How to Write Thank You Letters and Notes
Gifts, hospitality, help, encouragement on a big project, great service. All of these are special occasions for expressing gratitude to your friends, family, and colleagues at work. Don't miss these opportunities to cement relationships by forgetting to say thank you.
And if you're going to take the time to write a letter or note, make it count. Say something meaningful that comes from your heart—something that doesn't sound like a pre-printed card or cliché that everyone else writes on such occasions. Make your letter or note one that they'll read more than once—and maybe even file away for years as a memento of your relationship and the occasion.
Keep these guidelines in mind.
- Thank the reader immediately for the gift, service, or kind act. Your thank-you comments should not sound like an afterthought at the end of a routine email or note about the situation or occasion. Instead, be direct and purposeful about the thank you.
- Elaborate on why the occasion, note, kindness, or gift was particularly meaningful to you. Be as specific as possible. General phrases and sentences sound insincere. Don't let clichés roll off your tongue; it's the heartfelt sentiment that makes your note special.
Examples:
"Your help before Bryan's retirement luncheon saved me hours—the trip to the party mall, the trip to pick up the speaker at the airport, your hanging the posters in the lobby.""You obviously spent a mind-boggling emotional effort on securing volunteers to staff the booth for 24 hours during three days, and obviously you called in some personal favors with this team to persuade them to waive the exhibit fee.""Your cards during my mother's illness meant so much to me because I know how..." - Avoid mentioning any negative outcomes or circumstances surrounding the situation. Even though your intention may be well meaning, such comments will detract from the overall feeling of satisfaction about the gift or deed.
Examples (to avoid):
"Too bad more people didn't show up for the party to enjoy all the effort you put into it.""You shouldn't worry about the caterer's snafu. Your back-up plan with the pizza worked fine. Most people had eaten before they came anyway.""Even though we still didn't meet our deadline with the client proposal, it certainly wasn't your fault. Your graphics added immeasurably to the overall look of the document." - Be prompt. A thank-you delayed is often a thank-you ignored. Ignored by the recipient, that is. Sincere comments suffer from delay. The reader thinks, "If they were so pleased, why did they postpone telling me for three weeks? Too much of a chore?" Say it sooner rather than later.
If you'd like to make the thank you letter writing process even easier, we can help even more. If you still can't find the right words to express your gratitude in a way to make the reader feel special, try our professionally written package of thank you letters and notes.
You'll find thank you letters for both personal and business situations:
- Birthday Gifts
- Monetary Gifts
- Baby Shower Gifts
- Christmas Gifts
- Wedding Gifts
- Help—During Crisis
- Help—Arranging Events
- Help—Meeting Deadlines
- Help—Encouragement and Support
- Sympathy or Comforting Notes
- Jobs Well Done
- Good Deeds
- Shared Expertise
- Volunteering
- Honesty and Advice—Friend
- Honesty and Advice—Stranger
- Romantic Evenings
- Hospitality
- Visits
- To Coach or Gym Teacher
- To Private Instructor
- To Teacher
- To Babysitter
- To Neighbor for Watching Child
- To Clergy
- Service—Daycare Facility
- Service—Medical Team
- Service—Hotel
- Service—Airline
- Service—Rental Car Agency
- Service—Technical Support
- Service—Helpful Salesperson
- Service—Safety Personnel
- Service—Honest Mechanic
- For Complimentary Services or Goods
- For Referrals
- For Business
- For Meetings
- For Appointments
For other great thank you letters you may need during the sales and marketing cycle, see our entire package of Successful Sales & Marketing Letters.
How to Use This Thank You Letter Package
You have two choices. Either...
1. Download the PDF package and select the sample thank you letter you need. Then copy and paste it into Microsoft Word or any other word processor. Send it out.
2. Read samples to "get the flavor" of what the thank you letter or note should say. Then "pick and choose" sentences you like to use in composing your own thank you letter or note.
14-Day, No-Risk Guarantee!
Total Number of Sample Thank You Letters: 84
Total Number of Situations/Topics: 51
For help with other letter writing tasks, check out these packages:
Successful Sales and Marketing Letters
How to Write Sympathy Letters and Notes
How to Write Reference Letters and Recommendation Letters
How to Write Apology Letters and Notes
Special Bonus!
Bonus eBook: Write to the Point by Dianna Booher
This 48-page eBook contains 44 tips to help you write clear, concise, complete documents quickly—and get the action you intend.
If you need a thank you letter to express your gratitude in a great big way—and yet you can't find exactly the right words to do the job right––let us help.
