The Art of The Thank You Note
Kalyn Johnson Chandler, is a lifestyle blogger and the owner of the online paperie effie’s paper. We’re happy to feature her as our guest blogger to share the art of a handwritten thank you note.
I LOVE stationery! I have my grandmother to thank for fostering this unique obsession of mine. I’ve been an avid letter-writer since I was a little girl – nothing brought me more joy than to come home from school to a mailbox filled with letters. Now, as much as most of us enjoy receiving handwritten letters in the mail, few of us take the time to write them to our friends and loved ones. So, when I started my stationery company, I wanted to understand why people aren’t writing letters the way they used to. Of course technology – email and text messaging to be exact – is the obvious culprit, but the focus groups we conducted, indicated that people are not sending handwritten notes for two additional reasons:
(1) They don’t have stationery or they don’t have stationery they like. As a result, when the occasion arises to write a note to a friend, family member or acquaintance they procrastinate; and
(2) Even if they have stationery, they’re not quite sure what to say.
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that they intended to write a thank you note, but they didn’t actually get around to writing it because they just weren’t sure what to say I’d be a rich woman! To ensure that you don’t find yourself in that situation, I thought I’d share my fool-proof formula for the perfect thank you note. I guarantee you that it will work each and every time you use it (which I hope will be alot! – just bookmark this page for convenience).
- SALUTATION — Your initial greeting: “Dear, Dearest, Hey, Hi, etc.”
- · Thank the receipient for the gift, favor or entertainment. “Thank you so much for the beautiful necklace from Tiffany’s.”
- · Write about the appropriateness of the gift. “I needed a break from the kids, thank you for watching them Friday afternoon.”
- · Compliment the giver. “You are always so thoughtful, I truly appreciate your kindness.”
- Tell the recipient how you plan to use the gift. “The sweater fits perfectly! It will be great for our ski trip to Colorado next month.”
- Add a line about your relationship to the giver. “Bryant and I are looking forward to having dinner with you and Ian next weekend.”
- SIGNATURE — This depends on your relationship with the recipient: “Fondly, With love,
Kind regards, Warm regards, Best, Yours Truly, etc.”
Et volià! The perfect thank you note. I told you it was simple. My motto is SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE, SEND A HANDWRITTEN NOTE. Trust me, 5 sentences and 5 minutes is all it takes to bring a little sunshine into the life of others.
Oh and hey, if you’re looking for the perfect stationery to write your thank you note on, be sure to check out effie’s paper!
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