I am sure I am not alone in remembering being forced to write thank you cards to friends and family members who had given me a gift for a holiday, birthday or special event. I remember dreading having to take the time to thank my grandmother for sending me all those Christmas presents and her famous cookies because in the mind of a 12 year old child, wouldn’t my grandmother want me to spend that five to ten extra minutes enjoying her gifts – did she really care about my handmade thank you card?
To answer that question – yes, she definitely did. It is time to thank my mother for raising me to properly show my appreciation and gratitude to those who have given me gifts – be it an actual present or their time as it relates to the business world.
Expressing our appreciation has seemingly become a lost art in the day-to-day business dealings. When was the last time you received a thank you note from a business or vendor? You probably remember it because it was unique. Isn’t that sad that it was unique? There was a time a thank you note was commonplace, and now with the hustle and bustle of our busy world, many people push this activity aside – using such excuses as it’s not a requirement or thinking a quick email saying “thanks” will suffice. How many emails do you receive every day? Is an email saying thank you really going to make any real impact?
In today’s business world, it is getting more and more competitive. Whatever you can do to get an edge in today’s marketplace will make a difference, even if that edge is very slight over a longer period of time. Think about this – there is a general contractor in Indianapolis who sends out a thank you card to potential customers with whom he has met with and has given them a bid. Imagine if you were getting bids for a kitchen renovation, and one to two days after you received a bid from one of them, you received a thank you card – a thank you card saying “thank you for the opportunity to bid on your kitchen renovation project.” I would venture to say this slight edge would push his bid above the others, even if their price was slightly higher because it shows appreciation, and what customer does not want to feel appreciated?
One thing every business owner has probably said at least once a week is there just is not enough time in the day to get all that needs to get done. Between the business meetings, networking, workshops, and time to do the work needed, many business owners wish they had more hours in the day. Show your appreciation and gratitude for those who took the time to meet you for lunch or a business meeting. Take the time to write a thank you card to the presenters after a training workshop or a club meeting.
Here are some pointers on crafting an appropriate thank you card. To begin, your first line should be very a specific reference to the reason for the card (ie. meeting, event, gift). Secondly, say something personal you remember from the event and how it affected you. This will keep your note from reading like a general template. Lastly, end it warmly by saying thank you again in a gracious and appreciative manner.
There is much debate concerning a handwritten card versus a computer-generated printed card. I have received both and given both, and for me personally, it does not really matter. Both show an expression of appreciation and thoughtfulness – and it shows up in my mailbox and not hidden among the 100 emails I receive every day.
Serina Kelly
Relevate
www.getrelevate.com
317-203-7740
Tags: indianapolis small busines
