The topic of the best way to end your email is hotly debated. Even the experts don’t agree on what works and what doesn’t in every situation. One thing is clear; however, some email closings are more effective than others.
Generally speaking, formal closings work for business situations where you don’t know the recipient well or where the recipient is in a position of authority. Semi-formal closings can work for colleagues you know well or peers. Be careful when using casual closings. Some marketers use them to build a sense of familiarity. If you’re not sure, reserve casual closings for friends and family.
The variations of how you can close an email are nearly endless. But, here are 15 common closing phrases (in alphabetical order):
Always (Casual). Variations include “Yours always.” This closing may seem vague.
Best (Semi-formal). A very popular closing. Variations include “Best Wishes” and “Best Regards.”
Cheers (Casual). This British-sounding closing is best left for personal email.
Cordially (Casual). Although this email closing is considered casual, it has an old-fashioned sound to it.
Later (Casual). This is too informal for nearly all business emails.
Love (Casual). Variations include “Love Ya.” This email ending is not a good choice for professional emails.
Regards (Semi-formal). Variations include “Warm Regards,” “Kind Regards,” and “Best Regards.”
Respectfully (Formal). Use for extremely formal professional emails.
Sincerely (Formal). Variations include “Sincerely Yours.”
Take care (Casual). While this is a great email closing for a friend, it’s too intimate for most business emails.
Thank you (Semi-formal). Variations include “Thanks” and “Thanks in Advance.”
TTYL (Casual). An abbreviation for “Talk to You Later.” It’s probably best to save this email closing for friends and family.
Warmly (Semi-formal). This can work for a less formal business email.
XOXO (Casual). Save this email closing phrase for friends and family.
Yours truly (Formal). Variations include “Yours Faithfully” and “Yours.”
Note: Even the experts disagree as to whether some greetings are formal, semi-formal, or casual. The comments above are merely suggestions.
So, which closing is the best one to use for a professional email? The experts are mixed. Many experts prefer the use of the closing “Best,” or a variation of it. But other experts dislike this closing as being too vague or common.
A recent study from Boomerang found that variations of the email closing, “Thanks” actually got the most responses. However, other experts dislike the closing phrase “Thanks,” considering it to be fake if the sender isn’t really thankful about something.
Also, you should know that using a formal closing phrase for a business email may be considered cold if you know the recipient well. For those cases, a semi-formal closing is the better choice.
