Guidelines for Writing thank you Notes
Thank someone for giving a gift or being of help is always a good idea. Writing a thank you note is the best way to show gratitude, and a thank you note will always be appreciated by the recipient.
It is important to make each thank you note personal and individual, so that the person you are thanking will understand that you are genuinely grateful and that some thought has been put into the words you write.
The basics of writing a thank you note:
1 - Open your thank you notes with an affectionate greeting, or "Dear ....". You might want to begin with a warm sentiment; "I hope you and your family are well", or "It was nice to see you on...".
2 - Start a new paragraph to explain your intent in sending the thank you note; "I'm writing to thank you for....". Describe how useful the gift will be, how much you appreciate it or how you will treasure it. Refer to the exact item you received. This will show that you are not just duplicating a standard thank you note, because you have received many gifts.
3 - End with another short paragraph offering good wishes, or expressing a desire to meet soon, and close with an appropriate message of love, regards or a more formal "yours sincerely".
Ideas to enhance the way you write a thank you note:
You could develop a thank you note into a long letter. When writing to someone you have not seen for a long time you might also want to share some personal news or report on recent family events.
Personal handwritten thank you notes are most acceptable when you use good quality stationery. Avoid writing on sheets of paper pulled from a cheap notepad, and try not to send thank you notes in cheap envelopes.
Write your thank you note in a decorative notelets, or a blank card with an attractive design on the front. The recipient can then display your note on a shelf or keep it as a treasured memento.
You might want to send an instant message of thanks by email or SMS texting. When you do this you should include a promise to write later show your appreciation. It is better to send an email message than to ignore a gift or a good deed, but when someone has gone to a lot of effort to give you a gift, or has done something nice for you, it might show lack of respect simply to respond in text by SMS.
Writing thank you notes should never be dismissed as an outdated practice or a superficial art. When you write a thank you note you are showing how much you appreciate the fact that the person has thought about you, or has taken time taken to select a gift for you. Writing a genuine thank you note is particularly important when you wish to express gratitude to someone who has been of great assistance by providing you with some practical help.
