“It was a pleasure talking to you” is polite and correct, but when it closes every call, email and coffee chat, people stop hearing it. The goodbye is often the line someone remembers, so a version that fits the moment — warmer with a friend, more precise with a hiring manager — tells the other person you were actually paying attention. Below are 26 natural alternatives, sorted by situation, with notes on when each one works and when it doesn’t.
Quick picks by situation
If you only need one good option, start here.
| Situation | Best pick | Why it works |
| End of a work call or meeting | It was great speaking with you. | Polite, professional, never stiff |
| After a job interview | Thank you for your time today. | Puts gratitude first, which interviewers expect |
| Meeting someone for the first time | It was great meeting you. | Marks that this was a first meeting |
| Networking event or LinkedIn | I’m glad we got the chance to connect. | Matches the language of professional networking |
| Follow-up email after a discussion | I enjoyed our conversation about [topic]. | The specific topic proves you listened |
| Catching up with a friend | Great catching up! | Relaxed and familiar |
| A friend who helped you through something | I really needed that conversation. | Tells them it mattered, not just that it was nice |
| Ending a text conversation | Talk soon! | Short, light, and leaves the door open |
What the phrase is really doing
The original sentence does two jobs at once: it signals that the conversation is ending, and it tells the other person the time was well spent. A good replacement should still do both. Most of the alternatives below differ in three ways that change how they land.
Warmth.
“It was great speaking with you” is friendly but measured. “I loved chatting with you” is personal. Neither is better; the right one depends on how close you are.
What it promises.
Some closings stop at the present (“Thanks for the chat”). Others point to the future (“I look forward to continuing the conversation”). If you say the second one, the other person may reasonably expect a follow-up from you.
Timing and tense. Two small grammar points matter here:
- “It was” vs. “It’s been.” “It was a pleasure” fits best when the conversation is over, as in a follow-up email. While you are still in the conversation and wrapping up, “It’s been a pleasure” often sounds more natural, because the conversation is still happening.
- “Nice to meet you” vs. “Nice meeting you.” Many speakers use “Nice to meet you” when they are introduced and “It was nice meeting you” when they say goodbye. You will hear both at both moments, so this is a strong tendency rather than a rule, but following it sounds natural.
“Talking to” vs. “talking with” vs. “speaking with.”
All three are correct. “Talking with” can sound slightly more two-sided, as if both people shared the conversation, and “speaking with” leans a little more formal. The difference is small, so pick whichever sounds like you.
Professional “It Was a Pleasure Talking to You” alternatives: clients, colleagues and interviews
These work in emails, at the end of calls, and with people you don’t know well.
1. It was great speaking with you.
The safest all-purpose swap. It is warm enough to sound human and formal enough for a manager, client or recruiter. Example: “It was great speaking with you this morning, Priya. I’ll send the revised quote by Friday.”
2. Thank you for your time today.
The standard closing after an interview or a meeting someone made room for. It shifts the focus from your enjoyment to their generosity, which is the right emphasis when they did you a favor.
3. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.
A fuller version of #2. Use it when the person was senior, busy, or under no obligation to talk to you, such as an informational interview.
4. I really appreciated our conversation.
More personal than a thank-you, still professional. It works well when the talk was useful rather than merely pleasant.
5. I enjoyed our discussion about [topic].
Naming the topic is what makes this one strong. A recruiter who hears from 40 candidates will remember “I enjoyed our discussion about how your team handles onboarding” far more than a generic line.
6. I found our conversation really helpful.
Use it when the other person gave you advice, information or a decision. It tells them their effort had a result.
7. It’s been a pleasure working through this with you.
For the end of a problem-solving call or a long project meeting. “Working through” acknowledges that the conversation involved real effort.
8. I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Good when there is a clear next step. Only use it if you mean to follow up; otherwise it reads as an empty promise.
9. Thanks for such an insightful conversation.
Genuine praise when someone taught you something. Use it sparingly: if every chat is “insightful,” the word stops meaning anything.
Read more: 29 Other Ways to Say “Thanks for Your Kind Words”
“It Was a Pleasure Talking to You” When you’ve just met someone
These mark the conversation as a first meeting, which the original phrase doesn’t do.
10. It was great meeting you.
The everyday standard for the end of a first meeting, in person or online. Works at work and socially.
11. I’m so glad we finally got to meet.
For people you knew by email, phone or reputation before meeting face to face. “Finally” only fits if there was some wait.
12. I’m glad we got the chance to connect.
The natural choice for networking events and LinkedIn messages, where “connect” is already the common word.
13. It was lovely to meet you.
Warm and gentle. “Lovely” in this sense is especially common in British, Irish and Australian English; in American English it is used too, but can come across as a little more effusive. Either way, it is friendly rather than formal.
14. It was a real pleasure getting to know you.
For a longer first conversation where you learned something about the person, such as a dinner or a long train journey, rather than a two-minute handshake.
Casual “It Was a Pleasure Talking to You” alternatives for friends and family
These are relaxed and fit texts, calls and in-person goodbyes with people you know.
