Writing thank you messages can be arduous and the longer you leave it, often the harder it becomes to start. Christmas thank you messages can be worse, as they all come at once! Take the pain away from the experience with this quick guide to the perfect thank you message AND how best to send it!
Here’s the structure of a typical thank you message for you to follow:
a) The salutation / greeting and name > this can be formal / informal E.g Hi, Dear, first name or name and title, Paul, Mr Smith, etc.
b) Thank you message > Get straight to thanking them ‘Thank you for the… gift / thing they did!
c) Note saying why it was appreciated > it was useful, appreciated, always wanted one, helped so much…
d) Optional personal note > Was great to see you at / pleasantries
e) Sign off > Love, kind regards, Yours sincerely, faithfully, Warm wishes
Do you want to be formal (like you’re writing to your boss or acquaintance) or informal as you are with friends?
Formal | > | Informal | > | Highly Informal | |
Greeting | Dear Mr | > | Dear Paul / Hi | > | Hi Paul / Darling Paul / Nickname |
Sign off | Yours Sincerely | > | Kind regards | > | Love / lots of love / xxx |
Strangers | > | Acquaintances | > | Close friends | |
Customers | Friends, | Wife, husband, fiance(e), | |||
Acquaintances | Friendly colleagues | girlfriend, boyfriend, | |||
Friendly customers |
Replace weak words like ‘nice’ and ‘great’ with stronger words to show your proper appreciation for the gift or service:
Here’s a suggested word list:
Fantastic, Cool, Awesome, excellent, genius, decadent, exciting, luxurious, brilliant, fabulous, lovely, enchanting, adorable, elegant, marvelous, splendid, overwhelming, staggering, wonderful, lush, enchanting, ingenious, welcome, stunning, handsome, dazzling, incredible, spectacular, unexpected, amazing, sweet, tasteful, thoughtful, touching, kindhearted, moving
Here are a list of other things you can say with your thank you to let them know what you feel about the gift!
appreciate the
indebted
forever grateful
so grateful for the
Delighted
Much obliged
obliged for the
truly appreciate the
really enjoyed the
want to acknowledge your generosity
value the
thankful for the
want to express my gratitude for
want to express my appreciation for
Appreciative
Heartfelt thanks
tickled pink with
profoundly grateful
Overjoyed
Overwhelmed
sincere
sincerely
sincerest
flattered
Some people may prefer or expect cards rather than emails, text, or Facebook messages!
Judge your response! For example, sending a thank you for an expensive or thoughtful gift by email or text isn’t great!
Depending upon how close you are to someone, how big a deal the gift is and what’s an appropriate response.
One of the best tips and the simplest! Send your thanks right away for the biggest impact; plus it’s easier to write and clears your mind!