Your Favorite Thank-You Note

“The joy I get from winning a major championship doesn’t even compare to the feeling I get when a kid writes a letter saying: ‘Thank you so much. You have changed my life.’” ~Tiger Woods 

Reading a thank-you note is a wonderful feeling. Have you recently received a thank-you note? From whom? When’s the last time you sent someone a thank-you note? 

I’ve added 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life by John Kralik to my reading list. Becky Brillon, Program Director of the Community Career Center, recommended it. 

Scott Gerber, principal and CEO of the Gerber Group, was featured on Learning From the Pros on “Your Business,” a TV show on Sunday mornings. He offered four guidelines for entrepreneurial success. His last tip was “say thank you.” Ten years ago Scott received a handwritten thank-you letter from his server two days after going to a club. He was impressed. After that, Scott and his staff started sending thank-you notes to customers and their staff. 

Next week I’ll offer guidelines for writing business thank-you notes. 

Some of my favorite thank-yous were written and illustrated by the 5th graders at Pleasant Hill Elementary School where I volunteer. Those notes are better than a pay check! One student wrote he thought I was going to be a mean teacher because I taught college. Another student drew a picture of a beaver on the front of the card. 

What’s the nicest thank-you note you’ve received? Who sent it? A client? A vendor? An applicant? An employee? What made it special?

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro 
Founder of National Proofreading Day