Ending an email | Video Overview

Transcript

0:00 How you end an email matters just as much as how you start it. You don’t want to write a great email, only to leave your recipient with a bad impression at the end, right? I’m Eva from QuillBot, and I’ll give you some good examples of closing lines, sign-offs, and email signatures so you end your emails on a professional note.

0:20 Closing lines give the email a sense of closure and encourage the recipient to reply or take the action you’ve requested.

0:28 Some good closing lines include: “I appreciate your time and attention”: It is always nice to be reminded that others appreciate your efforts, so thanking someone at the end of an email is a great way to underscore that you value them.

0:42 “I’d love to hear your feedback”: When you need the recipient’s opinion on something, use positive language to reinforce that you care about what they have to say. Asking your recipient for their feedback shows that you value their thoughts.

0:56 “Let’s touch base”: This expression is a polite way to suggest you’d like to speak about the topic of the email. You should suggest a time and channel for speaking, or, if you’re not very busy, you can defer to the recipient’s schedule.

1:10 “Keep me informed of any updates”: This expression implies that you only expect a reply if something happens or changes.

1:19 “Can you let me know?”: When you need an answer to a specific question, present the question to the recipient at the end of the email to ensure that they know what you need. State the question clearly, referencing what you’re asking about.

1:33 When ending your email, it’s also important to choose the right sign-off. It should reflect the relationship you have with the recipient and the level of formality you want to convey. Here are 5 strong sign-offs.

1:44 “Sincerely”: This is one of the most commonly used sign-offs for emails and letters. It’s formal without being stiff, which makes it a good option for professional emails.

1:55 “Regards”: This is another common sign-off. It is suitable for a range of formal to semi-formal contexts and can be paired with “Kind” or “Best” to add further emphasis.

2:05 “Best”: This shorter, less formal sign-off is suitable for people you have a familiar relationship with, like friends or close colleagues.

2:13 “Best wishes”: This is a more formal version than “best,” but still has a warm and friendly tone. While appropriate for formal contexts, it feels personable.

2:23 “Cheers”: This relaxed, informal sign-off also thanks the recipient. This sign-off is most common in British English but is also used in other variants.

2:34 Professional emails should usually include an email signature, which consists of various details after your name. The information you include in your signature depends on what you do and how you want to be contacted.

2:45 In addition to your full name, you might also want to include your job title, email address, phone number, company name, company address, brand logo, website, and social media channels.

Transcript

0:00 Writing a professional email is a task that most people will have to complete many times in their lives, so it’s important to know how to do it well. I’m Eva from QuillBot, and today I’ll explain the steps you should follow to write and send effective, professional emails.

0:16 Follow these steps to write a professional email.

0:18 Step 1: Write a clear subject line. Aim for 60 characters or fewer, summarize the goal of the email, and include tags that might help the reader prioritize, like “urgent.”

0:30 Step 2: Start with an appropriate greeting. Two good options are “Dear” and “Hello.” If you don’t know someone, use their full name or their title and last name. If you know them, their first name is generally fine.

0:42 Step 3: Write a focused body with context. In the body of your email, state the purpose of the email in a concise, focused way. Use short, simple sentences, avoid idioms and jargon, lead with the most important information, and add context when necessary.

0:59 Step 4: Include a “call to action,” or “CTA.” A CTA is a prompt for the recipient to take the action you want them to. The call to action should come after the body of your email and be logically connected to it.

1:13 Step 5: End with a polite closing. While “bye” and “see you soon” might be fine for emailing with friends, professional emails require more polite sign-offs. Two good examples are “sincerely” and “regards.”

1:28 Here are some other things you should do when emailing in professional contexts.

1:32 Use a professional email address. Avoid using cutesy, fan-related, or random email addresses when sending professional emails. Your company will most likely provide you one for work, but you should have a professional address for personal matters, too.

1:46 Use a professional signature. If you’re writing from a company email account, your signature will usually include your name, title, company logo, phone number, and email. If you’re writing from a personal email account, consider which information is relevant to the recipient.

2:02 Always check your recipient fields. Make sure the correct contacts appear and that they appear in the correct fields, double-checking the “to,” “cc,” and “bcc” fields.

2:12 Proofread before sending. Make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes, which can make a bad impression in professional contexts. Double-check that you’ve included any necessary attachments, too.

2:25 Consider scheduling your email. Think about the best time to send your email. Ideally, you want it to arrive to its recipient when that person is able to read and reply to it. If that’s not now, you can schedule your email to send at a later time.

Transcript

0:00 “Bcc” means “blind carbon copy.” It’s one of the recipient fields you can use when sending an email. I’m Eva from QuillBot. Let’s look at what bcc does and when to use it.

0:11 Bcc lets you send someone an email while keeping their address hidden from other recipients. People in the bcc field can see the names of people in the “to” and “cc” fields, but no one apart from the sender can see the names in the bcc field.

0:25 In addition to being hidden from other recipients, someone bcc’d in an email will not be included in any “reply all” responses. However, a bcc’d recipient can use “reply all,” and their response will go to everyone in the “to” and “cc” fields, revealing their involvement in the conversation.

0:42 You can use bcc in the following contexts:

0:45 When sending an email to a large group. If you’re sending something like a newsletter, mailing list, or event invitation, you may want to bcc all recipients. This keeps everyone’s email address private and also prevents accidental “reply-all” chains.

1:00 To politely remove someone from an email thread. For example, if a colleague introduces you via email to a new connection, you can move them to bcc when you reply. This acknowledges the introduction but saves that person from receiving all future messages in the thread. For transparency, consider noting this in your message.

1:22 To keep someone informed but not involved. Bcc is good for when you want someone to know that you’ve sent an email but don’t need their active participation in the conversation. For example, you might bcc your boss on emails to new clients so they know you’ve made contact.

Transcript

0:00 “Cc” means “carbon copy” or “courtesy copy.” It’s one of the fields you can use when sending someone an email. I’m Eva from QuillBot. Let’s take a look at how “cc” works and how to best use it.

0:12 Cc lets you include someone on an email while indicating that you don’t expect them to respond. It’s often used as a way to transparently keep people updated.

0:22 Anyone else who receives the email will be able to see the recipients listed in the “cc” field. However, those who were cc’d will only see the sender and other recipients in the “cc” and “to” fields, but not people in the “bcc” field.

0:37 And, if someone uses the “reply all” feature, anyone cc’d on the email will receive it. A cc’d person can also “reply all,” but the reply will not be directed to anyone who was bcc’d.

0:50 You might want to use cc in the following situations:

0:54 To keep stakeholders informed. Cc keeps someone updated on the status of a matter without implying that you want them to reply. For example, you might cc your manager when emailing a vendor to let them know you’ve paid their invoice.

1:09 For record keeping. The “cc” field can be used to include someone in a conversation for their future reference. One example is completing tasks for a colleague while they’re away and cc’ing them so they can catch up when they return.

1:24 Or when emailing on behalf of a team. If you’re sending an email on behalf of yourself and others, you can cc these other people to keep them in the loop.