Writing a thank-you letter is an art that requires more than a little thought. If you're on friendly terms with the recipient, a little humor and warmth will do just fine. On the other hand, if you're writing to someone you don't know well, such as a potential client or your employer, you'll want to keep it strictly professional. There are several ways to end a letter, but a carefully chosen closing can leave a positive impression and open the door to further communication.

What Are Thank You Letter Closings?

The final paragraph naturally brings the letter to a close. It's where you summarize your message and once again express your gratitude. You should also reinforce the reason why you've written the letter in the first place. For example, writing “thank you once again for considering me for the position” or simply, "thanks for your consideration" are perfect thank you note closings to a potential employer. "Thanks for taking the time to meet with me" or "I appreciate your interest in our line" would work in a follow-up thank you letter to potential customers.

Leaving the door open leads to opportunity, so you should make it clear you are looking forward to communicating with the recipient again. For example, you could write, "I look forward to hearing from you" or "I look forward to meeting with you again."

What Are Some Ways to End a Letter?

Signing off your letter with "Yours truly," "Yours sincerely" and "Respectfully yours" are as simple as you can get, yet effective. These closings have stood the test of time and work just as well today as they have throughout the history of letter writing. They are versatile closings that can be used for just about any kind of formal letter.

If you feel like you might need to say something a little more personal, then you can use closings like "Yours respectfully," "Cordially," "With Appreciation" or "Best Regards." These closings are more appropriate when you have some kind of familiarity with the recipient but still need a touch of formality.

And don’t forget the golden rule of capitalization – one-word closings such as "Regards" are capitalized, and for multiple-word closings, capitalize the first word – the others are lower-case, for example, "Kind regards."

Avoid overly friendly closings such as "Cheers," "Take Care" or "Always" which may be good ways to close letters to friends or casual business acquaintances but not appropriate for a formal thank you letter closing.

Don’t Forget the Signature

Ideally, your formal thank you letter is typed on your personal letterhead which includes your name, address, email address, phone number and website, if applicable. After the closing, you insert your handwritten signature above your typewritten name. If your thank you letter is via email, type your name after the closing, followed by your contact information so the recipient can easily get back to you. The advantage of an email is convenience – your recipient need only hit "reply" for a quick response to your letter – hopefully with an order or job offer.