Set Yourself Apart: 12 Powerful Alternatives to "Looking Forward to Hearing from You" for Sales Emails

If you‘re like most sales professionals, you probably end many of your emails with some variation of "Looking forward to hearing from you." It‘s a polite and optimistic sign-off that‘s become the default for closing sales messages.

However, this standard line has lost much of its impact and sincerity due to overuse. It‘s so common, it barely registers with buyers who are inundated with sales outreach. Even worse, it‘s a passive phrase that puts the onus on the recipient to respond and keep the conversation going.

As competition for buyers‘ attention intensifies, sales reps must find fresh ways to make their emails stand out, get opened, and elicit timely responses. One often overlooked opportunity is the closing line. By swapping out bland sign-offs like "Looking forward to hearing from you" with more compelling, action-oriented alternatives, you can boost your email reply rates and keep deals moving forward.

Why Email Is Crucial for Sales Success

Email remains one of the most important channels for sales communication, especially for prospecting and follow-ups. Consider these statistics:

• The average office worker receives 121 emails per day (DMR)
• Only 23.9% of sales emails are opened (Yesware)
• The average response rate for sales emails is just 1% (HubSpot)

To rise above the noise and get on a buyer‘s radar, your emails need to quickly capture attention, succinctly convey value, and make crystal clear why and how you want them to respond. Every word counts, including your closing.

Rather than tacking on an autonomic "Looking forward to hearing from you", thoughtfully choose a close that adds meaning to your message and underscores the action you want the recipient to take. A strong closing line is the bow that ties your email together and leaves the reader with a lasting impression.

The Psychology of Effective Email Sign-offs

Which closing lines motivate people to reply to your emails? It helps to understand the psychological principles that influence behavior and decision making. Here are a few key concepts:

Social Proof

People look to others for cues on how to act, especially in ambiguous situations. Referencing mutual connections or customers can provide reassurance and credibility.

Example: "P.S. I recently worked with your colleague John Smith on a similar project. Let me know if you‘d like to see the results."

Reciprocity

We have an innate desire to repay favors and gestures of goodwill. Offering something of value makes people more likely to respond in kind.

Example: "I‘ve attached a free guide on overcoming common sales objections. Hope you find it helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions."

Loss Aversion

The pain of losing is psychologically more powerful than the pleasure of gaining. Framing your call-to-action as a way to avoid missing out on benefits can spur people to act.

Example: "If I don‘t hear back from you by Friday, I‘ll assume you aren‘t interested in saving 20% on your renewal this quarter and will close out the offer."

Authority

We‘re more likely to comply with requests from people we view as experts or authority figures. Mentioning your credentials or similar work with known brands lends weight to your message.

Example: "In my 10 years helping sales teams adopt CRM systems, I‘ve found the key is customizing it to your sales process. Could we discuss your needs on a 15-minute call?"

12 Alternative Closing Lines to Test

Now let‘s look at some closing lines you can use in place of "Looking forward to hearing from you", organized by the type of email you‘re sending. Remember, the key is to be specific about what you want the reader to do next and to focus on their potential gain.

Initial Outreach

  • "Are you the best person to discuss this with? If not, could you kindly point me in the right direction?"
  • "I know you‘re busy so I‘ve kept this brief. If this isn‘t a fit right now, just let me know and I won‘t follow up again."
  • "I‘d love to learn more about your sales goals for the quarter. Would you be open to a 10-minute exploratory call next week?"

Follow Up

  • "I‘m bumping this up in your inbox in case it got buried. No worries if the timing isn‘t right – just let me know either way."
  • "I thought you might find this case study on [relevant topic] interesting. Happy to discuss how it might apply to your business if you‘re open to it."
  • "Looks like we got disconnected in our last email exchange. Should I assume you‘re no longer interested or is there a better time to reach out?"

Providing Information

  • "Here is the agenda for our upcoming meeting. Please let me know by EOD Wednesday if you have any changes or additions."
  • "The attached proposal outlines 3 options for your review. I‘m happy to walk through the pros and cons of each on a call."
  • "To recap, here are the next steps we discussed. Let me know if anything is missing or if priorities have shifted on your end."

Scheduling Meetings

  • "I‘m available to meet this Thursday between 2-5pm ET. If that doesn‘t work for you, feel free to book a time directly on my calendar here: [Calendly link]"
  • "I‘ll plan to give you a ring this Friday at 10am to discuss next steps. If there‘s a better time, just shoot me a quick reply and I‘ll adjust accordingly."
  • "I know you mentioned Tuesdays are good days for you. How does next Tuesday at 11am look? I‘ll send an invite to lock in the time."

Objection handling

You may get some pushback from people who are used to the standard email sign-offs. Here are a few ways to handle common objections:

"But I don‘t want to seem too pushy or salesy"

This is a valid concern. The goal isn‘t to pressure people but to be clear and direct in your communications. You can still be polite while guiding recipients to action. The more you tailor the language to the individual and the context, the more natural it will feel.

"I‘m worried I‘ll come off as rude or abrupt"

It‘s all about how you phrase things. There are tactful ways to be direct that still feel respectful. Stick to being succinct, specific and focusing on their needs or interests, not just your own agenda. You‘re not being short with them, you‘re being mindful of their time.

"What if I don‘t get a response?"

You may need to test a few variations to see what works best for your audience and scenario. Keep in mind, getting no reply doesn‘t necessarily mean your closing line missed the mark. There are many reasons people don‘t respond that are outside your control. That‘s why it‘s important to consistently follow up, experiment and track your results.

Key Takeaways

To improve your sales email response rates, rethink your closing lines. Swap overused, generic sign-offs like "Looking forward to hearing from you" with tailored calls-to-action that motivate the reader to take the next step. A few things to keep in mind:

  1. Be specific. Tie the action you want them to take directly to the content of the email. The more personalized and contextual the closing, the better.

  2. Focus on their gains. Frame the next step around the value or benefit to them to increase the chances they‘ll follow through. Make it about their needs and interests.

  3. Keep it concise. Don‘t let your call-to-action get lost in a wordy closing paragraph. Limit yourself to 1-2 clear sentences so it‘s easy for the reader to know what to do.

  4. Mind your tone. Read your closing line out loud to check how it sounds. The tone should match the rapport you‘ve built with the recipient. When in doubt, err on the side of being polite and respectful.

  5. Test and iterate. Pay attention to which sign-offs generate the most replies and when. Regularly refresh your list of go-to closings based on what you learn. Sales email writing is part art, part science.

The end of your email is a key inflection point in the sales conversation. Use it purposefully to advance the deal and set yourself up for success in the next interaction.

Want more tips for writing sales emails that get responses? Here are some additional resources:

• 27 Sales Email Templates That Have Helped Close Millions in Deals
• 5 Sales Email Mistakes That Are Losing You Deals
• 6 Proven Sales Email Templates With 40%+ Reply Rates

How about you? Have you found any non-cliche alternatives to "Looking forward to hearing from you" that work well for you? I‘d love to hear about your experience. Tweet me at @[your Twitter handle] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Now get out there and happy closing!

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