How to End a Letter With Closing Examples in Professional Scenarios

How to End a Letter: I guess you’ve written your letter, but how do you finish it becomes a problem? There are lots of ways to end a letter, depending on the type of letter you are writing. I will teach you how to do it in a few minutes.

Review the letter before writing a conclusion, reread your letter and decide whether you are satisfied with the message you have written. Did you communicate your message? Will it have the effect you want it to have on the recipient?

• If you’re writing a cover letter or a business letter, make sure you’ve covered all of your bases before getting to the conclusion. The body of the letter should make the case that you’re a good candidate for the job; the conclusion serves only to wrap things up, so don’t save the most important information for last.
• No matter what kind of letter you’re writing, make sure it is written in such a way that the intent is understood. Letters, unlike some other forms of communication, have an element of permanency. Once you write something down it’s hard to take it back. Review the body of your letter with this in mind before moving to the ending.

How to End a Letter: Make a Perfect Ending

Being a writer, you may revel in finding new ways to get your point across—to avoid communicating formulaically. But ending a letter is not an ideal venue for tinkering with language or otherwise reinventing the wheel.

Just as such correspondence often begins with the tried-and-true salutation “Dear Person’s Name,” you should be comfortable using a variety of closing salutations. Take a look at some of the best business letter closings you will come across.

1. Yours truly

Like a navy blue jacket or a beige appliance, “yours truly” doesn’t stand out, and that’s good. The message here is “I think we can safely agree with how I sign off isn’t the part of this letter that matters.”

2. Sincerely

Another sturdy option: literally, “I mean it.” Again, the purpose of these sign-offs is to unobtrusively get out of the way, and “sincerely” does the job.

3. Thanks again

If you’ve already said “thanks” once, why not say it again? Just be careful not to step on your closing sentence, if that also pertains to gratitude: you don’t want to botch the finale with an unwieldy “thanks again.”

4. Appreciatively

This one can help you avoid overusing the word “thanks.” It also sounds less clunky than “gratefully.”

5. Respectfully

This one is tinged with deference, so make sure it suits the occasion. For instance, if you’re writing your landlord to enumerate a series of egregious failures and abuses and your closing sentence is “Unfortunately, if these deficiencies are not soon remedied, my next step may be legal action,” then ending with “respectfully” is awkward.

6. Faithfully

If “respectfully” is a little deferential, this one is a cut above. Again, make sure it’s right for the occasion. If you picture someone reading it and cringing, you have other options.

7. Regards

Like “sincerely” and “best,” this one is dependable and restrained, but it comes with a variety of optional accessories. Consider tricking it out with a gentle adjective, like so:

8. Best regards

If you’re concerned that “regards” alone may seem too stiff or pointedly neutral, go ahead and attach “best”—it’s like adding a polite smile.

9. Warm regards

“Warm regards” is one of a few sign-offs you can experiment with involving warmth. While a word like “warmly” assumes too much intimacy for initial correspondence, this route may prove handy once you’re more acquainted: warm wishes.

10. Kind regards

A final variation on the theme of “regards,” this classy number strikes a balance between formality and closeness. If you don’t want to be too friendly but are worried about seeming stuffy or standoffish, “kind regards” is a solid bet.

11. Best

Some see “best” as flippant and hurried. Best what, anyway? Best wishes? Still, others argue it’s your best default option. Judge for yourself.

Once you’re in the habit of sending and receiving important emails and know how to end a business letter, you’ll develop an instinct for when such letter sign offs make sense and when they’re gauche.

Ending a letter clearly and professionally is important as it is the last thing your audience will read. It sets the tone for future correspondence, allows for the next steps or instruction, and helps build rapport with your reader.

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Yours sincerely,

CSN Team.