You write a masterful email. The subject line is uber-clickable. Your greeting is friendly without being overly familiar. And then you get to your sign-off. "Thanks" is too generic, "Sincerely" is too formal, and "Cheers" seems tired.
"Best regards" and "kind regards" are two of your best options for business email signatures, but it can be difficult to know how to use each correctly.
To avoid bad first impressions or email faux pas, I've created a quick-and-easy guide for when and how to use each one, so your emails are always appropriate and grammatically correct.
When to Use "Best Regards"
"Best regards" is the less formal version of the two. It's a safe, friendly, and respectful sign-off to clients you're familiar with but not yet well-acquainted.
It's a neutral sentiment that communicates respect and appreciation without claiming to have a relationship beyond what you've built with your prospect, client, or colleague. Here's a list of scenarios in which you'd use "Best regards":
- When emailing existing clients
- When speaking with vendors you've worked with for 3+ months
- When communicating with prospects you've engaged in regular, two-sided conversation with
- When reaching out to colleagues within your organization
- Any time the other party sets a more casual tone over email
And here's an example of how to use "Best regards" in an email:
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Hello Jay,
Here's that case study we were discussing yesterday. It should answer your question about how BG Solutions can streamline your accounting process by integrating with your existing software.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Dee
If you're looking for a formal or semi-formal alternative to "Best regards", use one of the sign-offs above instead.
"Best Regards" Alternatives
- Respectfully
- Best
- All the best
- Thank you
- Thanks again
- Thanks in advance
- Thank you for your time
- Cheers
- Talk soon
- Looking forward to our next conversation
- Looking forward to hearing from you
- Have a wonderful [day, weekend]
- Happy weekend
- Reach out with questions
- Let me know if you need anything
"Kind Regards"
"Kind regards" is a more formal variation of "Best regards." You might reserve it for introductory, outreach, or exploratory emails. It still communicates respect but intuits less of an established relationship. In business correspondence, "Kind regards" is a professional and appropriate way to end an email.
Here are a few scenarios in which you would use "Kind regards":
- When conducting warm outreach
- When in the early stages of communicating with prospects (especially if they haven't responded to your emails)
- When emailing an executive at any company, any time
- When introducing yourself to a mutual acquaintance of a friend or colleague
- When you're uncertain which sign-off to choose
And here is an example of how to use "Kind regards" in an email:
Hello Jay,
I noticed you downloaded our most recent case study about how BG Solutions helped streamline the accounting operations of enterprise company Stillwater Inc. If you have any questions about that study, I'd be happy to answer them.
Kind regards,
Dee
When you've built rapport and a closer working relationship with a business associate, it might be appropriate to drop the "Kind "and "Best "entirely and just send "Regards," though some experts feel this is colder rather than more familiar. Below is an example of "Regards" in an email:
Hello Jay,
It was great to speak with you on the phone earlier. I sent you a calendar invite for the demo call we agreed upon for Thursday, September 20th at 3:00 PM EST. You'll also find an agenda for the call attached below.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Regards,
Dee
Regardless, it is the most informal version of the sign-off and denotes the closest kind of working relationship. Reserve this for clients or colleagues with whom you work regularly and whose email tone and style you understand, and vice versa.
"Kind Regards" Alternatives
- Sincerely
- Cordially
- Many thanks
- Take care
- Sending you the best
- Respectfully
- Thank you for reading
- With gratitude
- With appreciation
"Kind Regards" vs. "Warm Regards"
"Kind regards" is a more formal sign-off than "Best regards," -- and "Warm regards" takes the familiarity a step forward.
"Warm regards" is generally reserved for close friends and family and should not be used in professional correspondence.
When considering whether to use "Warm regards" in an email, choose one of the "Kind regards" alternatives listed above to be safe and appropriate at all times. You can also leverage tools and AI writers like HubSpot's AI email content writer to choose between Kind Regards or Warm Regards.
When in Doubt, Match the Customer's Tone
Still not sure which one to use? As a rule of thumb, match the formality in your business associate's tone. If they've signed their last email "Best wishes," reply with the same signature or substitute "Best regards." If they've used a more formal signature like, "Sincerely," err toward "Kind regards," as it matches the tone and sentiment your associate has used. To save time and boost efficiency, you can let AI write your hyper-personalized sign-offs that drive engagement and conversions like the lemlist AI sequence generator to build your custom multichannel sequence in seconds.
To learn more about sales communication check out these alternatives to "Looking forward to hearing from you" next.
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Free Business Communication Guide
Communication tips to use throughout your professional career.
- Communicate to your audience
- Write with clarity
- Craft effective message
- Improve word choice
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Topics: Sales Communication
FAQs
"Kind regards" is a more formal variation of "Best regards." You might reserve it for introductory, outreach, or exploratory emails. It still communicates respect but intuits less of an established relationship. In business correspondence, "Kind regards" is a professional and appropriate way to end an email.
