What should my letter to customers say when I sell the business?

A good customer letter is short, warm and specific. Its job is to reassure people that the service they rely on will continue, and to tell them who to call. It should not read like a press release. Timing matters as much as wording, which is touched on in how to hand over a business properly, so agree the date with the buyer before you write.

Start with thanks, then the news

Open by thanking customers for their loyalty. Then state the news in one clear sentence: the business has been sold, and the new owner takes over on a given date. Do not bury it in the third paragraph. People read the first lines and skim the rest, and surprise later feels worse than a plain announcement now.

Introduce the buyer and say what stays the same

Give the buyer’s name and a few lines on their background and why you chose them. Then say what customers can expect to continue, such as the staff they know, the products or services, and the way orders are handled. Only say what the buyer has agreed to. If something may change, leave it for the buyer to announce.

Give a contact and send it together

Name one person and one way to reach them for questions. A letter signed by both of you, or sent with a joint introduction, shows the handover is friendly and planned. Follow it with calls to your biggest accounts, since a letter alone will not settle a worried customer.

What to leave out

• The sale terms, the financing or anything under a confidentiality agreement.
• Criticism of the business, your reasons for leaving in detail, or your own plans.
• Promises about prices, terms or service that the buyer has not approved.