It’s so easy to underestimate the power of the sign-off.
We spend so much time thinking about the body of our emails, the subject line and opening gambit.
But the sign-off at the end often gets forgotten.
Do this at your peril!
The sign-off is small but mighty. It leaves a lasting impression with your prospects and customers.
A stellar sign-off will leave your customer ready and raring to reply. Get it wrong, and it’ll leave a sour taste in their mouth.
Closing a formal piece of correspondence with an xoxo like Gossip Girl won’t do you any favours. Nor will over-egging the formality with a close colleague.
Because when it comes to email sign-offs, one size does not fit all.
But never fear:
We’ve broken down our favourite email sign-offs for you into seven handy sub-sections👇
Email sign-off golden rules | Casual email sign-offs | Email sign-offs to continue a conversation |Email sign-offs saying thanks | Formal email sign-offs | Informal email sign-offs | Sign-offs to avoid
So if you want sky-high response rates...
Before we get cracking, let’s get acquainted with four golden sign-off rules:
Always remember context – this is the most important thing when it comes to choosing the right email sign-off. Make sure it’s appropriate for the tone of the email and the relationship you have with the recipient.
Include your details – especially in your first email to someone, make sure you include all relevant details: full name, professional title, phone number, and social media info if you wish.
Make sure you get the grammar right – the first word (and only the first word) of your sign-off should start with a capital letter, and the sign-off should end with a comma. Getting this wrong will make you look slapdash and unprofessional.
Mix things up – sticking with the same old sign-off every single time you send an email might come across like you’re not putting in any effort. Be creative. It might just make your recipients sit up and listen.
Now onto the main event...
We’ve started with these because informality is increasingly becoming the order of the day when it comes to emails.
For a colleague or business contact that you already have a relationship with, these are some great go-tos:
An email sign-off can be a great opportunity to encourage further dialogue with your recipient. Why not try these on for size?
According to a study, emails that end with some sort of a thank you get a higher response rate than those without.
So, if it makes sense to do so, show your gratitude. Here’s how:
Sometimes, it can be good to err on the side of formality. You don’t want to offend anyone by using an easy breezy sign-off straight off the beat.
When you’re emailing a new client/contact for the first time, or for ongoing correspondence with people you don’t know very well, look no further:
As we mentioned earlier, informal emails are becoming increasingly popular.
The more we send and read emails on our phones, the more the line between texting and emailing becomes blurred.
But be warned:
The following must be used with caution.
Some people find them grating, so make sure you are confident that they will fit with the tone of your correspondence before using.
The following three were voted as some of the most annoying email sign-offs, so use sparingly (or avoid completely):
While we’re at it, you might want to steer clear of these too:
All that remains for us to do now is sign off!
Peace.
To take your email sign-offs to the next level, check out what email signature marketing could do for you
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