___________How to write a note of:
This past week, a woman explained to me that she has so many thank you notes to write and they are all late ….she feels so guilty.
So let’s drop the guilt and make this easy:
Respond. Sooner is better than later and sometime is better than never!
Never, never, never underestimate the power of the Handwritten Thank You Note. More enduring than an email or a voice mail, it is a tangible testimony stating you took the time to offer thanks with a personal touch!
Once again, Margaret Shepherd offers us some marvelous tips for writing Thank You’s. She describes notes of gratitude as one of the”most intense pleasures you can have. Your thank-you note should recapture the smile and handshake or hug you would give the giver in person, and offer it in a form that can be read and reread…The best kind of thank-you note has 5 key characteristics—“
- Generous. Send a note even if you have already thanked the giver in another way.
- Specific. Mention the gift and thank them for the thought behind it.
- Prompt. Send the note ASAP, but don’t let lateness (or guilt) keep you from writing at all.
- Succinct. Keep it short by focusing only on the gift. Write about other topics in another note.
- Personal. Write it by hand. No form letters or print outs…(and preferably), no greeting cards.
A gift symbolizes the need to feel connected, and your thank you note in response completes that connection. “What people truly crave is appreciation.”- William James. “When they read your note (of thanks) they will feel truly appreciated.” -M.S.
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Some Do s and Don’t s…
Tailor your note to the gift. Mention it, or the person will think you forgot what they gave you. Do say:
- How did you guess that I wanted (the gift).
- I was just wishing for (the gift).
- I am enjoying, using, wearing, listening to, eating, reading (the gift). We are having fun using (the gift whatever it is).
- I am so pleased, grateful and touched.
- We enjoyed the evening, dinner, time with the family.
Don’t say:
- You shouldn’t have.
- I’m exchanging it.
- It was the greatest thing I ever received (Exaggeration = insincerity.)—————————————————–
Reference:
The Art of the Handwritten Note, A Guide to Reclaiming Civilized Communication, Margaret Shepherd, Broadway Books, 2002