Nobody likes goodbyes. Especially when we’re writing emails.
You know the scenario: You’ve written the email, nailed the greeting, explained what you want, and now it’s just time to say thanks and push send. But that last sentence has you tied up in knots. How can one sentence be so difficult?
Well, you're not alone. When teaching private English classes, this is a theme that comes up again and again, lower-levels to advanced, intern to CEO.
So what's the answer?
How about Best regards?
I'm afraid we won't be able to complete the work by the agreed deadline.
Best Regards,
Henry
Hmm...You might as well just write Bye-eeee! (I’ll write a blog on short sign-offs soon).
So how about if I just write my name? Sign off like a boss!
I'm afraid we won't be able to complete the work by the agreed deadline.
Henry
Maybe not. I’m not a CEO. Yet.
How about Thanks?
I'm afraid we won't be able to complete the work by the agreed deadline.
Thanks,
Henry
No. Too ambiguous. Do I sound grateful or sarcastic? (To be discussed in future blog soon.)
We need a way to tie this up, quickly and politely and get on with the huge list of things we haven’t done yet / search for furniture online. It should reflect the mood of the email, be clear, and be professional.
I'm afraid we won't be able to complete the work by the agreed deadline.
We hope this isn’t too much of an inconvenience,
Henry
Better.
Unfortunately, there is no magic closing sentence.
Different situations call for different goodbyes. So what I’ve tried to do is imagine different 'business' scenarios and suggest a closing sentence for each.
Just to cover the bases a little, I’ve also offered both formal and informal alternatives.
I don’t imagine this list will be comprehensive, but hopefully, among the options, you will find something that suits your situation.
One more thing. Each of the suggestions below assumes that you have already written the email, explained why you are writing and what you want. The rest is just how to get out of the room.
So, without further ado, here we go:
Thanking someone for doing something
Informal (i): Thanks (once more) for your help with this / (Once again) I really appreciate your help with this,
Formal (f): Thank you for your assistance with this matter,
Hurrying someone
i: If at all possible, we would need this by the end of the day. I hope that’s not a problem. Let me know if you have any concerns / Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with,
f: In order to complete the (said task) we would need the document by the end of the day. I/we hope this is convenient. Please contact me/us if you need any assistance,
Congratulating
i: Once again, congratulations. I’m really happy for you / you really deserve it,
f: We once again extend our sincerest congratulations,
Apologising
i: I'm really sorry for any inconvenience this may cause (Please let me know how you wish to proceed),
f: I / we apologise for the inconvenience. Please don't hesitate to contact me / us if you wish to discuss the matter further,
Asking someone to do something
i: Thanks for helping out with this,
f: I / we really appreciate your assistance with this matter. Please contact me/us if you need any assistance,
Asking for more time
i: I hope this isn’t a problem,
f: I/we hope this isn’t too much of an inconvenience.
Suggesting (a time)
i: Let me know if this works for you,
f: Please confirm if this time is convenient for you,
Inviting someone to do something
i: Let me know if you’re interested,
f: If you would like to attend, please confirm by replying to this email,
Asking a question
i: Thanks for your help with this (issue),
f: Thank you for your time and assistance,
Helping
i: If you need any help, just let me know,
f: If I can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me,
f: Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me,
Telling someone off
i: I hope that’s clear,
f: I would be grateful if this could be resolved as soon as possible,
Asking someone for something
i: Let me know if you can help with this,
f: We would really appreciate your help with this (matter),
Notice! At no point do I use the word Revert. And nor should you.
If there's a situation that's not covered here, or if you are not sure about one of the options, I'd love to hear about it. Send me an email here.
I'll have an article on short sign-offs soon.
I hope this article has been of use, (Nice closing.)
Henry
If you're interested in improving your English, get in touch. I'm happy to chat online, free of charge, and discuss how a tutor can help.
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