9 Ways to End an Email
What if this one email ends up being the most important email you ever send? How will you end it?
Here are several ways to end an email, but some are more appropriate than others depending on the context and your relationship with the recipient.
Today we’ll discuss nine different ways you can end an email and provide some examples of each that might be more or less appropriate based on the context in which you find yourself writing an email to someone else.
9 Ways to End an Email
- Try Thank you for your time
- Acknowledge Time Constraints
- Give Specific Next Steps
- Thank Them For Their Input
- Quote something they said in the email
- Acknowledge They Worked On Your Issue
- Say Goodbye Like It’s a Conversation, Not An Email
- Wrap Up Without Being Clumsy
- Use Additions For Personalization (But Don’t Get Cute!)
1) Try Thank you for your time
The most basic way to end an email is by simply thanking your reader for his or her time. This leaves them with a positive impression and lets them know you truly appreciated their feedback.
Furthermore, it’s just a good baseline for all emails; if you find yourself struggling for how to end your emails in a thoughtful way, try thanking your reader first—the rest will come naturally.
Thank you very much for taking time out of your day to respond so thoughtfully.
2) Acknowledge Time Constraints
If you’re worried about ending your email on a sour note, you can always try acknowledging a time-constraint issue: I know you’re busy, but I thought it was important for me to share my ideas with you before our meeting next week. If we need to talk further, I’ll do my best to make time.
3) Give Specific Next Steps
If your email is introductory in nature, it’s best to use a close that indicates next steps, such as I’ll call you on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. I hope we can work together soon!
Using action-oriented language like talk, schedule, and call helps get your recipients motivated to take specific actions themselves.
4) Thank Them For Their Input
The last thing you want to do is offend someone with your words, so take a moment to thank them for their input before signing off.
This shows that you’re not being rude by ending your email and allows them to go about their day with a good feeling toward you.
It also brings closure to your interaction—you thanked them for helping out, now it’s time for them to get back on track doing whatever it was they were doing before you reached out.
5) Quote something they said in the email
When you’re not able to reply back in a timely manner, it’s nice to share that you haven’t forgotten about them. Addressing your response with something you mentioned in their email is a great way of doing that.
For example: Thank you for reaching out—I can always learn more! I look forward to our future correspondence.
6) Acknowledge They Worked On Your Issue
Most of us have experienced what it’s like to send an email that doesn’t get a response. When you want a reply, it can be nerve-wracking and cause you stress, especially if your problem is urgent.
It’s important that you send a friendly note at the end of your email—even if you don’t hear back from them immediately—to acknowledge they worked on your issue.
7) Say Goodbye Like It’s a Conversation, Not An Email
It’s easy to get wrapped up in writing a quick email and forget that you’re actually having a conversation with someone.
8) Wrap Up Without Being Clumsy
It’s easy to end your email by saying thanks. But it’s also a pretty obvious way of ending your message, and can feel awkward if you aren’t careful. Instead, try some of these methods that are more professional and polite: –
I appreciate your time and consideration. – I look forward to hearing from you soon! – My sincerest thanks for taking time out of your day to consider my application!
9) Use Additions For Personalization (But Don’t Get Cute!)
If you know someone’s personal pet peeves, don’t hesitate to use them for personalization. But when in doubt, simply ending your email with a genuine thank you is a solid choice.
9 Ways to End an Email