15. Great catching up!
Perfect for friends you haven’t talked to in a while. “Catching up” implies you have shared history, so it sounds odd with a stranger.
16. This was fun. Let’s do it again soon.
Adds an invitation. Use it when you would actually like a second round.
17. Always good to talk to you.
“Always” tells the person this isn’t a one-off; you enjoy them in general. Good for old friends and relatives.
18. Loved chatting with you!
Upbeat and very casual. Fine in a text; a bit too breezy for a client email.
19. Thanks for the chat.
Light and low-key. Works with friends and with friendly coworkers after a quick conversation in the hallway or on Slack.
20. Talk soon!
Not really a compliment, more a friendly sign-off that assumes there will be a next time. Ideal for ending a text thread without making a big moment of it.
Read also: 29 Other Ways to Say “When It Is Convenient”
Warm and meaningful “It Was a Pleasure Talking to You” alternatives
For conversations that went deeper than small talk.
21. I really enjoyed talking with you.
Simple and sincere. “Really” does the work here, so say it like you mean it.
22. I’m so glad we talked.
Good after a conversation that cleared the air, settled a worry, or that you had been putting off.
23. I really needed that conversation.
Tells a friend or family member they helped you, not just that it was nice. Use it when it’s true; it carries emotional weight.
24. Thank you for listening.
For when you did most of the talking about something hard. It recognizes the other person’s patience, which a generic “nice talking to you” misses.
25. Talking with you made my day.
Strong and affectionate. Best for close friends, partners, or a stranger whose kindness genuinely lifted your mood. Too much for a routine work call.
26. I always come away from our conversations with something new to think about.
A compliment to the person’s mind, not just their company. Works with mentors, teachers and friends whose views you respect. It is long, so it suits a message or email better than a spoken goodbye.
How these look in real messages
A closing line rarely stands alone. It works best when it is followed by something concrete: a next step, a thank-you for a specific thing, or a reason to stay in touch.
Follow-up email after a job interview
Hi Ms. Okafor,
Thank you for your time today. I enjoyed our discussion about how the analytics team is moving its reporting in-house, and it made me even more interested in the role.
Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me.
Best regards, Daniel
LinkedIn message after a networking event
Hi Sam, I’m glad we got the chance to connect at the design meetup last night. Your point about testing with real users before polishing the visuals stuck with me. Would you be open to a coffee sometime next month?
Email to a client after a long call
Hi Laura,
It’s been a pleasure working through the rollout plan with you. As agreed, I’ll update the timeline and send it over by Thursday.
Thanks again, Mei
Text to an old friend
Great catching up! Can’t believe it’s been two years. Let’s not wait that long again 😊
Text to a sibling after a hard week
Thank you for listening last night. I really needed that conversation.
Mistakes that make a closing sound off
- Promising a follow-up you won’t make. “Let’s do this again soon” or “I look forward to continuing the conversation” creates an expectation. If you have no plan to follow up, a present-tense line like “Thanks for the chat” is more honest.
- Stacking several closings. “It was great talking to you, thanks so much for your time, really enjoyed it, looking forward to more!” sounds nervous. One closing plus one concrete next step is enough.
- Using “catching up” with someone new. It implies a shared past. With a new contact, use “meeting” or “connecting” instead.
- Matching the wrong strength to the moment. “Talking with you made my day” after a five-minute vendor call can feel overfamiliar. “It was great speaking with you” to a friend who just helped you through a breakup can feel cold.
- Saying “Nice to meet you” a second time. If you already said it at the start, switch to “It was great meeting you” at the end so you don’t repeat yourself.
How to reply when someone says it to you
When someone tells you it was a pleasure talking, these replies sound natural:
- The pleasure was mine. Gracious and slightly formal; good for clients and senior people.
- Same here. Thanks again for your time. Friendly and professional.
- I enjoyed it too. Simple and works almost anywhere.
- Same here! Casual and quick.
You will often hear people answer “It was nice talking to you” with “You too.” Strictly speaking it doesn’t fit the sentence, but it is extremely common in casual speech and nobody will notice. In writing, “Same here” or “I enjoyed it too” reads more cleanly.
Frequently asked questions
Is “It was a pleasure talking to you” too formal?
Not really. It is polite and slightly formal, which makes it a safe choice for work. With close friends it can sound a little stiff, so “Great catching up” or “Loved chatting with you” will feel more natural there.
Can I use it to end an email?
Yes, as the last line before your sign-off. In a follow-up email, the past tense (“It was a pleasure speaking with you yesterday”) is the natural form because the conversation has already ended.
Is it okay to say this to my boss?
Yes. “It was great speaking with you,” “Thanks for your time,” and “I found our conversation really helpful” are all comfortable choices with a manager. Save the more emotional options for people you are close to.
What should I say if the conversation wasn’t actually enjoyable?
You don’t need to pretend. “Thank you for your time” or “Thanks for talking this through with me” are polite and true even after a tense or difficult conversation.
Which option sounds most natural in a text?
Short ones: “Great catching up!”, “Thanks for the chat,” or “Talk soon!” Long, formal sentences can look odd in a casual text thread.
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