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You’ve done the hard work of writing a professional email, and now it’s time to figure out how to end it. Knowing how to end an email professionally is crucial for writing clear, actionable emails that leave your recipient with a positive impression. This guide will walk you through how to end an email professionally, from ways to send an email and best and worst email sign-offs to what your email signature should include.
An email ending is what it sounds like: the way you end an email! There are three main components of email endings.
So how exactly do you end an email? Let’s look at best practices for each part of an email ending.
Professional email closing phrases are the sentences you use before officially signing off the email. These phrases should restate and clarify the purpose of your email and end with a call to action.
“Whether I’m emailing a prospect to get a meeting or emailing a recruiter to get an interview, I want to be sure that the reader understands exactly what the next step I’d like them to take is,” Otis Perry, business development representative at Forage, says.
The recipient should know exactly what to do next after reading your email, whether sending you times to meet, reviewing a document, or telling you the next steps.
You’ve come up with the longest part of the end of your professional email — next, you’ll decide how to sign off an email. While some people have strong opinions about which email sign-offs they prefer, you can’t go too wrong as long as you choose something professional that suits the context of your email.
“I always say ‘thank you so much for your time,’ or ‘thanks in advance’ if the purpose of my email was to ask questions or if I’m providing instructions on a project to someone,” sats Daniela Camejo Sanchez, senior writer at WriterArmy, a content production agency. “Expressing gratitude and kind regards is always a good idea!”
Formal email sign-offs concisely wrap-up the email professionally without being too familiar.
Wondering how to sign an email more casually? If you’re emailing someone at work who you have a fairly casual relationship with, there are still options for keeping it professional with a casual tone. Casual email sign-offs — that are still appropriate for the workplace — include:
There are a few professional email sign-offs to avoid, most of which are too casual or inappropriate for the workplace. Examples of these include:
After you’ve signed off, you want to include your name and, depending on who you’re talking to, a few additional details. For example, if you’re speaking with a recruiter or a networking connection, you may want to share additional contact information and a link to your website. Besides your name, you may consider including:
To determine what tone to use at the end of your professional email, Camejo Sanchez says it’s all about knowing who you’re communicating with.
“Especially if this is the start of a conversation with a person you don’t know, do your research,” Camejo Sanchez says. “Ask yourself, how do they present themselves professionally? What is their personal brand like? Do they seem like they value formal exchanges over more casual ones, or vice versa? You can tell a lot about a person by reading a few professional posts they’ve shared online.”
Yet no matter who you’re emailing, Perry says to remember there’s a human behind the email, too.
“I often try to dance the line between a formal and casual tone,” he says. “I definitely want to be respectful and not say anything that may offend or disengage the reader. However, I want to humanize my email as much as possible and communicate in a conversational tone so it’s easier for readers to digest.”
Write an email to a client that summarizes key findings, shares additional information on relevant topics, and suggests solutions.
Avg. Time: 8-9 hours
Skills you’ll build: Email drafting and communication, attention to detail, critical thinking
Now that you know what to write in a closing phrase, have your sign-off ready to go, and have nailed your signature, you know how to end your email professionally. Here are a few email examples for everyday work situations, from job search to team collaboration.
I’d love to connect over the phone to learn more about the position. Are you available anytime next Monday, January 2nd, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST? You can reach me at (123) 456-7890.
>>MORE: Sent the message? Now learn how to prepare for an informational interview.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I’ve attached my resume and online portfolio for your review. I look forward to hearing from you soon — I will follow up on [date] if I haven’t heard from you by then.
Thank you again for your time today. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. I look forward to hearing from you and will follow up on [date] if I don’t hear from you by then!
Thank you so much for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with you soon! I’ll see you on October 2nd in the New York office.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I’m happy to jump on a call or discuss this further in Slack!
Please review the above and let me know if you have any questions or feedback by [date]. Looking forward to hearing from you!
I’m confident our approach can drive the brand awareness results you’re looking for. Please let me know if you have any questions about the proposal, which I’ve attached below; I’m happy to answer via email or in a follow-up call.
Thank you again for your attention and engagement during today’s presentation. In addition to the action items I’ve outlined above, I’ve attached the slides for further reference. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Meet with a hypothetical client to learn about their sales challenges, then write an email summarizing your findings to your manager.
Avg. Time: 4-5 hours
Skills you’ll build: Client communication, business knowledge, professional communication, business judgement
When figuring out how to end an email professionally, ensure that your writing is clear, actionable, and gives all the information the reader needs to take next steps. That doesn’t mean you need to be devoid of humanity or empathy. Remember, there’s another person behind the screen.
“Try to avoid being demanding or assumptive when asking for someone’s time or energy in your emails,” Perry says. “I think it’s important to communicate from a confident yet humble place.”
Learn more professional email tips:
You can politely end an email with a professional, actionable closing phrase, an email sign-off, and a signature. Examples of polite email sign-offs include “sincerely,” “best,” “kindly,” and “regards.”
What is the best email sign-off?The best email sign-offs are professional and not too familiar, including “sincerely” and “thank you” for more formal emails and “stay tuned” and “cheers” for more casual work emails.
The end of a professional email should include an actionable closing statement, a polite sign-off, and a signature.
Image credit: Canva
Written by Senior WriterZoe Kaplan is a Senior Writer at Forage. Prior to joining Forage, she wrote and edited career and workplace content for Fairygodboss, the largest career community for women.
