by Leigh Goessl

Created on: October 22, 2009

When writing a professional letter the complimentary closing phrase you choose is important. Since these are your parting words in the correspondence, you want to leave off on a positive note and leave a favorable impression with your recipient.

As you choose which complimentary close you want to end your letter off with, pay cautious attention to what you say. The goal is to be respectful and cordial, but you don't want to cross boundaries and be overly-friendly when it isn't warranted.

There are many different complimentary closing phrases to choose from and as you select the one that is right for your professional letter, you want to consider your relationship with the person receiving the letter and the level of formality contained within the body of the text.

Here are a few thoughts to consider as you choose the right complimentary closing phrase for your correspondence:

*Level of Formality

The content of your letter is an important consideration when writing your letter. Is the letter to a business colleague you know well or to a new potential partner or client? Is the letter for an employer you've recently applied? Or is the letter one of complaint?

All of these questions are important to answer before you choose a complimentary closing. After you decide the level of formality you can choose the right complimentary close.

*Examples of Formal Complimentary Closes

Typically in formal letters the standard phrase to use is "Sincerely" or "Sincerely yours". However, sometimes an author penning a letter wants to use something that is a bit different.

In that case a phrase such as "Respectfully" or "Respectfully yours" might be a good consideration. Another popular, although some consider outdated is "Very truly yours".

For formal letters as long as the phrase indicates a level of respect, you can't go wrong with any of the above complimentary closes.

*Examples of Personal Complimentary Closes

Professional letters that are more casual or personal can use a complimentary close that reflects the relationship or sentiments.

Acceptable closes are ones such as "Regards", "Best wishes", "Cordially", "Kind regards", "Be well", "Best", or "All the best". If you choose any of these phrases be sure and choose carefully because these complimentary closes demonstrate a level of familiarity and are appropriate if the letter is more a more informal tone.

The complimentary close is the way a person wraps up a professional letter. It is of value to carefully select the right phrase because these parting words are the last ones a letter's recipient will read.

A poorly received closing can leave a negative impression and detract from the overall message, while a properly and accurately chosen complimentary close can leave off on a positive note and the message will be well received as intended.

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