Despite numerous messaging platforms, emails remain a top choice for professional exchanges.

Most people put extreme effort into a solid opening and body and, unfortunately, leave out the ending during the process. This email mistake might undo all your previous hard work! Let me guide you through some of the best ways to end an email and leave a strong, long-lasting impression.

The Best Way To End An Email

1. Professional Email Closing Phrases

The final line is often the reader’s last takeaway from your message, reinforcing the professionalism or friendliness you’ve established throughout the email.

How you choose the closing lines signals the tone of your email. For instance, formal closings are appropriate for first contact, addressing superiors, or business communication with external parties. On the other hand, neutral options work well for colleagues or internal email exchanges where you have a more established relationship.

Beyond the email’s content, the closing sometimes expresses some degree of emotion, too. “Looking forward to hearing from you,” for instance, suggests eagerness for a second exchange.

Depending on the email’s content, you can choose between the following approaches for email closings:

Summarize/Reiterate Key Points

This is the best option when you want to remind the recipient of the main takeaway from your personal email – especially if it’s an important detail or action item.

Example:

Formal emails: “To ensure a smooth transition, I’ve attached a handover document outlining all ongoing projects and client details.”
Neutral emails: As a reminder, the meeting to discuss the marketing strategy is scheduled for Tuesday at 2 pm.”
Informal emails (for established relationships): “Just circling back to confirm the final deadline for the report is pushed to Monday.”

Call to Action

Do you want to encourage the recipient to take a specific next step after reading your email? Closing the email message with a CTA will be ideal.

Example:

Formal: “Please let me know your availability for a follow-up call to discuss this further.”
Neutral: “I would appreciate your feedback on this proposal by the end of the week.”
Informal (for established relationships): “Let’s chat about this over coffee sometime next week – are you free on Wednesday?”

Expressing Appreciation

Some people break away from their busy schedules to answer your messages. The least you could do is write a simple closing line to show gratitude to them for their consideration or assistance.

Example:

Formal: “Thank you for your time and thoughtful feedback on the presentation.
Neutral: “I appreciate you taking the time to review this document. Your input is valuable.”
Informal (for established relationships): “Thank you so much for your help with this. I really owe you one.” (Be cautious with overly casual language, however)

Follow Up

This approach indicates your intention to reconnect with the recipient in the future.

Example:

Formal: “I will follow up with you next week to confirm the final details for the event.”
Neutral: “I’ll circle back with you in a few days to see if you have any questions about the report.”
Informal (for established relationships): “Let’s touch base again soon to see how things are going. Have a great week.”

Offer Assistance

Even after the exchange has concluded, you should politely let them know you’re always available for extra help or support.

Example:

Formal: “Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or require further clarification on this matter.”
Neutral: “Should you need anything else during this process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Informal (for established relationships): “Happy to jump on a call if you need to brainstorm some ideas further.”

Express Enthusiasm Or Proactive Initiative

You can use this closing line to convey your enthusiasm or willingness to take the lead on something related to the email’s topic.

Example:

Formal: “I look forward to learning more about this project and contributing my expertise.”
Neutral: “I’m excited to collaborate with you on this initiative and ensure its success.”
Informal (for established relationships): “I can’t wait to make this project a success.” (Consider the recipient’s personality for informality)

2. Sign-off

The sign-off signifies the formal conclusion of your message, similar to saying farewell in person. Hence, they should be clear, concise, respectful (even in slightly informal settings), and match the overall tone of the email.

Recipients like me would appreciate the best email sign-offs as follows:

Formal:

Sincerely: This is the classic and universally safe choice. It expresses genuine respect and works for any professional email.
Best regards: Though slightly less formal than “Sincerely,” it still conveys well-intended wishes and is appropriate for most business contexts.

Neutral:

Thank you: Shows appreciation to the email recipient and works well in various situations.
All the best: A friendly yet professional closing that conveys well wishes

Informal (for established relationships):

Best: Simple and informal, suitable for colleagues you know well.
Thanks: More casual, showing gratitude, best used with established business contacts.

Note

Any lousy email sign-off that comes across as unprofessional or disrespectful to the reader must be avoided at all costs. Regardless of your recipient or the purpose of the email, never resort to:

Casual or overly friendly sign-offs: “Talk to you soon!” or “Cheers!” are very unprofessional and better suited for social settings.
Abbreviations-heavy: “BRB” (be right back) or “TTYL” (talk to you later) are inappropriate for professional emails. Plus, they tend to create unnecessary confusion for international readers.
Missing entirely: An email without a proper sign-off appears abrupt and impolite.

3. Professional Email Signature

The email signature in professional emails is similar to a digital business card. It provides essential contact details (so the recipient can reach out to you later) and reinforces brand recognition at the end of every message you send. Make sure to include:

Your business email address
Phone number
Links to your social media accounts (professional ones like LinkedIn)
Awards or certifications relevant to your field.
(Optional) Physical mailing address
(Optional) Company email address

When emailing someone you know well or with whom you already have a casual relationship, you can choose to omit some parts (e.g., job title or organization).

The same goes for independent workers or freelancers who do not have official job titles. In that case, the signature could simply include their name, a brief description of their services (optional), and contact info.

5 Simple Ways Of Ending Emails

I have provided separate guidelines for the email closing sentence, sign-off, and email signature. Let’s see how they work together in the following samples:

1. Networking Email

I’m eager to learn more about your experience at Acme Corporation. Would you be open to connecting for a brief call sometime next week to discuss your career path and insights into the industry? I’m available on Monday at 10 AM or Wednesday at 2 PM.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

David Lee

Content Writer (Freelance)

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/david-lee1

2. After A Job Interview

The conversation further solidified my interest in developing engaging content for Songbird Studios’ artists. I’m confident that I can leverage my experience to help the studio reach new audiences and achieve its marketing goals.

I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding the next steps in the interview process.

Sincerely,

Amelia Rose

Marketing Specialist

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/amelia-rose

3. Accepting A Job Offer

Thank you again for this opportunity. I was very impressed with the team I met during the interview process and the innovative work culture at NovaTech. I’m confident that I will thrive in this environment and make a positive impact on your projects.

Please let me know the next steps in the onboarding process. I’m available to start on July 5th, as discussed.

Sincerely,

Li Wang

Software Engineer

2024 ACM Innovation Award for Young Developers

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/li-wang

4. Collaborating With A Coworker

Let me know if you have any questions or need anything further from me to finalize the website content. I look forward to working with you on this project!

Best,

David Lee

5. Working With A Client

Please let me know if you have any questions or require further revisions. I’m happy to schedule a call to discuss any specific design elements you might like to address in more detail, such as the color scheme or image selection.

Thank you for your continued collaboration on this project.

Best regards,

Isabella Flores

Graphic Designer

Winner of the 2024 Spark Award for Innovation in Marketing Design

fireflydesignstudio.com

Do You Need A Handwritten Signature At The End Of Email?

Not really; a professional email closing line (followed by your typed name and title) already acts as a formal sign-off! But if you want to add a more personal touch to the email, let me tell you how to include this handwritten signature:

Many websites offer downloadable signature fonts. The options are endless, so take time to choose a font that resembles your default signature style.
The installation process will vary depending on your operating system. But generally, you should right-click on the downloaded font file and choose “Install.”
In your email compose window, type your name as you want it to appear. Highlight your typed name, then select the downloaded signature font from the font menu in your email client.

Conclusion

I’ve gone over how to sign off an email. Opt for a formal or neutral tone to avoid unintended offense (unless you’re already close with the recipient), and let me know if you need further assistance.