Christmas is a time for giving and receiving. Receiving graciously is as important as giving. That wonderful feeling of gratitude when someone goes out of their way to spoil you feels even better when expressed. Sending a card or note of thanks is one of the best ways to express gratitude.
Here’s how to do it best:
Thank you builds relationships. Business is all about relationships, and business communications even more so. Receiving a gift from a client, supplier, or colleague is a golden opportunity to build or strengthen your relationship. Invest time and effort in warmly conveying your gratitude, and write from the heart.
Keep it personal. No one appreciates a generic message. Write something specific to each person, and use an even more personal means of delivery, like a hand written note or card. This immediately shows a relationship with your reader.
Use a quote. Quotations are great for creating a memorable thank-you. You can draw them from songs, stories, poetry, scripture, movies and more. You can include your quotation in the body the message, or separately. Here are some examples:
“You’re the living embodiment of John Wesley’s words: ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can…’ You certainly have done good for me, and I am so thankful.”
“‘Tis a far, far better thing doing stuff for other people.’ — Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz in ‘Clueless’ (1995). Thanks so much for the totally nice stuff you did for me!”
“‘Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.’ — Henry Ward Beecher. With all my heart, thank you.”
“‘One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness; it usually comes back to you.’ — Anonymous. I’ll be looking for a way to return your incredible kindness.“
Warm closings. A warm closing is like the bow on top of your thank-you message. Choose one that works best:
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Home language advantage. If the person you’re writing to is not a first language English speaker, why not go that extra mile and write to them in their mother tongue for the ultimate personal touch? Web-lingo can help you translate all your thank-you messages this season.
Wishing you all a most successful 2015.