According to the rules of etiquette, letters are usually signed in a certain way. Electronic mail is no exception. The article considers such a necessary thing as a signature in an email: examples for different purposes of correspondence, options in English and setting up this function in various services.
What is an e-mail signature?
If you vaguely understand what it is about, then open the site where you have an electronic mail box. Click the "Write a Letter" button and look in the lower left corner. There you will most likely see your name. This is the default signature, that is, automatically. You can remove it and send a letter without it. But it will look impolite to the addressee, especially in a business communication situation. You can also add the desired text manually, but this is too troublesome. It’s much easier to customize the templates you need and use them by changing your signature in the email. You can give a simple example: for business correspondence, the phrase: “Sincerely, Ivanov I.I.” is used, and for personal letters the phrase: “See you soon!” You can create many options, changing them depending on the goals of communication and just your mood. In addition to the name and surname, the signature in the e-mail can contain a lot of any other data.
What is it for?
A well-designed signature in an email can be a great way to promote your business. Examples for business correspondence: full name, job title, contacts for communication, services and products offered, website address and much more.
In a personal letter, the signature can be your name or nickname, a wish to the addressee, a funny phrase, some thoughtful quote that you consider as your motto, a link to a blog, and the like. Here, the purpose of the signature will be the expression of your personality, the establishment of a trusting relationship with a correspondence partner.
The signature is placed after the main text of the letter, begins with a capital letter and is aligned to the left. The purposes for which this short text is made at the end of the email may vary. Depending on them, certain rules apply.
Business signatures
Compliance with the chosen style of speech and the purpose of communication - these two qualities must have the correct signature in the email. Examples:
- Sincerely.
- Looking forward to a productive cooperation.
- Hoping to fulfill the request.
- Thanks for the assistance (cooperation).
- Sincerely yours (yours).
- Regards.
- We are always happy to provide a service.
- We look forward to your offer.
- We are sure that the misunderstanding will be settled in the near future, etc.
Personal signatures
There is no strict regulation here, and the variety of options is limited only by the imagination of the author of the letter. Literally anything, from inspiring aphorisms to funny and absurd phrases, may contain the original signature in the email. Examples:
- Thanks for your attention.
- Waiting for an answer, like a nightingale of summer.
- Kiss on the nose, your watchdog.
- Bye Bye.
- I shake my hand (paw, foot, etc.).
- Wishing you wonderful weather.
- With a great mood.
- With optimism (or vice versa - with pessimism).
- Selling a garage.
In general, you can come up with a lot of variations if you correspond with a friend or friend who will definitely appreciate your sense of humor.
In English
People who collaborate with foreign companies or simply correspond with friends from abroad, it may be necessary to study the signature options in the e-mail. English business etiquette also involves the use of cliché phrases. Examples:
- Best regards - best regards.
- Sincerely yours is yours sincerely.
- Regards - yours truly, yours faithfully.
- I look forward to (waiting) for an answer - looking forward to hearing from you.
In addition to well-established phrases that are necessary in business etiquette, you can use something more interesting. For personal correspondence, a funny, warm or beautiful signature in an email will be appropriate and appropriate . Examples in English include:
- Warmly - with warmth.
- Take care - take care of yourself.
- Bye for now ('Til next time) - see you soon, see you.
- Write soon - waiting for an answer.
- Hugs - hug.
- (With) Love - with love (can be used not only in letters to lovers, but also to close friends, relatives).
- Lots of love - with great love.
- Kisses (XOXO) - kiss.
- Happiness is a choice - happiness is a choice.
- Always in my thoughts - think of you.
- Season's blessings (greetings) - congratulations on the holidays.
- Rock on - keep coming up.
- Shine on - shine, shine.
- May the Force be with you - may the Force be with you (a hint of the Star Wars movies).
- See you in the inbox - see you in Inbox.
If you are already eager to set up several different signatures in your mail, then now is the time to see how to do it.
How to configure a signature in Microsoft Outlook
If you use this e-mail program to receive and sort letters and reply to them, then the signature must be configured in the "Settings". The sequence of actions depends on the year of release of the program. In the old versions (2003 or 2007) you need to open the “Tools” tab, select “Settings” in it, and then “Mail Format” and “Signature”. In the latest version of the program (2010/2013), you must first go to the “File” tab, and from there select: “Settings” - “Mail” - “Signatures”.
Now consider how to add or change a signature in an email. Outlook sometimes offers to first select the address of your mailbox, and then proceed to create a signature. Click the word "New" to begin. If you are creating several options, then each of them needs to be given a name, for example, “for business”, “short”, “personal”, “funny”, etc.
By clicking the "Edit" button, you can print your text in the appropriate field, change its font, size, color, add links to sites, contact details and everything that you see fit. Then you need to save the created signature and enable its use function. If you have made several signature options, you can insert them into the text of the completed letter manually by clicking "Insert" - "Signature".
The "Configure" function is very convenient so that only sometimes the signature will automatically appear in the email. Example: by sending an e-mail, you enter into correspondence with a person. Thanks to the settings, your signature will appear only in the very first message, and then the template will no longer be displayed in correspondence with this addressee. This will help to avoid congestion and highlight relevant information. And besides, you will be polite, since few people are pleased with the long automatic signatures after each short e-mail.
If you do not use email programs, you can configure your signature options directly on the site where you have an email account. Consider 3 options.
How to set up a signature in Gmail
Once in your account, click on the name of your email account. Next, select "Settings." At the very end of the list you will find the “Signature” section. Here you need to choose one of two cheatboxes. By default, you most likely have “No Signature”. But it is necessary to note another option, under which the text editor dialog box is located. By doing this, you can create your signature in an email. Sample: "Best regards, (your name)."
Through the graphical editor, you can add a link, a picture, a bulleted (numbered) list, etc. But it is not recommended to get involved in formatting, especially in a business signature.
How to set up a signature in Mail.ru
Here the scheme of actions is about the same. You need to go into your email inbox, select the “Settings” menu at the top (if necessary, first click on the “More” button), then go to “Sender’s name and signature”. Here you can set three options for both. You will choose one option by default, and it will be inserted automatically in the letter. There is a limit of 255 characters. This limit cannot exceed your signature in the email. Example: full name, position, phone number, website address - this data should fit in a given number of characters. You can also specify the location of the signature before or after the quoted text. But, as already mentioned, it is more convenient to delete it when you are in correspondence.
How to set up a signature in Yandex.Mail
On the site under the list of folders with your correspondence you will find a menu. Select "Configure" in it, then "Sender Information". A window of the visual editor will also appear here , where you can type the desired text and arrange it in various ways. It can be noted where the signature will be located in the email. Example: immediately after the answer (that is, after the text you wrote) or at the very bottom of the letter (that is, after the entire history of the correspondence).
Setting up a signature for an e-mail is not difficult at all, but to come up with a text is a more difficult task. Ideally, a signature for business correspondence should be as concise, informative and polite as possible. For personal letters it’s good to come up with something that reflects your personality and pleases your friends.