Email correspondence is part of any professional’s work. It is very important to make a good impression through your communications especially if you have not personally met the recipient. Hence, you should also pay close attention even to the little details like sign-offs.
Take note of your formatting as well; make sure that it’s uniform and each of your sentences is properly punctuated. The recipient’s perception of you relies on the emails you are composing.
