On average, an American worker receives 126 emails a day, and the number of his emails may increase by 5% every year. Amid the pandemic where remote working is a given, emailing becomes even more mainstream for workplace communication. Without proper skills on how to end an email, for example, you might make a mistake that might affect your career. Hence, learn the arts of emailing and use it well to your benefit!
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The Importance To Open And End An Email Properly
Email is used for many different purposes and How you present yours depends a lot on your purpose and audience. For different recipients, you can adopt different email writing styles with varying formality. First thing first, you need to know when to email and how to email properly.
How Emails Act As A Form Of Communication?
Emails are a conventional and professional means of communication to distribute information, usually with electronic documents. Moreover, the information you share is not time-sensitive, because otherwise, you would want to use the telephone. The recipients usually will correspond during business hours or unless they promise to reply sooner.
In some cases, you can use emails to share a written record of the communication for reference in the future. They are also a kind of proof for revision of delivery. In other words, emails are formal packaging of communications in the workplace. Emails can turn promises into actual commitments and resolve disagreements.
On other occasions out of the workplace, emails help you convey your intentions and thoughts in a more mature way. For example, to invite a group of friends to your wedding reception, you would prefer emailing to texting. For some reason, people tend to be more cultured and responsible when emails are the means of communication. Hence, we can use emails to obtain solid information for the proper preparation and implementation of plans.
Why A Proper Starter And Sign-off For An Email?
As previously mentioned, emails’ formality varies according to their recipients. These recipients, or audience, will most likely judge the email content by its opening. A proper opening with professional email salutations is very much welcomed in the workplace. On the contrary, an informal email to an old friend should start with something as friendly as possible.
Needless to say, we have written and sent thousands if not millions of emails in our lives. Sometimes, we do care about the starter, but other times we just put a plain “Hi” or “Hello”. Such a starter demonstrates to the recipient how much thought you put into the email, and how much you care. A careless or inappropriate starter can cost you a job opportunity or a soulmate who had a rough day.
When you open an email with a clear statement of the reason for writing and some well wishes for the recipients, the conversation starts off more smoothly. The recipient immediately can feel your sincerity and seriousness in the email, and they would react accordingly. The same goes for how to end your emails. Think of your email closing as the ending of your conversation. You may receive a positive response when your language is polite and your email ends with a clear call-to-action button or link which shows you where to click for further information or to take action.
The Key Points To Start And End An Email
For Starters
How to start an email professionally? Try beginning your email with a greeting, well wishes, and your reason for writing. Though the well-wishes are usually for formal emails, they’re sometimes good to send to friends you have not contacted for a while. Then, include a couple of concise sentences on why you are writing them. Stating your reason to write in the email starter ensures that both you and the recipients stay on topic.
For professional emails, you can use “Dear [First Name]” instead of mentioning times of the day such as “Good Morning”. If possible, try to address the recipient with their own name instead of only their job title. For example, when you write a thank-you letter to your professor, you need to give a proper salutation such as “Dear Mr. Lastname” or “Dear Prof. Lastname.” Also, while you’re at it, remember to always double-check the spelling of the recipient’s name. Misspelling their names may be disrespectful, and they may not want to read your emails.
Sometimes when you choose to send a semi-formal email to introduce new team members, you can start the email with the recipient’s names. Let’s take the below example to see how you can write an effective starter for a semi-formal email:
“Mathew,
Hello! I’m writing to introduce you to the other members of our HR team, Helen and John…”
Such a direct starter will set a friendly tone for the conversation to go on. And usually, we all like to let off our steam a bit with such friendly emails amid a stressful workday. This kind of starter is also great when you email a friend. However, in an email to a friend, you should use more relaxing words and tone it closer to spoken English. By doing so, you can actually enjoy a cool conversation with your friend via emails.
Samples On How To Start An Email
Suppose you are applying for a job via email and you’re encountering trouble on how to start an email. Take a look at the below example:
“Dear Charlene,
I hope this finds you well. I’m writing in response to your job posting for the HR executive position…”
The well-wishes in the above example are formal enough for job application emails. Another example is when you want to write a semi-formal email to set up a meeting:
“Greetings team,
I’m reaching out to set up a meeting about the upcoming project…”
With this starter, the writer states clearly his or her goal when sending the email. There are no well-wishes required as it’s a semi-formal email to his or her teammates. However, it is polite enough because the writer uses “Greetings team” as the first sentence in the email.
Let’s take one more example of an acceptance email for a job offer. When you’re pondering whether to write a formal or semi-formal opening to such an email, consider the position of the recipient. In other words, if you’re writing to your soon-to-be supervisor, you should choose a formal tone for the email. Whereas the recipient is the HR executive you met at the interview, your email can sound semi-formal like the one below:
“Hi there Joana,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I’m excited to learn about the offer…”
It would take experience until you instinctively know which starters to use. But for beginners, you can consider the recipient’s job titles and be as polite and sincere as you can be. Being more formal than required is still better than the other way around.
For Sign-offs
A professional email always needs a closing line, your name, and your professional title at the end. Sometimes, you need to mention once more your contact details if your call-to-action requires them to call you back. For the closing line, remember to state your gratitude that the recipient spends time reading your message and include a call-to-action. Whether you want them to reply to your email or meet up with you for a discussion, everything needs to be crystal clear in the closing line.
In addition, always sign off with your full name and professional title to help the recipient know your identity and avoid mistaking you with others. If the recipient is within your organization, you need to include your department and any extra information to help them navigate who you are.
Interestingly, people who have worked professionally long enough would have their go-to sign-offs. These words are automatically at the ending of their emails. But the fact is they occasionally customize the ending of their emails to suit the special recipients. Again, customizing your emails according to the recipients is what makes the difference.
Samples On How To End Your Emails
Regarding meaningful career advice, a good closing line for email needs to show your gratitude towards the recipients and your expectations of them. This call-to-action must be clear but polite in the closing line of your email. Check out this email closing line:
Thank you so much for taking the time to review my suggestions and related documents. I look forward to hearing from you soon on ways forward!
Sincerely,
Beth Johnson
This closing line again stresses the elements of the email: the writer’s suggestions and relevant documents. Besides, it states that the writer hopes to receive the recipient’s response. Such closing of email is very effective and polite at the same time.
Let’s take an example email sent after the interview:
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Anika Johnson
Full-Stack Software Engineer
www.anikajohnson.com
111-888-6789
This closing will make sure the recipient can always find a way to contact you. Let’s see below some common email closings for professional and semi-formal emails of Jobandedu:
- Best
- Regards
- Kind regards
- Sincerely
- With gratitude
- Warm wishes
- Thank you
- Many thanks
- Respectfully
On the other hand, if you’re writing to a friend, the above closings are an absolutely terrible choice. In fact, to end your emails in the friendliest way possible, try the below sign-offs:
- Your friend
- Peace
- Cheers
- Chat soon
- Thanks a bunch
- Yours truly
All in all, the email closing is the last thing the recipient reads after finishing your message. It can serve as a motivating factor for them to respond quickly, or whether they respond at all. Thus, it is advisable to select an appropriate closing to your email.
The Final Thought
Emails have always been a fast and reliable form of communication with easy access for everyone. Emails help businesses prosper while also keeping long-lasting relationships intact. In the fast-paced digital age, emails become increasingly important and we need to master the art of email writing. The art of emailing involves how to end an email without flaws and hence get more things done the best way possible. Emailing is the ultimate tool for our professional life in the digital age if we manage to handle it.
