"This is what your email sign-off signature says about you - and why you shouldn't use 'thanks'"
- 5 months ago
A writer has revealed what your email sign-off says about you - and claims using 'best,' portrays confidence and 'thanks!' comes across "thirsty and desperate".
Kelly Landry, 37, started researching email sign-offs when she was writing a comedy show.
She says 'many thanks' is considered pretentious, 'all the best' is used by people conscious about how they are perceived and 'cheers' means you're adventurous.
Kelly, a writer and comedian, from Los Angeles, California, US, said: "I think there are email sign-offs that portray more confidence.
"A lot of agents and managers or my friends who are execs use 'best' - it is the most boss lady, boss man sign-off.
"If you want to come across as confident or you are unsure how to end an email 'best' is the one to go for.
"I think 'thanks!' puts you in a weaker position, a little bit more informal - it comes across a touch thirsty."
Kelly said that people who use their initial followed by an X for example 'Lx' portray confidence and mystery - adding the person is in a position of power.
She said: "They like to keep people guessing, they were potentially into spy movies as a child.
"Or is a little bit romantic, I feel like romantic people will just do the initial.
"It is a little bit of a fantasy - it is giving me powerful, creative vibes."
Kelly herself doesn't have her own email sign-off and will switch it up depending on who she is emailing.
She said: "As a creative and not someone who is sat in an office I don't really do a set signature.
"I noticed that depending on who I was writing to or how I wanted to come across I would sign my email differently.
"I found it interesting, if I want to send a business email and wanting to come across professional it can be 'yours sincerely' or 'the best'.
"Sometimes I will do just a dash that to me feels a little chaotic - like I couldn't work out how to end it and I have already read the email 17 times and I have given up at the end and just put a dash."
Kelly said she likes 'all the best' as it comes across as "warmer" than 'best' and it is "very British".
She said: "Just 'best' feels too abrupt, maybe even rude.
"You have a deep fear of being misunderstood and so you often over-clarify.
"But you also don't want to seem desperate and typing 'wishing you all the best' felt way too thirsty."
Some of the more bizarre sign-offs Kelly has come across include 'very truly yours' and 'respectfully'.
She said: "It is so bizarre to me, I also think it is so funny as it will be some of the toughest people.
"They will redline your contract say you can't have this and that and end with 'very truly yours' it comes across as a f**k you.
"I also think 'respectfully' is something a lot of military people use.
"Just because they say it, doesn't mean they truly mean it and everyone knows they don't mean it."
One of Kelly's favourite sign-offs includes 'with gratitude' she said: "I love 'with gratitude' they are my hippies.
"They are burning sage, they might go on an ayahuasca retreat next year.
"Not to be confused with 'have blessing' or have 'a blessed day' which is very mainstream religious."
What Kelly says different sign-offs say about you -
Best = Confident
Thanks! = Thirsty
Many Thanks = Pretentious
All the best = Conscious of how they are perceived
Cheers = Adventurous
Initial followed by X = Powerful
Very truly yours = Tough
Ending with an emoji - Busy
Sincerely = Imposter
XX = Super important
Kelly Landry, 37, started researching email sign-offs when she was writing a comedy show.
She says 'many thanks' is considered pretentious, 'all the best' is used by people conscious about how they are perceived and 'cheers' means you're adventurous.
Kelly, a writer and comedian, from Los Angeles, California, US, said: "I think there are email sign-offs that portray more confidence.
"A lot of agents and managers or my friends who are execs use 'best' - it is the most boss lady, boss man sign-off.
"If you want to come across as confident or you are unsure how to end an email 'best' is the one to go for.
"I think 'thanks!' puts you in a weaker position, a little bit more informal - it comes across a touch thirsty."
Kelly said that people who use their initial followed by an X for example 'Lx' portray confidence and mystery - adding the person is in a position of power.
She said: "They like to keep people guessing, they were potentially into spy movies as a child.
"Or is a little bit romantic, I feel like romantic people will just do the initial.
"It is a little bit of a fantasy - it is giving me powerful, creative vibes."
Kelly herself doesn't have her own email sign-off and will switch it up depending on who she is emailing.
She said: "As a creative and not someone who is sat in an office I don't really do a set signature.
"I noticed that depending on who I was writing to or how I wanted to come across I would sign my email differently.
"I found it interesting, if I want to send a business email and wanting to come across professional it can be 'yours sincerely' or 'the best'.
"Sometimes I will do just a dash that to me feels a little chaotic - like I couldn't work out how to end it and I have already read the email 17 times and I have given up at the end and just put a dash."
Kelly said she likes 'all the best' as it comes across as "warmer" than 'best' and it is "very British".
She said: "Just 'best' feels too abrupt, maybe even rude.
"You have a deep fear of being misunderstood and so you often over-clarify.
"But you also don't want to seem desperate and typing 'wishing you all the best' felt way too thirsty."
Some of the more bizarre sign-offs Kelly has come across include 'very truly yours' and 'respectfully'.
She said: "It is so bizarre to me, I also think it is so funny as it will be some of the toughest people.
"They will redline your contract say you can't have this and that and end with 'very truly yours' it comes across as a f**k you.
"I also think 'respectfully' is something a lot of military people use.
"Just because they say it, doesn't mean they truly mean it and everyone knows they don't mean it."
One of Kelly's favourite sign-offs includes 'with gratitude' she said: "I love 'with gratitude' they are my hippies.
"They are burning sage, they might go on an ayahuasca retreat next year.
"Not to be confused with 'have blessing' or have 'a blessed day' which is very mainstream religious."
What Kelly says different sign-offs say about you -
Best = Confident
Thanks! = Thirsty
Many Thanks = Pretentious
All the best = Conscious of how they are perceived
Cheers = Adventurous
Initial followed by X = Powerful
Very truly yours = Tough
Ending with an emoji - Busy
Sincerely = Imposter
XX = Super important