Thank You Notes: They Are Worth Talking About
The discussion about Thank You Notes just keeps growing. Why shouldn’t it? Thank you notes are cheap and very effective. Bert Webb, author of the outstanding Open Loops blog, and I discussed notes via Twitter the other day. He uses them as a way to motivate the people he leads at his school. You can read about it in his “How to Write a Thank You Note” post.
The neat thing about handwritten thank you notes is that there is no incorrect way to do them — that is, if you are sincerely thanking someone. We aren’t talking about suck up notes here. It really doesn’t matter what kind of paper or pen that you use. What matters is that you show appreciation for someone who has done something kind for you.
It is important for them to be handwritten because it sends the message that “thanking you is worth the extra effort it took to write and mail the card.” Handwritten notes garner attention because they have become unusual.
Here are some examples of when to write a thank you note:
- You give a presentation and someone gives you honest feedback. Send a card. Why? Because they took a risk and tried to help you. Most people take the easy way and and say “you did great” even when they don’t believe it.
- Someone mentioned your work in a positive way. You should be thanking them for that even if that someone was your manager. Let them know that you appreciate the feedback.
- The best thank you I ever received was from a guy that I used to help out with database issues. He would send an e-mail to my manager and a thank you note attached to a plate of cookies. When he needed help he went to the top of the list.
- If you run a club you should send a thank you note to any guest who attends. You will be surprised how much your membership will increase — very surprised!
I am sure that you can come up with myriad other examples. The point is, thank you notes are not just for high school graduations and weddings. Buy yourself a bunch of blank note cards and keep them handy (I like blanks ones because you can use them for many occasions). Whenever the opportunity presents itself write a note and make someone happy… You won’t regret it.
Here is a previous post I wrote on the topic of thank you notes: It Feels Good to Say “Thank You!”
