How to Close a Business Email
Remind the recipient of the purpose of your email., Use an appropriate tone for your audience., Don’t include a closing statement if your email is part of a chain., Pick a sign-off that matches the tone of your email., Use a sign-off that fits your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Remind the recipient of the purpose of your email.
There are a lot of reasons to write an email in a business setting.
Pinpointing the primary purpose of the email will help you determine the best way to wrap it up.For example, if you are making a request, end with something like, “Thank you for your time,” or “Thanks for your consideration.” If you are responding to a request for information or assistance, you could end with “I hope this helps!” or “Let me know if there’s any other way I could be of assistance.” If you’re setting up a face-to-face meeting, you might end with something like, “See you next week!” -
Step 2: Use an appropriate tone for your audience.
Think about how well you know the person you are writing to, what kind of relationship you have with them, and what you are trying to accomplish.
An email to an upper-level manager or an important new client should probably be more formal than an email to a well-known co-worker.For example, if you are setting up a meeting with a client, a good closing statement might be something like, “I look forward to our meeting on the 24th.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 555-555-5555.” On the other hand, if you are arranging a friendly meeting with a coworker you know well, it may be perfectly fine to end with something like, “Sounds good! See you tomorrow! :)” , If this is your first email about the topic at hand, or if it’s a particularly important email, then it’s probably a good idea to include a closing thank you or “call to action.” However, brevity is important in business emails.
If your email is part of a long chain, you may not need to include anything beyond the most essential information.For example, if you’re wrapping up a long conversation over email with your boss about an assignment, you may not need to say much more than, “Ok.
I will have it done before the end of the day on Friday. –M.” , If your email is formal, sign off with something like “Best regards,” or (for an even more formal touch) “Sincerely.” For less formal emails, you may be fine using something like “Take care” or “Cheers.”If you’ve had previous emails from the person you’re writing to, you might look at their sign-off and match your tone to theirs.
For example, if they tend to sign with something like “Warm regards,” you should sign off with a similar level of formality. , Like the closing sentence, a sign-off can also reflect the purpose of your email.
For example, if you’re making a simple request or briefly expressing gratitude for something, you might use a sign-off like “Many thanks,” or “Thanks so much,” followed by your signature., Unless you know the person you’re writing to very well, avoid anything too slangy, informal, or affectionate.
In general, things like “Love,” “XOXO,” or “Hugs” should not be used in business emails., If your email is part of a long chain, or if you’re trying to communicate something very briefly and quickly to a co-worker, it may not be necessary to include a sign-off at all.
If you don’t feel comfortable skipping the sign-off altogether, a simple sign-off like –Bernice or –B. should be just fine for brief, informal emails., How much information you include in your signature will depend on how well you know your correspondent, and how often you have communicated with them.
A first-time email should probably include at least your full name, job title, place of work, and phone number.When communicating with a co-worker or someone you email frequently, it is probably sufficient to sign with your first name or initial., In general, it’s best not to clutter up a business email with a lot of extra text and images.
Avoid adding anything unnecessary to your email signature, like quotes, flashy graphics, or a lot of links., If you don’t feel like writing out your job title and contact information every time you send an important email, you may wish to create a signature that your email client can automatically add to your messages.
Some programs, like Outlook, allow you to create multiple signatures, so you can select the one that is most appropriate for any given email. -
Step 3: Don’t include a closing statement if your email is part of a chain.
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Step 4: Pick a sign-off that matches the tone of your email.
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Step 5: Use a sign-off that fits your purpose.
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Step 6: Avoid anything too affectionate.
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Step 7: Skip the sign-off in brief or chain emails.
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Step 8: Include your basic identifying information.
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Step 9: Keep your signature brief.
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Step 10: Set up an automatic signature.
Detailed Guide
There are a lot of reasons to write an email in a business setting.
Pinpointing the primary purpose of the email will help you determine the best way to wrap it up.For example, if you are making a request, end with something like, “Thank you for your time,” or “Thanks for your consideration.” If you are responding to a request for information or assistance, you could end with “I hope this helps!” or “Let me know if there’s any other way I could be of assistance.” If you’re setting up a face-to-face meeting, you might end with something like, “See you next week!”
Think about how well you know the person you are writing to, what kind of relationship you have with them, and what you are trying to accomplish.
An email to an upper-level manager or an important new client should probably be more formal than an email to a well-known co-worker.For example, if you are setting up a meeting with a client, a good closing statement might be something like, “I look forward to our meeting on the 24th.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 555-555-5555.” On the other hand, if you are arranging a friendly meeting with a coworker you know well, it may be perfectly fine to end with something like, “Sounds good! See you tomorrow! :)” , If this is your first email about the topic at hand, or if it’s a particularly important email, then it’s probably a good idea to include a closing thank you or “call to action.” However, brevity is important in business emails.
If your email is part of a long chain, you may not need to include anything beyond the most essential information.For example, if you’re wrapping up a long conversation over email with your boss about an assignment, you may not need to say much more than, “Ok.
I will have it done before the end of the day on Friday. –M.” , If your email is formal, sign off with something like “Best regards,” or (for an even more formal touch) “Sincerely.” For less formal emails, you may be fine using something like “Take care” or “Cheers.”If you’ve had previous emails from the person you’re writing to, you might look at their sign-off and match your tone to theirs.
For example, if they tend to sign with something like “Warm regards,” you should sign off with a similar level of formality. , Like the closing sentence, a sign-off can also reflect the purpose of your email.
For example, if you’re making a simple request or briefly expressing gratitude for something, you might use a sign-off like “Many thanks,” or “Thanks so much,” followed by your signature., Unless you know the person you’re writing to very well, avoid anything too slangy, informal, or affectionate.
In general, things like “Love,” “XOXO,” or “Hugs” should not be used in business emails., If your email is part of a long chain, or if you’re trying to communicate something very briefly and quickly to a co-worker, it may not be necessary to include a sign-off at all.
If you don’t feel comfortable skipping the sign-off altogether, a simple sign-off like –Bernice or –B. should be just fine for brief, informal emails., How much information you include in your signature will depend on how well you know your correspondent, and how often you have communicated with them.
A first-time email should probably include at least your full name, job title, place of work, and phone number.When communicating with a co-worker or someone you email frequently, it is probably sufficient to sign with your first name or initial., In general, it’s best not to clutter up a business email with a lot of extra text and images.
Avoid adding anything unnecessary to your email signature, like quotes, flashy graphics, or a lot of links., If you don’t feel like writing out your job title and contact information every time you send an important email, you may wish to create a signature that your email client can automatically add to your messages.
Some programs, like Outlook, allow you to create multiple signatures, so you can select the one that is most appropriate for any given email.
About the Author
William Hayes
A passionate writer with expertise in cooking topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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