5 Reasons You Should Stop Signing Your Emails ‘Best’

By

Sincerely. Warmly. Wantonly. I’d be thrilled to receive an email with one of these closings. Well, maybe not “wantonly” in a business context, but at least it’s better than “best.” “Best” has bothered me for some time in both business and personal contexts, for various reasons. Here are five.

1. “Best” …what, exactly? “Best Wishes”? “Best Tidings”? “I’m the Best”? “Best BBQ Ribs Six Years Running”? What you really should mean is “Best Regards.” Either tack that word onto the end, or find a different sign-off that actually only comprises one word.

2. “Best” has become what saying “Ciao” at the end of phone conversations was in the 90s: a trend embraced by smarmy business executives and Hollywood types and then adopted by anyone who thought they were “someone.”

3. “Best” is considered rude. If you don’t enjoy people USING ALL CAPS ON THE INTERNET BECAUSE IT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING, then you should know that your beloved “Best” is considered cold and even a snub, so says The New York Times. So, by all means, sign your emails “Best” if you want to be known as the office ice queen/ king.

4. If you aren’t the office ice queen/king, using “Best” because the upper management at your institution does just makes you look like a tool. They look cold – you look like some pathetic sycophant.

5. If you really have so little time in your day to actually write “Regards” after your “Best” (or to think up another sign-off), then you need an assistant. Print this out and show your higher-ups; it will make you all look better, though perhaps not “best.”

You should follow Thought Catalog on Twitter here.