The Power of Gratitude
As the holiday season quickly approaches, now is the perfect time to begin considering how you and your business can express gratitude to your customer base, colleagues, and more during the season of gratitude and beyond.
When to Say Thank You
There are many opportunities in business to say thank you:
- When a customer or associate sends you a referral that results in business
- When an employee goes out of their way to fix a problem or make a customer happy
- When a customer makes a large purchase, large from their point of view, as well as yours.
- When a vendor over-delivers
- When someone sends a gift
- After a speaking engagement or an event when someone has hosted you
- When someone provides advice that has been helpful, whether face to face or in a book or article
- When someone does a favor or something nice that you’d like to reward
Keeping thank-you notes top of mind will help you think of more opportunities to use them.
What to Say in Your Thank-You Note
You don’t have to be an excellent writer to pen a heartfelt thank you note. Be concise about what you’re thanking them for and share a meaningful detail about the item or activity involved. And then thank them again.
If you are unsure about what to say, type up a draft first that you can edit. Then rewrite your final draft on your stationery. It’s far more personal to hand-write your thank-you note than to use a computer-generated one.
Thoughtful Details
Personalized stationery for thank-you notes is a thoughtful detail. It adds a formal and professional touch to your thank-you note, enriching the experience for the recipient. If penmanship is a concern, or the sheer volume of thank-you notes you’d like to send has your hand cramping at the thought, Handywritten offers a a fast and affordable option to outsource the effort while still retaining your sentiment and the impact of a handwritten note.
Be mindful, however, to avoid turning your thank-you note into an advertising event for your company. If you want to send promotional items such as t-shirts, mugs, or other items, do NOT include them with your thank-you card, as it shifts the focus from the individual(s) you’re thanking back to yourself. A separate follow-up package with swag is a nice way to compound the impact of your note.
Helping others feel gratitude is the fastest way to experience happiness. Sending thank-you notes is not only good business, it’s good for our health and wellness, too.