8 Best Regards Alternative Sign-Offs for Any Email

The polished phrase “Best regards” isn't automatically the right choice for every email. A closing should reflect the purpose of the message, your relationship with the recipient, the level of formality, and your organization's voice. The safest sign-off for a legal notice may feel stiff in a client follow-up, while a friendly phrase that works with a long-standing customer could look careless if an executive or legal team receives the message later.

Sign-offs also carry more history than many writers realize. Formal closings such as “Sincerely” were already established in typed correspondence for decades, and historical reviews trace written salutations much further back, including a handwritten salutation and blessing at the end of the New Testament letter to the Colossians. Modern business email narrowed that tradition into familiar options such as “Best regards,” “Kind regards,” “Best,” and “Thanks,” which became common by the early 1990s according to this historical review of email and letter closings.

The eight alternatives below are organized by the relationship and moment they serve: formal, friendly, sales, and internal. Each includes practical usage guidance and a way to standardize the choice in role-specific email signature templates.

1. Kind regards

Kind regards is one of the safest alternatives to “Best regards” when you want to sound professional without creating unnecessary distance. It softens a client-facing message, but it doesn't imply the familiarity of “Warm regards” or the informality of “Talk soon.” That makes it useful for onboarding, support, project updates, and follow-ups where trust matters but the relationship is still developing.

A software company might use it in an onboarding email from a customer success manager. A consulting firm could place it beneath a client deliverable, while an agency might use it after sending a creative brief response. In each situation, the phrase adds warmth without competing with the substance of the message.

When to choose it

Use “Kind regards” when:

• The recipient is external: It fits clients, suppliers, partners, and professional contacts.
• The relationship is positive but not intimate: It acknowledges goodwill without assuming personal closeness.
• The message needs a calm tone: It works well after a clarification, status update, or service response.

It's less effective when the email is highly formal, legally sensitive, or written to someone you already communicate with casually. In those cases, “Sincerely,” “Respectfully,” or “Thanks” may be more precise.

Practical rule: Choose “Kind regards” when you want warmth to be visible, but not the main event.

Your template should treat the sign-off as part of the brand system, not as an isolated line that employees change at random. Add it to the appropriate client-facing role variant, then pair it with a consistent name block, title, headshot, and contact details. SigFinch's guidance on different ways to sign emails can help teams document the broader closing set before publishing templates.

If your organization is moving toward a more formal identity, archive “Kind regards” from selected employee templates rather than leaving the decision open to individual preference. Consistency matters most when several people communicate with the same account or client.

2. Warm regards

Warm regards is more personable than “Kind regards,” but it can still work in a professional setting when the relationship supports it. The phrase signals that you see the recipient as more than a transaction, which suits agencies, consulting practices, customer success teams, and other relationship-led businesses.

A creative agency could use it after a client reviews a concept. A marketing consultant might choose it in a strategy update, while a design firm could use it during a collaborative revision round. The common thread is an established interaction where a little human warmth strengthens the message instead of making it feel overly familiar.

Keep warmth tied to context

“Warm regards” works best when the body of the email already demonstrates consideration. If you're thanking someone for thoughtful feedback, explaining a change, or recognizing a shared milestone, the closing reinforces the message. If you're delivering a blunt rejection or escalating a dispute, the phrase may sound disconnected from the content.

A practical template can assign “Warm regards” to customer success, account management, or creative roles while reserving a more neutral closing for finance and operations. That approach gives employees a usable default without pretending every department communicates in the same voice.

Build the signature around the person as well as the company. A name, role, professional photograph, and restrained brand color can make a warm sign-off feel credible. SigFinch's guide to creating an email signature covers the structural elements teams can standardize across those role-specific variants.

A warm closing works when the email earns it. Don't use friendliness to disguise an unclear request or a difficult decision.

You can also compare two approved versions for a specific communication type, such as client updates or onboarding messages. Keep the email body, sender role, and call to action consistent, then review the replies qualitatively rather than assuming the warmer phrase will always perform better.

The phrase deserves caution across cultures and languages. “Warm” can suggest welcome in one context and excessive familiarity in another, particularly when the recipient has no prior relationship with the sender. Use it where the team's communication style already supports that interpretation.

