How to end an email professionally (with examples)

When you apply for jobs, communicate with your colleagues or stay in touch with your manager, you'll often find yourself doing this through email. Email communication has its own set of rules, which are more formal than SMS or instant messaging, but more casual than a written letter. In this article. we discuss how to end an email in a way that leaves a good impression on your reader.

Why it's important to know how to end an email

Every element of an email is important. It needs a great subject line to catch the attention of the person you're sending it to. The body needs to be concise and informative so that they understand your intent. The ending is just as important because it serves as:

• Courtesy: When you take the time to craft an effective email ending, it's a courtesy that shows you respect the recipient and appreciate their time.

• Professionalism: Employers want to know that you always work to the highest possible standard. If your email ending looks professional, it shows that you care about presentation and detail.

• Communication: One of the most highly valued soft skills is communication. If your emails are well-formatted from top to bottom, it shows that you have a talent for communicating.

• Information: Many professionals place important information at the end of the email. Some people might skip to the bottom of the message to find your phone number, social media handle, job title or other contact information.

Related: How to improve soft skills in the workplace

How to end an email professionally

A proper ending takes only a few additional moments for you to create and for your recipient to read. Use the following steps to create an effective and professional email ending or a reusable template:

1. Finish your text with a closing paragraph

2. Use a professional valediction

3. Add your full name

4. Include your job title if it's related to the email

5. Provide contact information

1. Finish your text with a closing paragraph

Before you end an email, thank the recipient for taking the time to review your message, make sure you complete what you were saying in the body of the email, such as how you'd like the recipient to take action on your message. For example, say you're sending your CV with an email cover letter. In the body, you would write a paragraph or two explaining why you feel you are suitable for this job. At the end, you can start a new paragraph and write something like:

'Thank you for reviewing my application. Please contact me if you require any further information. I look forward to hearing from you'.

Related: How to write a thank you letter (with examples)

2. Use a professional valediction

A valediction is a phrase you use to close off your letter. In a personal email, your valediction might be something like 'Take care' or 'With love'. In business emails, you use slightly more formal valedictions, such as:

• Regards

• Kind regards

• Sincerely

• With thanks

• With gratitude

• Best wishes

Try to match your valediction to the content of your letter. If you have asked for a favour, for example, then use something like 'With gratitude'.

3. Add your full name

If you know the recipient, it's okay to sign off with only your first name. If you don't know them, or you haven't developed an informal relationship with them, then you should sign off with your full name. This is standard practice when writing a business letter, and many people expect to see the same standards in a business email.

4. Include your job title if it's related to the email

If you're emailing concerning your current job, you should always include your job title under your name. For example:

Phil Jones,
Event Planner

or

Nilesh Shah,
Account Manager

This helps the recipient to understand why you are emailing them. If you're emailing from the sales team, they know you're talking about new accounts or special offers. If you're emailing from technical support, they know you're empowered to solve their issue.

Related: 14 guidelines for professional email etiquette at work

5. Provide contact information

Your email ending should include some form of contact information so that people can reach you. Work-related emails generally contain as much information as possible so that potential clients have no trouble contacting the sender. These pieces of contact information include:

• Phone number

• Alternative email addresses

• Company's website address

• Postal address

• Social media handles

• Fax number

If you're sending a professional email from your personal account, say an email cover letter and CV to an employer, you can just provide your phone number and one or two relevant links, such as your online professional networking profile.

Related: Professional email ID examples for business addresses

Tips for how to end an email

You may need to adapt your email ending to suit particular situations. Here are a few all-purpose tips to help you get it right every time.

• Match the recipient's tone

• Account for the recipient not knowing who you are

• Remember that other people might read your mail

• Save time with an automated footer

Match the recipient's tone

Everybody has different expectations of proper email etiquette. Some people are highly formal, while others write emails in the same style as SMS messages. If you've previously communicated with the recipient before, the best approach is always to match their tone as much as possible. If the other person is very formal, then you should be formal in your signoff. If they are more casual, then it may be appropriate to use a less-formal valediction or include only your first name while still keeping it professional.

Related: Examples of tone in emails: definition, importance and tips

Account for the recipient not knowing who you are

One reason to use your full name and job title at the end of an email is that the recipient might not know who you are. This is especially true if you've never communicated by email before. The recipient might have spoken to you by phone or in person, but they may not recognise your name when it appears in their inbox. Make it easy for them by identifying yourself as easily as possible.

Related: How to introduce yourself in an email (with examples)

Remember that other people might read your mail

People often forward emails on to others. For example, if you send a job application to a recruitment representative, they might forward your email to a hiring manager. Take a look at the whole email before you hit send, including the ending. Ask yourself what impression a stranger would get if they read this email.

Save time with an automated footer

Most email clients allow you to create an automated footer that goes at the end of each outgoing email. This is especially useful for including things like contact information, which will be the same on every outgoing email.

Related: What is a digital signature in emails? (With tips and steps)

Examples of how to end an email

Your ending will vary depending on the scenario. Here are a few common examples to help prepare you for sending emails with effective endings in the following professional situations:

An email to a customer

Whenever you send an email to a customer, client, vendor or another external party, you're representing the company. Make a good impression and make sure that you include all contact information in case they have a follow-up query.

I hope this has resolved your issues. Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries.

Example:

Kind regards,

Bernard Tobin
Senior helpdesk analyst
+44 020 7111 1112 | www.techtopia.co.uk | 123 Old Lane, SW1 1AB

Related: How to write customer service emails (with examples)

An email relating to a job application

Sometimes you'll need to send a professional email from your personal account. Job applications are a common scenario for this type of email. The information required here is slightly different, as you're not representing an employer.

Thank you for taking the time to review my application. Please let me know if you require any references. I look forward to hearing more about the opportunity from you.

Example:

Gratefully,

Patrice Onogonye
+44 07173 422709 | @p_ono

An email to a manager or executive team member

You may send an email to your manager, supervisor or an executive in your organisation for many reasons, including to schedule a meeting or respond to their initial message. If you don't have a personal relationship with that person, be sure to use more formal techniques at the end of an email, such as including your full name and job title.

Example:

I'm glad this project was a success. Please let me know if you need anything else from me.

Sincerely,
Leann James
R&D associate +44 181 987654

An email to a colleague or team member

If you're contacting a colleague that you already know, you may be able to be a bit more casual and use just your first name. If you don't know this person, use your full name and job title to properly identify yourself.

Example:

Let me know if you have any other queries or need additional resources.

Best,

Thomas

Example:

Please find the file attached, and feel free to contact me with any queries.

Regards,

Adele Kallas,
Team leader
ext. 479 or +44 07953 113476

The model shown is for illustration purposes only and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.