8 quick tips for writing the best thank you message this Christmas

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!

1) The anatomy of a thank you message:

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

2) Decide on your writing style.

Do you want to be formal (like you’re writing to your boss or acquaintance)  or informal as you are with friends?

3) Better words than ‘nice’ or ‘great’!

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

4) Other words for saying thank you

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

5) How old / tech savvy is the person you’re sending thanks to?

Some people may prefer or expect cards rather than emails, text, or Facebook messages!

6) What impression are you trying to make?

Judge your response! For example, sending a thank you for an expensive or thoughtful gift by email or text isn’t great!

7) Choose how to send thanks

Depending upon how close you are to someone, how big a deal the gift is and what’s an appropriate response.

8) Do it now!

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!