For a visual explanation of how a signature supports the closing, this email signature video provides a useful reference point after the written guidance.

3. Best wishes

Best wishes looks forward without sounding as transactional as “Regards.” It's a strong choice when you're hoping for a favorable outcome, such as an approved proposal, a partnership conversation, or a successful next phase of client work. The phrase communicates optimism while remaining recognizable and professional.

Sales representatives can use it after a discovery call or proposal follow-up. A partnership manager might choose it when contacting a prospective collaborator, and a consultancy could place it beneath recommendations that require client review. It also suits an agency submitting creative work where the sender wants to encourage discussion rather than close the conversation abruptly.

Make the next action explicit

“Best wishes” shouldn't carry the entire persuasive burden. Put the practical request above it:

• State the decision needed: Tell the recipient whether you're asking for approval, feedback, or a meeting.
• Name the next step: Include the action you want them to take.
• Give useful timing context: Explain when a response would help, without turning the closing into pressure.

The sign-off then becomes a positive finish to a clear email rather than a vague hope that the recipient will act. If the message is a rejection, correction, or formal notice, “Best wishes” may feel too upbeat. Match the emotional tone to the actual content.

For teams, this is a good candidate for a business development template rather than a universal company default. A conditional field can show “Best wishes” for sales and partnerships while preserving “Kind regards” for support or “Sincerely” for formal correspondence. SigFinch's resource on letter sign-offs offers additional context for choosing a closing according to the message rather than treating synonyms as interchangeable.

Avoid pairing “Best wishes” with an aggressive sales sequence or a message that contains several demands. The optimistic phrase can't neutralize a pushy body. It works when the sender is inviting a constructive outcome and has made the recipient's path forward easy to understand.

4. Looking forward

Looking forward is a future-oriented closing that assumes the conversation will continue. It suits project managers, account managers, consultants, and agency teams working through a defined process. Unlike “Best wishes,” it points directly toward collaboration, so it's strongest when a real next step exists.

A project manager can use it after confirming the next deliverable. An account manager might choose it in an ongoing client update, while a consulting firm could use it when presenting a phased implementation. An agency can use it between kickoff and delivery, provided the email identifies what happens next.

Connect it to a real commitment

The phrase becomes weak when the sender hasn't established a future action. “Looking forward” followed by an email that ends the relationship or leaves the recipient with no clear task creates a mismatch. Write the next step in the body first, then use the sign-off as a concise reinforcement.

Examples include:

• “Looking forward to reviewing your comments” when feedback is expected.
• “Looking forward to our conversation” when a meeting is scheduled.
• “Looking forward to the next phase” when the project has an agreed continuation.

Use the complete phrase when it improves clarity. On its own, “Looking forward” can sound unfinished, particularly in formal or externally archived communication.

A role-based template can include project-specific merge fields, but only if the information is reliable. A stale date or incorrect project name damages confidence faster than a generic closing would. Keep the sign-off fixed and place changing details in the email body unless your process can maintain them safely.

For examples of footer structures that support an action-oriented email, see these email footer examples. The design should keep the closing visually distinct from banners, links, and promotional content so the recipient can identify the sender's actual message.

“Looking forward” is not a substitute for accountability. If you use it, follow through on the promised exchange. Otherwise, choose a neutral alternative that doesn't imply a commitment your team can't meet.

5. Sincerely

Sincerely remains the dependable choice when formality and consistency matter more than conversational warmth. It has a long history in formal correspondence, and the tradition of conventional sign-offs has evolved rather than disappeared. The modern email version is especially useful when a message may be forwarded, archived, reviewed by a legal team, or read by someone who doesn't know the sender.

Law firms can use it across client communications. Financial institutions and established corporations may prefer it in standardized templates, while nonprofits can choose it for formal donor correspondence. It's also suitable for organizations that need one approved closing across several departments and audiences.

Reliability over personality

“Sincerely” doesn't have to make the signature cold. The organization can express its personality through typography, a professional photograph, branded colors, a concise role description, and useful contact links. Keeping the closing conservative can give the rest of the signature more room to communicate the brand.

Lock it as the default when:

• The audience is broad: The sender can't predict who may see the message later.
• The subject is sensitive: Complaints, contracts, policy decisions, and formal notices need restraint.
• Multiple departments share templates: A common baseline reduces accidental tone differences.

