“Thank you for reading this article, it means a lot to me.”
“Thank you for visiting SavvyBrain.com, I hope you find it useful and informative.”
See what I mean, it just feels good to be thanked. No matter where you are a sincere thank you means a lot to your friends, family, co-workers and customers. As with anything there is a right and wrong way to say thank you. In this article I hope to give you tips and ideas that will take your thank you message to the next level.
Start with being grateful for what you have.
If you are truly grateful for what you have, saying thank you becomes easy. For many of us, your job includes the task of going out and thanking customers. For some this task is a chore. The result is a half assed thank you message, honestly you are almost better off not talking to the customers at all.
If you think about it your customers are one of the main reasons to be thankful, because their buying power is your business. The best Thank You’s are a sincere and grateful sharing of positive attention. I suggest that you do the following:
1. Before you begin to say thank you, think of why you are saying it. Then share the why with your customer, friend or co-worker.
“Ted, Thank you so much for coming in today, we really hope we have exceeded your expectations.”
2. Shake hands and hold eye contact while saying thank you.
“Laurie, you really did a great job on that report. Thank you for making my job so easy, you are a awesome person.”
3. Listen to them after the thanks. This maybe basic, but I see it all the time at restaurants where the manager is required to say thank you, but then does not stick around to actually listen to the customers concerns.
Say Thank You in Public.
Saying thank you in a meeting or at a party for the whole group to hear has the added bonus of positive peer pressure. Great managers reprimand in private and congratulate in public. The same holds true at family gatherings.
“Everyone, I just want to say thanks to my wife Mary for preparing this awesome meal. She has a knack of whipping up a dinner for 20 without breaking a sweat. Thanks Hon.”
It is Never to Late to Say Thank You!
When weeks go by, it feels weird to send a card of thank you, but in reality it is never to late. I recently received a thank you after a year and quite frankly it was a relief because I was feeling a little under appreciated. You simply start by saying things like. “This thank you is long overdue, what you did for my family in May was over the top” or “a month has past since you visited me in the hospital, and upon reflection, your visit meant a lot to me.” You get the idea.
Why a thank you note should always be hand written?
Everyone loves a hand written note, especially if it is hand written. I use a blue pen as a rule and usually type out what I’m going to write first so I can get the feel and spelling right. I have ruined many nice cards before I made this step a rule.
• Nice card stock is another important factor. I like to go to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, because sometimes you will get lucky and find amazing card stock at the $1-5 price range.
• Use blank card stock. I know there are lovely thank you cards out there but the idea of a true hand written thank you should be in the body of the letter not on the cover.
• Three Sentences is a rule that I have used for many years. Just writing the words Thank You and posting it does not convey a true thank you. Put some thought into it.
Example:
“Emily,
The wedding gift you and Mike gave us was so thoughtful and caring. Every time we have a glass of wine using your glassware, we will be thinking of you.
We really enjoyed your company at the reception, and the kind word you said about us during dinner was over the top.
You are a true friend, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for us.
Your pal,
Sally”
Use Only Positive Sentence Structure.
Bad example: “Thank you for dinner, sorry I was late.” Wrapping a thank you letter with an apology is not good etiquette in my opinion. Simply stick to the positive of the thank you and keep the sentences uplifting.
“The dinner was so nice and the restaurant was amazing. Thanks for taking me there on my birthday, you are so thoughtful. Love K.”
Sign with a flourish:
John Hancock is still famous hundreds of years later because his signature was so flamboyant. Don’t be afraid to add your own flare to your signature line. Don’t take the look of your signature for granted.
What are some thank you gift ideas?
1. Gift cards: Gift cards are a sort of sterile way to say thank you. Lets say you are looking for a gift for your child’s teacher or babysitter. While I think gift cards are the “Safe” gift, they do not elicit the appreciation you are trying to convey. Gift cards for me are a way to help someone out. An example of this is: a Wegmans gift card to someone who just lost her husband and is struggling to pay the bills.
2. Flowers: You really can’t go wrong with flowers, especially if you have them delivered. The important thing is the note, make sure you get the extra pop from saying the right words on the card.
3. The Spa: Giving the gift of being pampered is truly a great gift because it has special feeling of caring that many gifts do not give. It is important to make sure that the spa is close to their work or home. Use the Spa gift as a great apology gift or as a belated gift because the wow factor is priceless.
4. Personalized Stationary: Everyone loves stationary and if you take the time to personalize it with their name or with a quote that they use, they will be thrilled.
Wine: If they are of drinking age, wine is an awesome gift. I like to go on line and look up the winery and find something special to say about the winery or blend. You can even print out the about us page from their site and include it with the bottle. If you are looking for that $100-ish gift, a case of wine can be a great WOW. I like to find wines in wooden cases that sell for $9-$12 per bottle then after the case discount, we are right at the $100 level.
20 Awesome Ways to Say Thank You!
1. If it weren’t weird, I would have sent you a picture of myself. Because I look totally grateful right now.
2. Great gooey gratitude. Thanks so much for your gift!
3. This Thank You is So Important I’m not sending it from my iPhone.
4. You are my superhero. Thank You.
5. Two words: Endless gratitude & Thank you. Ok four words.
6. You score phenomenally high in the kind-o-meter. Seriously, I checked.
7. Your version of shine is a searchlight. Thanks for spreading so much good.
8. You’re kind of a big deal. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone.
9. You = awesome. Me = grateful.
10. Move over Gates and Buffett, there’s a new philanthropist in town, thanks for the donation.
11. Start practicing your autograph, you’re a RockStar
12. Thank you kindly for your gift.
13. Amazed. Inspired. Grateful. That’s how your generosity makes me feel.
14. When it comes to making an impact, you rule.
15. Thanks for igniting something amazing.
16. a) A peach b) Bee’s knees c) Cat’s pajamas. You’re d) All of the above. Thanks for your bigheartedness.
17. You’re what making a difference looks like.
18. You’re a lifesaver. Literally. And thanks for believing in someone you don’t even know.
19. Is there no limit to your awesomeness? Thank you!
20. You can’t see me but I’m totally doing a happy dance.