Your email endings
You’ve written the email.
Now comes the strange part. You’re suddenly questioning your entire personality because of the sign-off.
“Best” works.
“Kind regards” works.
“Thanks” works.
It’s reassuring, but also frustrating. You’ve just spent three minutes looking for a perfect ending, only to discover there usually isn’t one.
For most business emails, the best closing is simple. Something that sounds like you and doesn’t try too hard.
Pick a normal sign-off, send the email and move on.
You don’t need:
- a masterpiece,
- a dramatic farewell or
- a closing line that sounds like you’re giving a campaign speech.
A clear message, a sensible ending and the ability to stop editing are enough.
Great sparkel. Can you also tell us more about the perfect start? I am often confuse about the Miss, Mr, Mrs think.
On top for a more casual start. What is the best begenning of a Mail?
Dears, Dear all, Hi, Hello, Good morning/afternoon. What should we use?
Thank you, Laura! And yes, absolutely. The perfect start deserves its own Spark. 😊
As a quick rule of thumb:
Dear Mr/Ms + surname = formal
Dear + first name = polite and professional
Hi + first name = friendly and perfectly normal in most business emails
Hello + first name = a little more neutral
And one small point that often causes confusion: Ms is usually the safest choice if you don’t know whether a woman is married. You don’t need to know. 😉
For a group, Hi everyone is often more natural than Dear all.
And you’re right about the opening in general. Dear, Hi, Hello, Good morning… each gives a slightly different impression, so that’s definitely worth exploring in another Spark.