Should I use kind regards or kind regards in email? ›
So how do you write it? Do you capitalise both words or only the first one? Well, this is an easy one to fix. You definitely only need to capitalise the first letter, like this: 'Kind regards'.
Is it better to say regards or best regards? ›
Best regards is a respectful, semiformal way to close an email. It can be used in both personal and professional emails to someone you're relatively familiar with. “Best regard” is a mistake and should be avoided. You need the plural noun “regards” in this sign-off.
Should I end every email with best regards? ›
This is the best email sign-off, according to Business Insider. “Best” is a safe and inoffensive choice for most occasions. At the same time, if you feel this email ending is too colloquial, you can pick “Best regards” for an initial email. If you sincerely want to express gratitude, this closing remark is fine to use.
Is kind regards formal enough? ›
Kind regards are the most formal kind of regards you should use for the most important and formal people usually relevant to your job. To have clear guidance about best regards vs Kind regards , you should know how to use kind regards in email writing. Kind regards are most formal sign-off than any other sign-off.
How do you end an email that requires a response? ›
How to end an email that requires a response
- “Thank you for your consideration.”
- “I look forward to your response.”
- “Please let me know if you have any further questions.”
- “Thank you for the opportunity to [action].”
- “I appreciate your time and attention to this matter.”
The 10 most passive-aggressive email phrases
These 10 common email red flags are often a tip-off, according to a report last year from telecommunications provider TollFreeForwarding.com: “Please advise” “Kind regards” “Friendly reminder”
Is it professional to use best regards? ›
Typically, 'Best Regards' indicates respect and admiration for the recipient without indicating any working relationship other than what you already have with them. But that doesn't limit you from using it while communicating with your existing clients, vendors, or colleagues within the company.
Should I use best or kind regards? ›
So, you should use kind regards when writing to people you don't know or those in a higher position than you. Best regards should be used when writing to those you have a familiar relationship with. Hopefully, we've clarified how to use kind regards and best regards in your emails.
Is it professional to say best regards? ›
Other professional letter closings include “sincerely,” “best” and “best regards,” while other casual letter closings include “take care,” “cheers” and “talk soon.”
In this case, it would be appropriate to use “Best regards” as your closing to reflect the formality of the situation. On the other hand, if you are writing an email to thank a colleague for their help with a project, “Kind regards” is more suitable as it reflects the less formal nature of the message.
How do you politely end an email thoughtfully? ›
10 best ways to end an email
- 1 Sincerely. This traditional sign-off is a popular choice because it ends an email on a positive, yet formal, note.
- 2 Regards. ...
- 3 Best wishes. ...
- 4 Cheers. ...
- 5 Take care. ...
- 6 Best. ...
- 7 Thank you. ...
- 8 I appreciate your [help, input, feedback, etc.]
Regards, Best regards, and Kind regards are good email sign-offs. Remember that concerning and about can work just as well as, and more concisely than, in regard to and with regard to. The phrases in regards to and with regards to are never correct, and you might garner criticism if you use them.
Is Kind regards too much? ›
Sticking with 'Kind regards' every time, no matter the context, can make your emails lackluster and less impressionable.
What is a nicer way of saying kind regards? ›
Formal alternatives to Regards include “Sincerely, “ , “Sincerely Yours,” “Yours Truly,” “Faithfully Yours,” “Respectfully Yours,” “With Sincere Appreciation,” and “With Gratitude.” On the other hand, some informal alternatives include “See you soon,” “Take care,”. etc.
How do you end an email without thank you? ›
Here are some alternative phrases you can use to end an email besides "Thank You" or "Best Regards": Sincerely. Kind regards. Warm regards.
Is it professional to say kind regards in an email? ›
"Kind regards" is a more formal variation of "Best regards." You might reserve it for introductory, outreach, or exploratory emails. It still communicates respect but intuits less of an established relationship. In business correspondence, "Kind regards" is a professional and appropriate way to end an email.
Is it OK to say regards in an email? ›
Regards is a standard closing you can use in your messages when you aren't asking for something. You can use regards, or some form of it, in practically any type of message. Regards works best in more formal situations, but you can change it a little to make it fit more informal ones.
Which is more formal best regards or kind regards? ›
Best regards has a similar meaning to kind regards (i.e., courtesy and esteem) but is considered less formal. So, you should only use it with people you're more familiar with, like colleagues you work alongside and customers you've communicated with before.
Is regards better than kind regards? ›
If you're not sure whether you know someone well enough to use best regards, we recommend going with kind regards. Many people just use regards, but it can sound unfriendly and abrupt.
