Tips On Writing A Good Thank You Note
I have actually been thanked for my thank you notes. Sometimes people have said to me, "Thank you for that really nice thank you note you wrote to me, it really made my day." Those people liked that I took the time to really think about what I wrote. Writing a heartfelt thank you note expressing your gratitude to someone may make the person feel more appreciated. Here are a few tips on how to write a good thank you note.
Hand Write And Use Salutations
I feel that handwriting your notes in a thank you card is a the best idea. However some people prefer to send a thank you by email. Either way, it is good to start off with a salutation such as, "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith" or "Dear Aunt Martha."
Think About The Gift
Think about the gift that this person gave to you. What is it about the gift that you like? Let's say someone at your housewarming party bought you a toaster oven as a gift for your new house. You could write, "I am glad that you were able to come to my housewarming party. It was nice to see you. I wanted to thank you so much for the toaster oven that you bought for me to use in my new house. I have already used it to make pita pizzas and they were delicious. It works great and I enjoy using it! I appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness. I hope you had a nice time." This is just an example for someone who received a gift at a housewarming party.
There are other occasions and gifts that can be replaced for a housewarming party and a toaster oven. If you were given a gift on a special occasion and you have used the gift, tell the person that you have used the gift, why you like the gift and what you did with it.
The Gift Of Time
If someone did not actually give you a physical gift but gave you their time by helping you out in some way, then write all of the ways that this person made your day much easier. For example, let's say someone helped you to move into your new house and spent half the day lifting your heavy boxes. You could actually give them a gift in return for their time and service to you, such as cash or a gift card. However, when you are writing a thank you note, mention what they did that helped you. You could write something like this, "Thank you so much for helping me to move into my house. I really appreciate you taking time out of your day. I know those boxes that you carried for me were heavy. You were such a big help to me." If you include a gift with your note, you could add, "I would like to return the favor by sending you this gift card and note to express my gratitude towards you."
Elaborate on what this person did for you. It will show to them that what they did really made a difference and that they were appreciated for their time.
Take Time Out To Write The Note
The best time to write a good thank you note is when you have the time. If you are in a hurry or distracted by other things, you may not put as much time and thought into what you are writing and it may just look like a generic note that you write to everyone. Thank you notes are so much nicer when they are more personal. If you just sign your name to a thank you card, it does not really show much appreciation for what was given to you.
What To Write If You Do Not Like The Gift
What happens if you do not like the gift someone gave you to you but you still want to thank them anyway? You could write, "I appreciate your kindness and generosity for the gift that you bought me. Thank you for thinking of me." You may want to keep this note more simple and straight to the point. You may not want to go into too much detail with the gift if you know it is something that you will never use, because that would be lying. However, if you are okay with lying in order to spare someone's feelings, you might want to add, "The gift will be put to good use." Make sure to substitute the word gift with the actual name of the gift that you received to make it sound more personal and show that you acknowledge what was given to you.
Ending The Note
At the end of a thank you note, you may want to write something like "Hope all is well with you," "Hope to see you soon," or "Take care." Depending upon how close you feel to the person receiving the thank you note, you can write, as an example, "Love, Jessica." If you do not want to write the word love, then writing "Sincerely, Jessica" or "Thanks again, Jessica" would be more appropriate. A good time to write your thank you notes would be within the first month that your gift or service was received. If it is for a wedding gift, however, you have a longer time to write the note, usually up to a few months after the wedding.
