3 Elements of a Hand-written Thank You Note.
When Was Last Time You Wrote a Thank You Note?
This week I was grateful to receive 2 hand-written thank you notes. They were from people I had met with over the last several months. Both wrote to thank me for my ability to spend time, be caring, and kind to them. I’m not sure I measure up to all that was written. What I do know is receiving the notes made my day, my week, maybe even my month. In this age of technology – emailing, texting, and social media have replaced the art of the handwritten note. And, we can almost forget about using the telephone.
These notes were from business colleagues who took the time to share some appreciation. Jennifer Beeler writes about thank you notes in Southern Living. She gives a terrific list of thank you do’s and don’ts. It made me think, when did I write my last thank you note and when did you? And, if we were to write one,
let’s at least consider these 3 elements:
- Take time. Take time to appreciate those around you. Telling someone how you appreciate him or her in person or on the telephone is good; a hand-written note, glorious.
- Choose with care. Who has touched you in a simple way? It doesn’t have to be acknowledging a big accomplishment or gift. The notes I received, I didn’t even realize I had done something notable. The note writers disagreed. So, consider those around you, who can you send a note to?
- Be meaningful. Be thoughtful in your note. Thinking through what you want to say, before you write is helpful. And, above all, be authentic and real.
For those of us who want to do this, but struggle with buying stationary, stuffing an envelope, and licking a stamp, there is a solution! InkANote.com provides a wonderful, unique service that keeps it personal and lets you get hand-written notes out more comfortably.
And, what will I do? I’m thinking of sending a hand-written note a week, for an entire year. I’ll tell you all about it next year.
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As the CEO & Founder of East Tenth Group, Michelle leverages 25 years of business and experience as a strategic advisor and executive coach to help drive actionable people solutions and provide practical insights on business strategy to senior leaders. she and her team and are fiercely committed to the development and growth of people and companies because we believe that when people thrive, business thrives.
