Closing The Business Letter

The two shortest, simplest components of any business letter are the salutation and the close. It won't take you long to write either of these, but it's important to slow down enough to do them correctly.Readers will hardly notice a good salutation; the same applies to a good closing. By contrast, a poor salutation can bring a reader up short and a bad closing can undo all the hard work you invested in a great business letter.

The two most popular and safest choices for closings follow the same format:

Option 1:

Sincerely,

Skip four lines to allow space for signing your name

Your Name

Option 2:

Best regards,

Skip four lines to allow space for signing your name

Your Name

If you're sending the business letter by email, eliminate the spaces for your signature and move your name into the line directly below the closing. In both email and paper formats, make sure that your contact information appears prominently either on your stationary or in your email signature.

Some closings that you'll want to avoid using in almost all business letters:

* Love,
* Always,
* Warmly,
* Cheers,

Any of these are open to multiple interpretations, so only use them when you're sending a bespoke letter to a reader you know well.