How to Sign Off at the End of an Email

An email signoff, sometimes referred to as your email signature, is what you use to end an email. In a lot of ways, email signoffs are the modern version of letter closings, which is why they share many similarities. An effective email closing not only ends the conversation using professional, polite, and friendly language, but it can also motivate the recipient to respond quickly, or sometimes respond at all.

When developing your email signoff, you should follow these simple steps:

1. Write a closing line

When ending an email, the last line should always express gratitude and indicate the type of response that you’re hoping for. For example, you could say, Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

2. Consider the situation and your relationship with the recipient

The appropriate signoff is largely dependent on the scenario and the type of relationship you have with the other person. Professional correspondence requires more structure and decorum than if you were emailing a close friend, for example.

3. Choose an appropriate closing

You can use context clues to help you decide on the appropriate tone. After you’ve been emailing back and forth for a bit and you feel that a more casual signoff would be appropriate, you can certainly mirror the recipient’s tone. If in doubt, using a more professional signoff is always a safe bet.

It’s important to note that you should always include an appropriate and thoughtful closing, even if you have been exchanging emails over a period of time. Even though your correspondence might have become more laid-back over time, including a signoff shows professionalism and attention to detail and makes the messages easier to understand and follow. Additionally, there’s always a chance that one of your messages could be forwarded to other members of the company, and a thoughtful and professional signoff will give those individuals a good impression, especially if they’ve never communicated with you before.

4. Include your full name

Including your first and last name is certainly more professional, but it also helps you avoid any confusion regarding who you are. Typically, it’s good practice to include your full name for every professional email, but it’s especially important in the first few email exchanges. Aside from preventing confusion, this is also a beneficial way to ensure that individuals, like hiring managers, are able to remember you.

5. Provide your professional title

It can be useful to include a title that represents your profession or area of expertise. This doesn’t necessarily have to be your current job title, but that is an option too if you’d prefer. If applicable and appropriate, you can also include the name of the company you work for. Just make sure to leave this off if you’re applying for a job.

6. List your contact information

The recipient obviously already has your email address, but it’s important to include a few alternative methods of communication, such as your work address, website URL, or direct phone number.

There are many ways to sign off at the end of a professional email. You usually want to opt for a more professional closing when emailing a prospective employer or client, while your signoffs can be a bit more relaxed when communicating with colleagues.

Professional email signoffs

Here are a few examples of some of the more common professional email signoffs:

• Respectfully
• Many thanks
• With gratitude
• With appreciation
• Warm wishes
• Thank you
• Thanks again
• Kind regards
• Best regards
• Fond regards
• Regards
• Sincerely
• All the best
• Best
• Best wishes
• Looking forward to hearing from you
• Sincerely yours
• Yours sincerely
• Sincerely

Semi-professional email signoffs

When sending a work-related email to a colleague or someone you have a good relationship with, you could use a signoff that’s just a little more casual and personal, like:

• Yours truly
• Warmly
• Many thanks
• Faithfully
• Cheers

When sending a business-related email, there are a few signoffs that you should absolutely avoid, such as:

• Hugs
• Thx
• XOXO
• See you
• See ya later
• See ya
• Talk soon
• Love
• Peace
• Your friend
• Thanks a bunch
• Chat soon

Generally speaking, texting acronyms should be avoided in professional correspondence. Some examples include LMK (let me know) or G2G (got to go). Additionally, you should never use emoticons in your professional emails.

Here are some examples of effective email signoffs for specific situations:

When sending a job application

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Charles Newcomer

Copywriter

555-555-5555/cnewcomer@email.com

charlesnewcomer.portfoliosite.com

When confirming a meeting

I’m looking forward to our meeting next Thursday.

With appreciation,

Amy Perez

Graphic Designer

555-555-5555/amyperez@email.com

aperez.portfoliosite.com

Following a phone interview

I’ve attached a link to my portfolio for you to review. Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything else.

Best,

Taylor Tauberge

Experienced Sales Professional

555-555-5555/taylort@email.com

taylortauberge.portfoliosite.com

After an in-person interview

Thank you again for meeting with me today. I’m looking forward to hearing from you and taking the next step in the process.

With gratitude,

Simon Shah

Social Media Manager

555-555-5555/sshah@email.com

simonshah.portfoliosite.com

When accepting a job offer

I’m looking forward to learning more and taking the next steps.

Many thanks,

Chris Kim

Full Stack Software Engineer

555-555-5555/chriskim@email.com

chriskim.portfoliosite.com