What is your sign-off on professional correspondence?
How formal should you be in business letters? This month, legal writing authority Bryan Garner takes on what he considers to be appropriate salutations and sign-offs.
Garner offers a number of appropriate—and grammatically correct—sign-off suggestions. Among them: “If the relationship is very formal and deferential, stick with ‘respectfully (yours),’ or ‘very respectfully (yours).’” If it’s less formal, without deference (as in demand letters), try ‘Very truly yours,’ ‘Yours very truly’ or ‘Yours truly.’”
This week, we’d like to ask you: What is your sign-off on professional correspondence? Regards? Best? Something else entirely? Do you sign off emails differently than letters sent on paper?
Answer in the comments.
Read the answers to last week’s question: How do you handle phone calls from potential clients?
Featured answers:
Posted by Solo criminal defense attorney: “This is how I get most of my clients. All calls forward to my cellphone. I pick up all calls, or call back within the hour, even if it is only to introduce myself and ask if i can call back later in the day. I may have been the fifth or 10th attorney the person called, but they hire me because I am the only attorney they were able to speak to.”
Posted by BLJ: “Seriously? I have a general practice in a small town. If I spoke to potential clients by phone, I’d probably get conflicted out of about half my cases. I do try to make sure a person answers their calls, but adding that buffer is non-negotiable.”
Do you have an idea for a future question of the week? If so, contact us.
