Have you ever signed off from a text message in a ridiculous way because you lost sight of who you were speaking to? An intimate “X” to someone you were trying to buy something off Gumtree from, for instance.
You send so many messages daily that occasionally forgetting who you’re talking to is almost unavoidable. Nonetheless, it’s an embarrassing experience, but for businesses, using an inappropriate sign-off can be a little more damaging.
Businesses sending text messages to their customer base, or any other stakeholders, have to be mindful of who they’re speaking to. They need to be friendly, but professional. This isn’t an easy balance to achieve, and the perfect sign-off is dependent on the business.
We can’t really tell you what to say, but here’s five things NOT to sign off with..
1. “Xoxo” (or even just the “X”) – unless you actually hug and kiss your customers when you see them, this sign-off is pretty odd. If you do hug and kiss them when you see them, that’s also pretty odd. We think leave this sign-off for friends and family.
2. “Ciao” – This won’t make you seem sophisticated, it’s just out of place. As Suzanne Bates, CEO of Bates Communications Inc, put it “this isn’t for business, except for fashion, art or real Italians.”
3. “Later” – This is way too casual.
4. “Cordially/Regards/Best/Sincerely” – Or any similarly old-fashioned sign-off. We’re not writing a formal letter here. You want to establish a little bit more of a rapport with your audience, this is very cold.
5. “Cheers” – This is fine for friends and work colleagues, anyone you know quite well. It’s probably not the best for business purposes.
When you are signing off your text message, just remember to be friendly, appropriate and clear.
If you have any ideas about great, or terrible, ways to sign off a business SMS, we would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or email [email protected] to talk to one of our experts.
Prachi Bametha
Marketing Coordinator, Esendex Australia