The Perfect Thank You Note
Last week my family and I attended a 50th birthday party for one of my cousins. It was a blast...from the past with a 1950's theme. Appropriate attire was strongly encouraged. Saturday I received the perfect thank you note from Colleen, the birthday girl. It reads: "Thank you so much for the bag set. I am going to Egypt next month on vacation and know they will absolutely come in handy. I also want to say thank you for coming to my party. I hope you guys had a good time. I think Tim (my son) would have won for best costume had we had a contest. He looked amazing! Please take good care of yourselves and thank you so very much again."
Why it is perfect:
1. She mentions the gift and how she will use it. The giver knows it is appreciated.
2. She goes on to show appreciation for the guests' attendance...their time and expresses interest in whether they had a good time.
3. She mentions something personal and compliments the attendee.
4. She signs off with a warm close and says thank you again.
The note is warm, sincere and a pleasure to receive. Sure beats "Thank you for the gift and coming to my party."
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Corby O'Connor
- Corby O'Connor
- Corby O’Connor is the founder of Corby O’Connor, Etiquette & Protocol, a company specializing in training, writing and consulting in etiquette and protocol programs. She has coached thousands of individuals in professional business conduct, sales skills, networking, business attire, interview skills and more. Ms. O’Connor is a columnist and feature writer. She has been quoted in the New York Times, Money Magazine, Princeton Business Journal, the Courier Post, the Trenton Times and Business News New Jersey. She is featured as an Etiquette Expert on Fox Television’s Good Day New York and New Jersey 101.5 Radio News. Ms. O’Connor is a member of the National Speaker’s Association and Women in Communications. Most recently, NJBIZ, New Jersey’s Business Newspaper, named her one among twenty five of the Most Influential Women in New Jersey. Ms. O’Connor has been trained and certified by the Protocol School of Washington and holds a degree in Communications from Fordham University. Prior to founding her company, she held public relations and marketing positions with Time Warner, Inc., Home Box Office, Inc. and the American Broadcasting Company.
3 comments:
I also like it when pen is put to thank you card (as opposed to emails). Gives it an extra touch (time and effort) that emphasizes gratitude. I've never received an emailed thank you note; and hope I never do. One part of me realizes that as letters become more obsolete the old fashioned thank you note may go that way too; but I'm in no rush- I prefer the old fashioned touch.
It was a pleasure to sort through the mail...putting most of it into the recycling bin...and finding an envelope with a handwritten address and a personally affixed stamp. I put it aside and read it with my first cup of coffee. A simple pleasure.
Although not necessarily a "thank you" note, I heard of a partner at a law firm a few weeks ago that sends out more than 1,000 hand written notes a year. That's 2 or 3 every day for the entire year, and takes him about a half hour every day.
Apparently, this is the best legal marketing in the world - it shows former and potential clients that you're sincere and are willing to give your time to them.
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