How to Write a Thank You Note

You can fill even short thank you notes with appreciation, sincerity and meaning. A handwritten note of thanks should be sent via mail (not electronic mail) for gifts received, in appreciation of a favor, following a job interview. And although thank you notes should be sent promptly, "better late than never" does apply as the recipient will always enjoy your thanks.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stationary
• A good pen

1. Begin with a fresh sheet of note paper and a smooth pen. Thank-you notes are traditionally written in cursive, and are headed by the date and a salutation: "Dear Aunt Ruth," followed by a comma.

2. Thank the recipient for the gift, favor or entertainment given.

3. Write about the appropriateness of the gift or favor: "Your baby-sitting for my children has truly been a lifesaver in these difficult times." (You can describe a gift that didn't quite suit your taste as "a conversation piece" or "unique.")

4. Tie the appropriateness of the gift to the person who gave it to you: "You've always understood my taste in clothes."

5. Write about how you plan to use the gift (or substitute this step for step 3): "I have a picture of my parents that will look perfect in your frame." If you received a gift of money, mention how you will spend it.

6. Add a line to update the giver about your life: "I have completely recovered from my cold and plan to hit the slopes again as soon as I can."

7. Sign your thank-you note: "With thanks, Billy."

Tips & Warnings

• Consider sending a token of appreciation along with your note if you're thanking someone for a good deed. Possibilities include flowers, chocolate or an invitation to lunch (your treat).
• Many people consider it unnecessary to write thank-you notes for gifts given in person, with the exception of wedding gifts, as long as you thank the giver verbally. But when in doubt, a written note is always a good idea.

[MarionHose]

on 1/15/2009 Good advice! Since we don't use carbon paper any more (yay for clean fingertips!), I like to keep a list of all the folks I've written and sometimes even a one-word description of the item about which I wrote. I also like to use my personalized stationery whenever I can. I get it from www.giftsin24.com

[gallatea]

on 5/21/2008 Skip step 6. Don't rattle on about your health problems or brag about accomplishments here. That's for Christmas notes. This is about the giver, so keep it pertinent. And never mention money. You can however state in brief what you plan to do with the money or how it will help. And don't write a tiny note on a big piece of stationary. Keep the note size appropriate to the paper size.

[bjbabick]

on 11/7/2007 Well Thank You!

[bmi57]

on 11/7/2007 Great information. Thank you.

on 8/17/2006 Write that Thank You quickly! Listen to your mother--she was and is right. The quicker you acknowledge any gift (especially a wedding gift) with a hand written note the less you'll have to write. Trust me! The longer you wait the more you have to write because for some odd reason you start by making excuses as to why it took so long to get to writing them. Nobody is that busy! Rule of thumb says you've got about 1 month to acknowledge a wedding gift. And please,...don't send an e-mail to thank that person! Write it out on pretty stationery. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but it does need to be personal and unique. Each gift you receive has been thoughtfully considered by the sender and thanking them for their thoughtfulness shows you're on the ball. They'll appreciate that hand written thank you more than you'll know.