It may feel too formal for an internal chatty exchange or a long-standing creative partnership. That's a reason to create a controlled variant, not to let every employee invent a personal closing.

A signature management platform can separate brand ownership from daily staff changes. With SigFinch's material on signing off on emails, teams can frame the closing as one part of a complete signature policy. Role-based access can protect the standard layout while authorized managers maintain employee details.

When the risk of misinterpretation is high, “Sincerely” is often safer than trying to sound personable. A neutral closing won't solve a poorly written email, but it won't add an avoidable tone problem either.

6. Appreciate your time

Appreciate your time recognizes the attention a recipient gives to a request. It's particularly effective when you're asking someone to review a proposal, evaluate creative work, consider a candidate, or discuss a decision. The phrase works because it acknowledges effort without making an exaggerated promise or using pressure disguised as gratitude.

A consultant can use it after submitting recommendations for review. An agency might choose it when requesting feedback on a concept, and a recruiter can use it after a candidate conversation. Sales teams can also use it when asking several stakeholders to review a demonstration or proposal.

Put respect before the request

This closing is most natural when the body already explains what the recipient needs to do. For example, identify the document, specify the questions that need answers, and explain the expected next step. “Appreciate your time” then closes a respectful request.

It can feel awkward when:

• No time was requested: Don't use it as a generic replacement for “Regards.”
• The email is urgent: If immediate action is required, state the reason plainly.
• The sender is over-thanking: Repeated gratitude can sound like an attempt to influence the decision.

Use it with a clear, honest sentence above the closing. “Please review the attached options and let me know which direction you prefer” gives the recipient enough context. The sign-off acknowledges the work involved without pretending the decision is already favorable.

This phrase belongs in a proposal or request-specific template, not necessarily in a company-wide signature. A conditional template can apply it to review emails while leaving client service messages with “Kind regards” and internal updates with “Thanks.”

Keep the design balanced. A grateful closing paired with an oversized promotional banner can undermine the respectful tone. Use a restrained signature block, clear contact information, and only the brand elements that help the recipient identify the sender.

The phrase also works at the end of a substantial exchange, but don't use it to avoid answering the recipient's question. Respect begins with a complete response.

7. Talk soon

Talk soon is conversational, informal, and dependent on continuity. It fits internal project messages, established client relationships, support conversations with regular contact, and fast-moving teams where another exchange is expected. It doesn't belong in a first introduction, a formal complaint response, or a message that may be read by an unfamiliar senior stakeholder.

A startup team might use it in an internal project update. A creative agency can use it with a long-standing client, and a technology company might choose it in an ongoing partnership thread. Marketing teams can use it during collaborative campaign planning when the next interaction is already part of the work.

Don't promise contact you won't make

“Talk soon” creates a small expectation. If the sender disappears for weeks, the closing makes the delay more noticeable. Use it when a meeting is scheduled, a review is pending, or the workflow naturally requires another conversation.

A controlled template can limit the phrase to:

• Internal communication: Colleagues generally understand the organization's conversational style.
• Established accounts: The recipient already knows the sender and expects regular contact.
• Active project threads: The next exchange is part of a defined process.

For new contacts, “Kind regards” or “Best wishes” usually creates less risk. For executives, legal teams, or forwarded messages, choose a closing that remains appropriate without the original context.

The signature itself should stay professional even when the sign-off is casual. Keep the sender's full name, title, company, phone number, and relevant links visible. A friendly phrase doesn't justify an inconsistent layout or missing contact information.

Assign variants by role or contact type rather than asking staff to remember a long policy. Bulk imports can help administrators distribute the right template to internal teams and established client-facing roles, while individual setup links let employees maintain their own details.

“Talk soon” works because it sounds like a real person. It fails when a company applies it mechanically to every message, including those where no conversation is planned.

8. Thanks and all the best

Thanks and all the best combines appreciation with positive momentum. It's useful after someone has helped, reviewed work, resolved an issue, or supported a milestone. The first half acknowledges the recipient, while the second half closes on a constructive note.

A project team can use it at completion. A client service manager might choose it after resolving a difficult issue, and a sales representative can use it after a deal closes. Event organizers can use it in a wrap-up message when attendees, partners, or colleagues contributed to a successful outcome.

