Girlawhirl's getting a little confused with office communiqués. With more and more emails hitting her inbox, she's practically forgotten how to express herself verbally, yet her writing skills have improved tremendously. But there's one thing that she's still stumped by: the sign-off…
She used to be comfortable with a simple “regards.” But then a co-worker questioned her, implying that it was too chummy for the office. Girlawhirl, who had used best regards for clients and associates with whom she worked closely, cringed… was she giving off the wrong impression?
Lately she's seeing a lot of Bests at the bottom of her emails and that confuses her even more, like the Sex and the City
episode where Samantha was confounded by a beau's constant use of Best, instead of what she really wanted to hear. Girlawhirl would have thought that this was far too informal for a business sign off.
It was time to call for help, and etiquette expert Maria Mana always has the answers. Her advice? Stick to the tried and true. Sincerely Yours, and Very Truly Yours are the two most accepted signoffs for a business email. If Girlawhirl is very friendly with a particular client or correspondent, she can go for a Warm Regards, but as far as a Best, Maria agrees that it's a little too friendly for the workplace.
Etiquette expert Maria Manna is available through her website MariaManna.com.