Business Email Closing Etiquette

It is important to sign off emails correctly.

Some people may not give a second thought on how to end an email and what etiquette is followed to sign off on communications. However, the closing of an email is just as important as the rest of the contents and can set the tone for the overall message. An effective sign-off, whether meant positively or written in firm, yet controlled anger, can linger with the recipient.

Significance

The closing content of email conveys tone.

The closing of an email is important. Conveying tone through a written form of communication is difficult. While body language can emit signals of how a person is feeling when talking face-to-face, the text of an email is all the person has to deduce the feelings behind it. Brief sign-offs, often used when the sender is in a hurry, may convey a sense of annoyance or anger, which can lead to miscommunication and conflict.

Types

Happiness or gratitude can be expressed through a sign-off.

Email sign-offs can be very formal, especially in business. However, an email does not have to be closed with a common "Kind Regards" or "Best Wishes." For congratulatory emails, a closing such as "Keep up the good work!" will emit positivity and, inevitably, please the recipient.

If an email is sent in anger or within a dispute, a "Regards" is terse enough to convey the tone of the message, yet avoids exacerbating the issue.

Close friends or business associates can conclude an email with "Cheers" or "Thanks."

Benefits

A happy worker is a productive worker.

There are a number of benefits reaped when choosing and sending an effective closing remark on your email. For example, a happy or encouraging sign-off can lighten the recipient's mood, increasing morale and productivity. Carefully worded closings, especially when sent by a manager to an employee, can motivate the worker to try harder to avoid mistakes.

Warning

Use informal closing only in instances of friendship.

The sender of an email must carefully consider the personality, authority and character of the recipient. For example, it's unacceptable to close an email to new clients with an informal "Ciao" or, perhaps, "Later." Use these phrases only in emails to close friends or business associates.

People sending emails in anger should first relax, moving away from the computer, before returning and pressing the "Send" button. An inflammatory email will only worsen working relationships, negatively affecting productivity.

Other Things to Avoid

Only use emoticons in emails to friends.

An email should never be written with "Caps Lock" button turned on. This gives the impression of shouting and could anger a recipient, even if the content isn't particularly provocative.

Emoticons--where a face is formed by a mixture of punctuation and letters, for example, :D--should never be used in a business email, as it displays a fundamental lack of professionalism. Never swear or use vulgar language in an email.

References

• Business Email Etiquette: Email Sign-off Considerations
• Microsoft: Business email etiquette in the global marketplace
• Entrepreneur: What Your Sign-off is Really Saying