Writing Thank You Notes
Writing Thank You Notes – Any One Can Do It
Want to write thank you notes that shine with feeling and originality?
You can!
It doesn't matter what kind of writer you are.
You may be adequate but long-winded, clever and concise, or one who suffers incessantly from writer’s block.
Whatever the case, your thank you note writing can become easier and more effective by observing a few basic tips.
Writing Thank You Notes - Simple Guidelines
Match the thank you to the gift.
An overdone thank you can sound insincere, while an underplayed one can come off as ungrateful.
Sometimes a simple "Thanks I really appreciate it" will suffice. At other times, you’ll need to be more creative to adequately express your gratitude.
Name the gift specifically and early.
Examples:
"Dear Jill,
I adore the pink angora sweater you gave me for my birthday…."
or
"Steve,
Jan and I had a blast at the Earth, Wind and Fire concert. The seats were great, and the show was phenomenal! Thanks so much for the tickets…."
Focus on the giver of the gift.
When you focus on the person who gave the gift, rather than just the gift itself, you’ll find yourself feeling a deeper sense of gratitude.
That’s what makes a mom love that macaroni necklace her 2nd grade son made for her last year; or a dad the misshapen clay paperweight his daughter made him for Father’s day.
Whether we think the gift is ideal or not, what’s really important is the effort the giver put into it. Often the giver has done one or more of these things:
- Spent time thinking of the gift
- Saved money for the gift
- Shopped for the gift
- Created the gift
When we consider this, the gift suddenly takes on more value in our eyes. And we find ourselves appreciating it more.
Establish the significance of the gift to you.
If you’re wild about chocolate chip cookies and your best friend sends you a box of gourmet cookies by mail, then that gesture would be one of significance to you. And you need to express that in your
note of thanks.
See an
example of a thank you note you could use for a gift of chocolate here.
Don't Mention the Specific Amount of Money.
It’s best not to mention the amount of a monetary gift specifically in the note. Doing so could make the giver uncomfortable. You can say something like,
"Dear Aunt Sadie,
I really appreciate the very generous check you sent me for my birthday. Mark has been wanting to go to Six Flags since he started second grade last year. I plan to surprise him later this month with a trip there…"
Express your thanks in a timely manner.
Make every effort to respond with a thank you note within a fairly short time--ideally within a week or two.
If you are really late, then acknowledge this with a brief apology in the note.
Then move on to expressing your sincere gratitude for the gift.
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