News & views
How to say thank you
Posted by Ingrid Helsingen Warner, February 14, 2011
February always reminds me of Christmas. That’s when I finish writing the thank you notes diligently penned at my desk. As a child, I enjoyed the crisp white card and new ink pen, but what to write beyond “Thank you…” was difficult. Like most childhood activities, however, ease came with practice – and soon became habit. When going for my first job interviews, I followed Daddy’s advice to write handwritten thank you letters to each of the people who interviewed me. This was the best advice I ever got.
True gratitude is expressed not in words but in action. And the handwritten note is still the most powerful medium to express gratitude – or sympathy, congratulations, or any message – because it demonstrates concerted effort. It demonstrates to the receiver that you care. Twitter and emicons express the sender’s feelings, but we forget the receiver. With a penned letter, the receiver feels the emotions. Consider the handwritten envelope: the excitement of who it is from. Consider the penned words: the joy to read it – twice. And then save. We think nothing of deleting an old email; we think carefully about tossing out an old letter. With the increase of email and the reduction of snail mail, the latter might take a little longer to create, a little longer to send, and a little longer to read. But the effect is also everlasting. So next time you want to tell someone something, don’t forget the value of that handwritten note. It not only shows – it demonstrates that you care.