Proper ways to sign off on a business greeting card

Writing the body of a business greeting card – be it for a birthday, anniversary or thank you letter – is always the easy part. The challenge is figuring out the appropriate sign off to close the letter. You often find yourself tapping your pen on your desk contemplating all the possible salutations you could choose, but you still can't decide if it's too casual, too personal or too stiff.

"What about just signing off with my name?" you think. No, that doesn't feel quite right either – seems too abrupt. Now you're back to square one, going back and forth between options such as "best" or "cheers." Not to worry – CardsDirect is here to help.

Here's a list of proper ways to sign off on a greeting card:

To show appreciation:
Opt out of just saying "Thanks" at the end of your greeting card. It comes off rather short and not exactly genuine. Instead, write "Thanks!", "thanks so much", or simply "Thank you." All of these options are happy and sincere, so you can't go wrong.

For a special occasion:
There are many salutation options for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or other special-occasion cards, so which one should you choose? "Best" is universally appropriate, and is short, sweet and to the point. "Best wishes" may even be a better option because it's slightly more formal – perfect for when you're writing a special occasion card to a fellow coworker. "All the best" is another low-risk option that seemingly gets the point across.

For a business partner or client
This is where it gets tricky because you're sending a letter to a client or business partner – people you may not have the pleasure of interacting with face to face  every day. They may not know your sense of humor yet, so fluff is not appropriate here. Keep it professional. "Sincerely" is a little too formal and could come off as a bit cold. Remember, you aren't writing a cover letter – no need to get so proper and try to impress people who you've already been working with for a significant period of time.

"Talk soon" or "speak with you soon" are great options, but only if you actually plan on speaking with that person relatively soon. The latter is more professional, but both are equally acceptable. "Looking forward" is another sufficient response, but again, only if you have a date set to see your client or business partner in the near future. If you have a good, long-lasting relationship with whomever you're sending a card to, feel free to sign off by saying "cheers." It's casual but still gets the message across. You can also consider signing off with more formal sayings like "All the best" or simply "Best."  "Respectfully" is rather stiff, so opt for one of the more friendly and less-formal salutations.

As a general rule, never abbreviate your sign off like "TY" or "VB." Are you too busy to fully spell out "thank you" or "very best"? Probably not. This is just a sign of laziness and insincerity. Writing out the full phrase won't take up much more of your time.