Writing a thank you is one of the easiest tasks in business writing. It’s a short, happy message that makes both writer and reader feel great. Some recipients even post thank you notes on their bulletin boards and in scrap books, so the good feelings live on.
To communicate your thanks, follow these suggestions:
- Do it now! Although a thank you is always welcome, fresh thank you’s are better than stale ones.
- Don’t water down your message with other topics, especially not an additional request. Just say thank you.
- Be specific about what you are grateful for and why. Describe the positive effect of the reader’s gift, kindness, or effort.
- Avoid passive (indirect) verbs. Rather than "Your creativity is appreciated," say, "I appreciate your creativity."
- Personalize your message. Never send a thank you to "Dear Customer" or "Dear Patron."
- Send a note, letter, or card if you can. Otherwise, send email. Don’t let the medium get in the way of sending a message.
Good example:
Dear Mike,
Thank you so much for trouble-shooting the computer problems we were having in the training lab yesterday. I really appreciate the way you put aside your other tasks to respond to our needs.
Our one-day class would have been far less successful if you had not solved the software problems. Because of your knowledge and quick response time, every student had a working computer and was able to participate fully in class. Your efforts made the difference between a so-so class and a very useful one.
On behalf of the entire class, thank you.
Warm wishes,
The message above is just under 100 words. Most thank you’s can be communicated in 100 words or less.
Opportunities to say thank you are everywhere. On the job, thank people who have:
- Delivered especially good service
- Been particularly thoughtful, creative, prompt, or efficient
- Gone beyond the job requirements
- Been helpful to you in a stressful moment
- Consistently exceeded expectations
- Made your day
Make someone smile. Write a thank you right now.
Special note to parents: To make sure your children write thank you notes for their gifts, allow them to play with, read, wear, or enjoy a gift just once before writing a thank you. Then require them to write a note before they enjoy the gift again. This technique works for children under 18–after that, good luck!
And thank you to Patrick Green, who passed along this suggestion.
