Introduction
The way you end your email creates a lasting impression on your recipient. Your email sign off is the final note that resonates with readers, influencing how they perceive both you and your message. While the body of your email delivers key information, your closing line sets the tone for future interactions and can significantly impact your professional relationships.
Research shows that emails with appropriate sign offs receive 15% higher response rates than those with abrupt or missing closings. In today’s digital-first communication landscape, mastering professional email sign offs is an essential skill for effective business communication.
This comprehensive guide presents 50 versatile and effective email sign offs categorized by purpose and context, helping you select the perfect closing for every professional situation.
Old Professional Email Sign Offs
These classic closings have stood the test of time and remain appropriate for most business communications:
- Regards – Simple, professional, and universally acceptable
- Best regards – Slightly warmer than “Regards” while maintaining professionalism
- Kind regards – Adds a touch of warmth to formal correspondence
- Sincerely – Traditional and formal, ideal for initial contacts
- Respectfully – Conveys deference, appropriate when addressing superiors
- Yours truly – Classic and formal, suitable for official communications
- Cordially – Formal with a hint of warmth
- Yours sincerely – Traditional formal closing, commonly used in the UK
- With appreciation – Formal yet grateful tone
- Yours respectfully – Highly formal, appropriate for addressing high-ranking officials
Warm Professional Email Sign Offs
When you want to maintain professionalism while adding a touch of friendliness:
- Best wishes – Warm without being overly casual
- Warm regards – Friendly while maintaining a professional tone
- All the best – Positive and supportive closing
- With gratitude – Expresses appreciation in a professional manner
- Many thanks – Simple way to express appreciation
- Thanks in advance – When requesting action or assistance
- Wishing you well – Friendly concern without overstepping professional boundaries
- With appreciation – Expresses gratitude with professional distance
- Looking forward – Indicates anticipation of continued communication
- Until next time – Suggests ongoing professional relationship
Context-Specific Email Sign Offs
Tailored closings for particular business situations:
- Thank you for your consideration – Ideal for applications or proposals
- At your service – Perfect for customer service or support roles
- To your continued success – Appropriate for clients or partners
- Looking forward to our collaboration – For new business relationships
- Thank you for your time – After meetings or lengthy discussions
- Eager to hear your thoughts – When seeking feedback
- Thank you for the opportunity – Following interviews or new projects
- With gratitude for your business – Client-focused appreciation
- In partnership – Emphasizes collaborative relationships
- To your success – Client or colleague encouragement
Action-Oriented Email Sign Offs
When you want to prompt a specific response or next step:
- I look forward to your reply – Politely requests feedback
- Please let me know if you need anything else – Offers continued assistance
- Looking forward to your input – Encourages collaboration
- Awaiting your approval – For decision-making contexts
- Let’s discuss further on [date/time] – Sets expectations for follow-up
- Happy to provide additional information – Opens door for questions
- Looking forward to our meeting on [date] – Confirms upcoming plans
- Available at your convenience – Expresses flexibility
- Pending your feedback – Indicates waiting for response before proceeding
- Ready when you are – Conveys readiness to move forward
Industry-Specific Email Sign Offs
Closings tailored to particular professional contexts:
- To your health – Medical or wellness professionals
- Creatively yours – Design, marketing, or creative fields
- In good health and spirits – Healthcare or wellness industry
- Happy investing – Financial services
- Safe travels – Travel industry or when corresponding with traveling colleagues
- Sustainable regards – Environmental organizations
- In service – Non-profit or public service sectors
- Innovatively yours – Technology or R&D fields
- Until our next conversation – Sales or relationship-based businesses
- To continued growth – Business development or coaching contexts
Tips for Selecting the Right Email Sign Off
When choosing from these email sign offs, consider:
- Relationship context: Match formality to your relationship with the recipient
- Email purpose: Select closings that complement your message’s intent
- Cultural awareness: Be mindful of cultural differences in communication styles
- Industry norms: Some sectors have conventional closings that signal insider understanding
- Consistency: Use similar sign offs with the same contacts to build familiarity
Common Email Sign Off Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced professionals occasionally make these closing errors:
- Overly casual closings in formal situations (“Cheers” or “Later” with new contacts)
- Mismatched tone between email body and sign off
- Overused phrases that appear templated rather than thoughtful
- Lengthy sign offs that include unnecessary information
- Forgetting to include contact information below your sign off
Conclusion
Your email sign off is more than a formality—it’s a strategic communication tool that reinforces your message and shapes how recipients perceive you. By selecting appropriate email sign offs from this collection, you’ll enhance your professional communication and leave consistently positive final impressions.
Remember that the most effective email sign offs align with your relationship to the recipient, the context of your message, and your desired outcome. With these 50 professional options at your disposal, you’ll always have the perfect closing for every business email.
What’s your go-to email sign off? Try experimenting with different options from this list to see which generates the best response for your specific communication needs.