JS Tip 249: From the Writing Workshops: Closing an Email

Alison Stuart, of the Summit County (Utah) Health Department, asked about closing an email: “Sometimes sincerely sounds too stiff, while other closings sound too informal.”

In the writing workshops, we counsel the participants to use conversational language, to write the way they talk.

When was the last time you ended a face-to-face conversation with “Sincerely”?

Probably never.

When was the last time you ended a conversation with “Best regards”?

Wow. Even worse.

We usually end conversations with “Thank you.”

Email, by its nature, is casual in nature. Simple. Informal.

End your emails casually, simply, and informally.

Thank you.  

If you have questions or comments, let us know. We love this stuff.