Business Etiquette for Thank You Letters on the Internet
Everyone appreciates a thoughtful thank-you letter for kindnesses received, especially in the workplace. Business environments can seem competitive, cold or impersonal when people don't take the extra time to interact with others, and sending a thank-you letter can be the perfect way to express gratitude. When it's not possible to send a handwritten note, a thank-you letter sent on the Internet can sometimes be an acceptable substitute. Follow appropriate business etiquette to ensure that your thank-you letter sends the right message.
Other People Are Reading
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Job Interviews
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Career counselors recommend that job candidates send thank-you letters after meeting with prospective employers. Business etiquette dictates that sending a thank-you note after interviews can be accomplished online through email, although hand-written notes are more personal. If the person who has interviewed you indicated a preference for communicating via email, or mentioned traveling and being away from Internet access for a period of time, a prompt email thank-you letter works just fine. Either way, thank-you letters sent online can supplement handwritten notes.
Animated Notes
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These days, it's possible to create and send high-tech thank-you letters on the Internet that incorporate animated cartoons, bouncy sound effects and pop-up doodads. Send these to friends all you want, but business etiquette doesn't dictate this. Weird songs and sound effects bursting from a professional's computer amid a sea of cubicles can even cause embarrassment. Stick with traditional formats for online thank-you letters.
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Templates
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The Internet offers an abundance of templates for business thank-you letters, but it's not good form to copy a letter word-for-word when expressing gratitude to a colleague, employee or boss. Use templates for basic guidelines, but proper business etiquette includes infusing the note with your own genuine personality and thoughts. That doesn't mean the letter must be overwrought or wordy; just write a few simple sentences expressing why you're grateful for the recipient's actions.
The Real Thing
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Business etiquette dictates that in some instances, you're just not going to get away with sending a thank-you letter on the Internet. Some old-fashioned gestures still call for a genuine, old-fashioned thank-you letter. Receiving congratulatory flowers at work, a holiday gift, gifts for newborn children or grandchildren, or cooperation in major business events still warrant a hard-copy thank-you letter. While a typed thank-you may suffice as a placeholder until you make time to send a handwritten note, it's generally recommended to hand-write all traditional thank-you notes.
Clutter
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Don't buy into the argument that quick thank-you notes sent on the Internet only clutter up the inboxes of busy professionals. If you're truly worried about offending someone with your thank-you email, write "Thank you" in the subject line so that the recipient can choose to ignore, delete or read the note at a later date.
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