A letter of request is used when you need to ask the recipient for something. You may need to request some files from a colleague or request some discovery information from a client. Regardless of what you need, a letter of request is a polite and professional way to get it.

While it’s vital to succinctly and clearly write the whole letter, the ending of the letter of request is particularly important. This is where you remind the reader of your request, provide details on how to send you the information and establish a professional relationship.

Use a Call to Action When Ending a Letter of Request

Business letter closing lines should always include a call to action. This tells the reader what he needs to do next. If there is no call to action in the letter, the reader may not know how to respond or how he can help you.

A call to action should be short, direct and clear. If you’ve already made your request at the beginning of the letter, use the call to action to remind the reader of what you need. For example, if you are asking a prospective employee for references, use the last few lines of your letter to remind him of your request. For example, you could say, “As requested, please send me the contact information of your three professional references by the end of the week.”

Be sure to include any timeline details in your call to action. This way, the reader knows how much time he has to prepare the information and send it to you. If you don’t include timeline information, the reader may take a long time to respond or may forget to respond with the information entirely.

Don’t Forget the Contact Details

If you’re asking for information or other details in your letter of request, it’s important to tell the reader how and where she can send this information to you. You should also tell the reader in what format you want the information. For example, do you want hard-copy files mailed to you, or do you want an electronic document emailed to you? Sometimes, you may be making a request on behalf of another person. In this case, you’ll need to let the reader know her contact details.

If you’re using a letter of request to ask for a contract amendment with a partner organization, for example, your closing sentence in the business letter might be, “After the amendments are finalized, please courier two hard copies of the signed contract to our head office at 123 Main Street.” This tells the reader how she should send the information that is requested and where she should send it. This way, you can ensure you’ll receive the documents in time, at the correct location and in the right format.

Sign Off Professionally

Close your letter of request using a formal and cordial phrase. It’s important to use a professional and polite term since you’re making a request, and you want to show the reader that you respect his time and appreciate his efforts. Some common formal letter ending phrases include:

  • Sincerely.
  • Respectfully.
  • Best regards.
  • Thank you.
  • Warm regards.
  • With appreciation.
  • With sincere thanks.

Place the closing on its own line followed by a comma. Capitalize the first letter of the closing phrase. If the phrase is more than one word, you only need to capitalize the first letter of the first word.

On the next line is where you include your signature. If you’re sending an email letter, you can type your name underneath. If you’re sending a printed letter, leave three lines and then type your name. Once you print out your letter, you can include your handwritten signature in the space above your printed name.