Perfecting the Thank-You Note

Being in the design industry, I have come to learn how important positive relationships are. It may be a vendor who goes out of their way to track your shipment, a sub-contractor who refers you to a potential client, or a rep who finds you that perfect fabric just in time…they all deserve a thank you! So lately I have made it my new policy to write two thank you notes a week to let those people know just how much I appreciate their extra efforts. Last week, it was a brief handwritten note to a client to thank them for their continued support, and this week it will be to a vendor who always seems to make my issue her only priority. For those of you out there who love the idea but don’t quite know how to begin, or what to say, I have included some tips for a fail-proof thank you note…
1. Open with enthusiasm. “What a (blank) sweater/book/vase!” or “You really know how to throw a (blank)!” says just what the recipient wants to hear — that you enjoyed the gift or the event.
2. Be specific. By thanking that person for their specific action or gift, you are letting them know exactly what they have done to assist you or make your life better, easier, happier…
3. Don’t repeat yourself or it will come off as filling space. Even “thank you” said over and over begins to seem less than genuine.
4. Don’t waste time! Send your thank you as soon as you think of it, or you will probably forget.
5. Reflect the effort made on your behalf with the effort you put into your note. Do not send a casual e-mail unless you’re thanking someone for a casual favor.
6. Don’t stress about making every note unique. If you have many thank-yous to send, write a template that you can personalize in parts. People aren’t literally going to compare notes.


Now, next time you write a thank you to a client or a friend it won’t be generic or repetitive, it will be just as warm and heartfelt as you had intended. Happy writing!