Thank You Note 101

Saying thank you is one of the most important things you can do to maintain and improve personal and business relationships. Unfortunately, in recent years, the handwritten thank you note has been nearly forgotten in favor of quick emails, verbal thanks, or at worst, nothank you at all.

There are so many excuses why one just cannot write a thank you note: time restraints, handwriting concerns, etiquette nerves. But perhaps the underlying cause why many people never send a thank you is really because they don’t know what to say or how to say it.

Luckily, with a little time and practice, writing thank you notes can become very easy. The biggest tip is to not over-think it; be sincere, honest, and grateful. Here are some tips on writing sincere thank you notes for both personal and informal business use that will be a breeze to write:

THE BASICS. A thank you note need not be longer than a paragraph.

  • Introduction: Say thank you and state what you’re thanking them for
    • Business example:Thank you for referring Sally Johnson to me last week.
    • Personal example:Thank you for the beautiful vase you sent for my birthday.
  • Body: Give them some details
    • Business example:She is really the perfect client and I know I’ll be able to meet her needs.
    • Personal example:The vase looks great on the mantle filled with fern fronds. It matches our dcor perfectly.
  • Closing: Reciprocate if possible, or pay them a sincere compliment
    • Business example:You have been a wonderful source of support since I started my business and I will always remember your kindness.
    • Personal example:We’d like to have you and Ted over for dinner soon. I’ll give you a call to see when your schedule is open.

DEFINITELY hand write a genuine, short thank you note in a timely manner

DO get creative in finding time to write your notes. Bring cards with you anywhere you might have to wait: the doctor’s office, the airport, picking up the kids after school, even waiting on hold on the phone. It only takes two to three minutes to write one thank-you; you can squeeze five notes into a fifteen-minute wait.

DON’T create atemplate for your thank you notes. Canned and generalized thank yous are not only obvious and insincere, but can feel worse than not receiving a thank you at all.

DEFINITELY include your business card if the note is being written for business purposes.

DON’T stress over your handwriting! Do your best to make the note legible, but don’t ever use bad handwriting as an excuse to send an email over a handwritten note.

DO hand address the envelope and use a stamp, not a meter- this is so much more personal and it just about guarantees that the recipient will open your note.

DO follow-through with what you said you were going to do in the note; if you said you would be calling to set an appointment, call them.

Good luck writing!

Feel free to use this article in other media, as long as it is accompanied by this byline. Denise Wilson owns Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio. She works one-on-one with clients to create invitations and accessories that capture their personality, vision, and style. Her work can be seen at http://www.DogwoodBlossomStationery.com