Signatures & Business Etiquette
Whether you're signing a document by hand or want to include a recognizable company symbol in all of your business emails, it's important to exercise follow when using a signature. The signature format that you choose also gives people a certain impression about your company and the services that you offer.
Other People Are Reading
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Hand-Written Signature
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It is proper etiquette for professionals to use a handwritten signature when sending out letters on the company letterhead; the original signature can also be scanned and included in important documents if letters or memos are sent often. A handwritten signature should also be used when signing items like greeting cards. The signature should be distinct but should also be legible and signed in black or blue ink.
Phone Numbers
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For email signatures, it is appropriate for professionals to include their phone numbers in the signature. For smaller companies, it is sufficient to include the general business number, as the receptionist is able to connect the caller to the right employee. For larger corporations, it is best for the professional signature to include the direct line or extension. Some businesspeople include both the office number and their cell phone numbers, which is acceptable as well as long as the numbers don't take up too much space in the email signature.
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Email Addresses
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Signatures that are sent via email, as well as some that are included in printed letters, should include the company's URL or website address. This gives the person receiving the letter or email message another way to contact the professional and also serves as a marketing tool. It is not necessary to include the professional's business email address, as the email is likely being sent from the business email address, and recipients can see this when the message appears in their inbox.
Logos
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If the company logo is so large that the email signature runs into another page in the email message, it is too large. All signatures should take up as little space as possible--if a recipient has to scroll down just to see the company's graphics, this could make a bad impression. Adding some of the company's colors to a signature is a simpler way to market the business and will take up much less space; changing the font to include the main hues of the logo or creating a line underneath the signature in the correct shades is appropriate.
Number of Signatures
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As with a printed professional document, the signature of the document's author should only be included once, at the bottom of the page. If emails are sent in a series to the same group of professionals, the email signature should only appear at the bottom of the thread of messages and not with each message that is sent. It is acceptable to add a smaller signature to short message, such as a dash and the first name of the professional (i.e. --Tracy) to avoid confusion.
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References
- Photo Credit series object on white: isolated - Signature image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
