Say ‘Thank You’ with Your Pen

‘Saying’ thank you is good; ‘Writing’ thank you is better. In a world that uses email, texting, and instant messaging to communicate immediately, hand-written thank you notes are fast becoming a lost art. Mastering this lost art will help your reader understand the value of what they gave you.

Marshall Goldsmith devotes an entire chapter of his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There to the topic of thanking. He restates an obvious but often overlooked belief that “Saying ‘thank you’ is a crucial feature of etiquette and being mannerly.”

Beyond etiquette, expressing gratitude is an important aspect of effective leadership. A Subtlety of Leadership is that you cannot succeed alone. Good leaders understand that success is dependent on many other people and they regularly express their gratitude. A thank you note is a written acknowledgment of another person’s role in your success and will encourage him to help again in the future. Jaceson Maughan of Life123 agrees:

Everyone needs praise, acknowledgment and appreciation for a job well done. Because thank you notes are increasingly rare, the positive impact is far stronger when one is received.

When should you write and when should you simply ‘say’ thank you? Always write when the effort was special, unique or out of the ordinary. The website Lifescript suggests

A written thanks is appropriate when someone goes out of his or her way to give you a gift, service or time. Even if you are able to thank the giver in person, you should still follow up with a written thank you.

Emailing a thank you note is better than not sending one at all, but it is not as effective as a written note. Because an email is easier, faster and less expensive, an emailed thank you will never have the impact of a handwritten note and often lacks the intended sincerity. Sending a hand-written thank you demonstrates that you made the effort to purchase a card, locate the address, hand-write the note and sent it with an actual stamp through the mail. This effort never goes unnoticed.

The beauty of writing a thank you is that you can’t go wrong. While a note may not be needed or even expected, they are always appreciated and are seldom inappropriate.

The best way to commit to writing thank you notes is to keep a supply readily available. To get started, buy a small package of thank you notes at a local greeting card store. Better yet, order a box of customized thank you cards from a stationary store embossed with your initials or name. Vistaprint.com is a good online source. Either way, choose a card style that is subtle so you can use them in both professional and less formal situations.

When it comes to writing the message, remember that thank you cards are small for a reason; your message should be short and to-the-point. Speak from your heart, but be specific about why you are grateful.

You cannot succeed by yourself and you cannot lead unless others follow. If you are a good leader, you already tell others how much you appreciate their help, their work and their effort. You already tell them how their contribution made a difference. Next time, tell them with your pen.