Business Letter Phrases

People normally use similar phrases in writing business letters. So, it is useful to know different kinds of typical phrases in different parts of business letters such as opening phrases, content phrases, salutation phrases, complimentary closing phrases, and postscript. See the following business letter phrases:

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Contents hide

1. Business Letter Opening Phrases

2. Business Letter Content Phrases

3. Formal Business Letter Salutation Phrases

4. Informal Business Letter Salutation Phrases

5. Complimentary Closes

5.1. Formal Complimentary Closing Phrases

5.2. Less Formal Complimentary Closing Phrases

5.3. Personal Complimentary Closing Phrases

6. Why Business Letter Postscript?

7. Business Letter Postscript Examples

8. Business Letter Elements

9. Most Popular Posts

10. Useful Links

Business Letter Opening Phrases

There are a lot of phrases you can choose to open your business letters.

In reply to …, we kindly inform you that….
In reply to …,we herewith enclose….
We enclose herewith….
We inform you kindly that….
Thank you for….
Referring to… we kindly inform you that….
With reference to … we kindly inform you that….
We are glad to know that….
You will be glad to know that…
We much regret to inform you that….
We have pleasure in informing you that ….
We have the pleasure in informing you that ….
We have the pleasure to inform you that ….
We express our best thanks for…
We were informed that ….
We acknowledge receipt that ….
We acknowledge receipt of your letter of …. ( followed by the date of the letter)
You will please see to it that….
According to ….
In accordance with ….
In reference to your advertisement in Jakarta Post ….
I have read your advertisement in The Indonesian Times that ….
I have heard from one of my acquaintances who works in your company that you need a financial controller.
I would like to apply for the position you advertised in The Jakarta Post.
Regarding to the qualification stated in your advertisement, I believe I could take the position you offer.
I would like to apply for the any position related to my qualifications. I graduated from The University of Indonesia ….
I am writing in support of Mr. …………..who applied for the post of ………… in your company.
I am writing in reply to your request for information concerning Mr. ………….
I am happy to write a recommendation for Mr./Mrs. ……..who applied for the post of ……..in your company.

Business Letter Content Phrases

1. We request you kindly to ……………………………
2. We much regret that …………………………………..
3. We are very sorry that ………………………………..
4. We have no doubt that ………………………………..
5. We should indeed be pleased to ……………………
6. We should be grateful to you if you would ……..
7. We call your attention to the fact that ……………
8. We guarantee that ……………………………………..
9. We assure you that …………………………………….
10. We express our appreciation for ………………..
11. We highly appreciate ……………………………….
12. ….. will be highly appreciated,
13. We shall do everything in our power to ……….

Formal Business Letter Salutation Phrases

Business letter salutation is always used in all kinds of letters. There are different kinds of letter salutation. We use different letter salutation to greet different people in different situations. A letter salutation does not have to be followed by a full name. We usually use one’s last name when we address to the one we do not know much. On the contrary, when we write to someone we know a lot, our letter salutation is usually followed by their first name.

Here are the most commonly used of personal and business letter salutation :

Dear Sir,
Dear Sirs,
Dear Madam,
Mesdames,
Gentlemen:
Dear Sir:
Ladies:
Ladies and Gentleman:
Mesdames:
To Whom It May Concern
Dear Director :
Dear President :
Dear Dean :
Dear Minister :

Informal Business Letter Salutation Phrases

(Used when we really know the person we are writing to)

Dear Mr. Brown,
Dear Mrs. Doherty,
Dear Miss Sally Brown,
Dear Jack Marley,

Complimentary Closes

Before you end your letter, you must make sure you put complimentary closing just above your signature. There are several forms for you to choose your complimentary closing. Each of them has a slightly different meaning. Use one that is best conveys what you mean. Only the first word of the closing is capitalized. All of the complimentary closing should be followed by a comma.

Formal Complimentary Closing Phrases

Truly yours,
Yours truly,
Yours faithfully,
Very truly yours,
Yours very truly,
Sincerely,

Less Formal Complimentary Closing Phrases

Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours sincerely,
Very sincerely yours,
Yours very sincerely,

Personal Complimentary Closing Phrases

Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours,
Truly,
Yours truly,
Your friend,
Your son/daughter/nephew/niece/etc.,
Affectionately,
Cordially,
Cordially yours,
Fondly,
Yours cordially,
Very cordially yours,
Yours very cordially,
Cheers,
Best Wishes,
Warmly,
Warmest regards,
Yours respectfully,
Respectfully yours,
Yours for better service,

With love,
Yours for bigger sales,
Yours for a great success,

Why Business Letter Postscript?

Postscript comes from the Latin post scriptum, an expression meaning “written after”. A business letter postscript is writing added after the main body of a business letter. Normally, we do not put postscript in a business letter. As the competition in business has become so tight that people begin to put personal touch in their services, including the way they communicate with their customers such as putting personal message in their business letters by using postscript. In addition to that, a business letter postscript may also be used as a tool to provide more information about the context of the letter.

A business letter postscript can be used effectively to express an idea that has officially no relations with the main message given in the letter. Nevertheless, due to its prominent place and its emphatic function and personal touch, it can greatly impact on the reader’s decision, the decision the sender might expect. Besides, a business letter postscript can also remind the reader of a personal connection to the writer. In the long term, it can positively influence the development of the business relation.

However, if the postscript is used to express an afterthought, it is advisable to rewrite the letter and rearrange the main ideas so that the ideas can be conveyed properly in the body of the letter. Main message conveyed in a postscript shows the readers that the letter is not carefully prepared.

If we decide to contain a postscript in our business letter, we must make sure we begin it with P.S. before the message. Skip a line after the signature line to begin the postscript. Postscript, which is abbreviated with P. S., is usually put at the end of a letter.