Ending a professional email (with examples)

Email communication is the primary way professionals exchange information these days. If you’re like most people, you probably send and receive multiple emails a day. If you’re used to composing emails regularly, you might not stop to think about what the structure of an email should look like. However, there are specific protocols to follow, particularly when ending a professional email.

This may not be as vital for a personal email, but you should adhere to a specific format when sending business-related or professional correspondence. Since the email’s closing is the last thing the recipient reads, you need to ensure that you do it correctly. Your email should leave the reader with the right impression.

What are email closings and endings?

The terms email closing and email ending are sometimes used interchangeably. An email closing can be one word or a multi-word phrase that comes directly before your name (valediction). Other times, the “closing” also describes a sentence or two designed to wrap up the message of the email, which is then followed by the valediction. Since the former usually consists of a couple of sentences, it can be termed “ending”, whereas using a valediction before your name can be termed “closing”.

Even when writing an informal email, it’s important to sign off with some type of closing, but it’s even more relevant with a professional email. When sending a professional email, you likely want to use an ending with a sentence or two before your closing word or phrase. This is particularly important when it’s your first email with a business contact.

How to end an email professionally

Before writing your email closing, it’s important to consider who your recipient is and then tailor the ending to your audience. If it’s the first time you’ve ever emailed the person, you may want to use a formal and slightly longer ending. After you’ve emailed back and forth a few times, you could shorten it, but retain the formal wording.

It’s also vital to think about the purpose of the email, which can direct your ending statement. For example, if you are writing for information, you would want to close with a statement of thanks for the (hopefully) upcoming information. If you are sending an email about a job, you might want to close by offering to be available for questions. Let the content of your email guide your ending, as you would in all communications.

Samples of different professional email closings

Below are some of the common professional email closings. You would use these if the final paragraph of the email sums up everything adequately, and you need a simple closing:

• Regards
• Sincerely
• Sincerely yours
• Thank you
• Thanks again
• Fond regards
• Kind regards
• With appreciation
• With gratitude
• Looking forward to hearing from you
• All the best
• Best
• Best regards
• Best wishes
• Yours sincerely

After the closing, add your first and last name. You should also add any of the following elements where relevant:

• Job title
• Company name
• Phone number

To get a better idea of what this would look like in practice, here are samples of business email endings that fit specific situations:

Sample ending/closing for a job application email

Thank you for considering me for the job position. I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Nick Rahman
Sales Professional
555-555-0100

Sample ending/closing for a job acceptance email

As we discussed, I eagerly look forward to seeing you on the 1st. Thanks again for everything!

Sincerely yours,

Brandon Lee
Finance Professional
555-555-0100

Sample ending/closing for a new business communication email

Again, it was a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to our upcoming business partnership.

Best,

Sarah Little
Marketing Director
555-555-0100

Sample ending/closing for a post-interview email

Thank you for the interview. I look forward to hearing from you!

With gratitude,

Kara Lotte
Accounting Professional
555-555-0100

Tips for email closings

Following these tips will ensure your email closings hit the mark every time.

Don’t use a generic closing: Some people may resort to using a standard signature, especially if they have one set up in their email settings. However, in most cases, one generic closing won’t fit everyone. You want to make sure it’s formal enough for business purposes, but, at the same time, it may not work well for your friends. The only way this might work is if you have two email accounts — one for your professional contacts and one for your personal friends. Then you could use a different signature for each. Even then, you may have to modify the closing from time to time for special emails.

Use your full name: You want to include your first and last name for professional emails. No matter how long the recipient has known you, they probably get several emails a day and could get more than one from someone with the same first name. Besides, it’s more professional to put your first and last name in the closing of your email.

Don’t use informal closings: Some email endings are too informal or friendly for a professional email. You can reserve these for emailing a friend. Examples of informal closings you don’t want to use when sending business-related emails include:

• Thanks
• Thx
• Talk to you soon
• Bye
• Love
• See ya
• See you
• See ya later
• Later
• Emoticons

Format properly: Just like every other part of the email, you should make sure it’s formatted correctly. The closing should be left-justified, using the same font as the rest of the email. Be sure to include a comma after the closing word or phrase, then put your name on the next line, followed by the other identifying information you choose to add. The format should look as follows:

Ending statement (usually two sentences if you use a statement versus just a closing phrase)

Closing (one or two words)

Full name
Job title or company
Phone number