The other day, my wife Cathy and I were discussing how handwritten thank you notes seem to be a thing of the past in this digital age. I know that it’s easier to email thank yous, but I believe that handwritten thank you notes are so much better than email when it comes to making positive personal impact.
Here are five common sense tips for writing thank you notes.
1. Be sincere. Your note doesn’t have to be long, but it should be sincere. In other words, don’t say something like “thanks for the gift.” Instead thank the person for the specific gift he or she gave you.
2. Tell the giver how his or her gift made you feel. If it surprised you, say so. If it made you happy say so. Sharing your feelings makes a powerful impression on the person who receives your thank you note.
3. Tell the giver how you will use the gift. For example, one of my nieces sent me a thank you note for a cash gift. She told me that she is planning on using it to help fund her last college spring break. My mother in law gave me a very nice digital clock. In my thank you note I said, “I already have the clock next to my desk in my office so, thanks to you, I’ll always know what time it is.”
4. Be prompt. Don’t take too long to send your thank you note. You should send thank you notes quickly. A month is the longest you should wait before sending a thank you note. I’m writing this post today in the hopes that if you haven’t already written your holiday thank you notes, you’ll get on it right away.
5. Make your writing legible. Take a few extra minutes to make your thank you note look clean and neat. The other person shouldn’t have to struggle to understand what you’re saying. Cross outs are cute when they are in notes from 10 year old children, not adults.
Handwritten notes of any kind can help your personal impact. Handwritten thank you notes are absolutely necessary if you want people to remember you and think highly of you. And, people who think highly of you can be a big help in building a successful life and career.
Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, is an executive coach, motivational speaker, author and blogger. He is the Official Executive Coaching Guide at SelfGrowth.com. He helps his executive coaching clients succeed by applying their common sense.
Dr. Bilanich is Harvard educated but has a no nonsense approach to his work that goes back to his roots in the steel country of Western Pennsylvania.
Bud is a cancer survivor and lives in Denver Colorado with his wife Cathy. He is a retired rugby player and an avid cyclist. In addition to helping people succeed in their lives and careers, Bud likes movies, live theatre and crime fiction.