Use the hybrid deliberately

The phrase works best when the email contains a real reason for thanks. “Thanks for reviewing the final draft” or “Thanks for helping us resolve this” gives the closing a clear foundation. Without that context, the hybrid can sound like two generic sign-offs joined together.

Email data shows why gratitude deserves careful handling. In a 350,000-message analysis of email threads, “thanks in advance” had a 65.7% response rate, compared with 63.0% for “thanks,” 57.9% for “thank you,” 53.9% for “kind regards,” 53.5% for “regards,” and 51.2% for “best,” against a 47.5% sample average, as reported in this analysis of email greetings and sign-offs. Those figures describe response behavior in that analysis, not a universal rule for every message or audience.

A separate U.S. survey of 1,005 people found that 80% commonly used “thank you” to close an email and 71% used “thanks,” but only 38% preferred “thank you” and 30% preferred “thanks” as their actual sign-off. The same survey found that 41% used “thanks in advance” even though only 5% favored it, according to this survey of email-closing phrases.

That gap matters. A phrase can be common without being preferred, so select “Thanks and all the best” for a specific use case rather than assuming gratitude always improves the message. In a template library, reserve it for project closures, milestone celebrations, issue resolution, or genuine requests that have just been fulfilled.

Comparison of 8 Closing Salutations

Make the Sign-Off Part of the System

The best closing depends on risk, relationship, and the reality of the next step. Match formality to the possibility of forwarding, external review, archiving, or escalation. Match warmth to the rapport you've built. Use forward-looking language only when another conversation, decision, or delivery is expected.

That framework leaves room for a small approved set:

• Formal and externally sensitive: Use “Sincerely” when neutrality and durability matter.
• Cross-functional business communication: Use “Kind regards” for a balanced professional tone.
• Established relationships: Use “Warm regards” or “Talk soon” when the history supports familiarity.
• Sales and partnership conversations: Use “Best wishes” when the email points toward a favorable outcome.
• Active delivery work: Use “Looking forward” when the next step is real and visible.
• Requests and reviews: Use “Appreciate your time” when the recipient is being asked to consider or evaluate something.
• Genuine gratitude: Use “Thanks and all the best” after help, resolution, or a completed milestone.

“Best” may look efficient, but it shouldn't be treated as the automatic winner. A 2017 sign-off analysis reported a 52.9% average response rate for “best,” yet ranked it as the worst-performing closing among common sign-offs used at least 1,000 times. The same analysis noted that “Best regards” and related professional closings remain widely recommended by institutions such as the British Council and university style guides as safe, neutral choices. You can review the email sign-off analysis and etiquette guidance for the distinction between popularity, response behavior, and conventional acceptability.

Document when each phrase applies. A sales template shouldn't automatically appear in a legal team's correspondence, and an internal casual closing shouldn't leak into a first contact with a client. Include examples in the policy so employees can select by situation, not by personal taste.

The signature platform should enforce the parts that must remain stable while allowing the parts that legitimately vary. In practice, that means locked logos, colors, layouts, legal text, and contact fields, alongside role-based variants for sales, support, consulting, leadership, and operations. Personal setup links can let staff update their own details without creating another IT ticket, while versioning can identify installed signatures that need to be refreshed.

SigFinch is one option for implementing that model. Its template system supports merge fields, conditional content, hosted assets, personal setup links, role-based access, and versioning. Those controls help a team standardize the sign-off without forcing every department to use the same phrase or requiring administrators to rebuild the whole signature whenever a person's details change.

A consistent system also protects forwarded-first communication. Before approving a closing, ask where the email could end up and whether the phrase still sounds credible without the original exchange. That simple test catches many tone mismatches before they reach a client, executive, legal reviewer, or another department.

Choose the approved phrases this week, assign them to real communication contexts, and build the variants into your signature templates. Then review a sample of sent messages with your brand and operations teams to remove closings that sound too formal, too familiar, or disconnected from the action requested.

Use SigFinch to create role-specific email signature templates with approved sign-offs, locked brand elements, personal setup links, and versioning. Visit SigFinch to give each team the right closing without sending every signature change through IT.