The elements of a good thank you note are fairly basic, Hyde said.
Handwrite the note. An e-mail or text message is better than nothing, but a handwritten note is always your best option. "There is something very special about a handwritten note. When you receive one, it really makes you feel good," Hyde said.
Mention the gift you were given. You can say something nice about it (beautiful, useful, delicious) and how it makes you feel (pleased, surprised, grateful). Share how you intend to use it, whether it's displaying a new clock on the mantle or hanging a baby mobile above the crib. You can also add a sentence that mentions something unrelated to the gift itself, along the lines of how nice it was to see the gift-giver. If you're thanking for money, tell the giver how you plan to use the funds.
Be truthful. "It's very important to be sincere when writing a thank you note," Hyde said. If Aunt Lydia gave you a scarf you can't imagine wearing, instead of writing that you'll wear it every day, tell her that 'no one in the world can knit like you.' "
The best time to write a note is within a few days of receiving the gift. "Any note should be sent out as soon as possible — next day to two weeks," Hyde said.
For wedding gifts, that timeline stretches to three month. "Unlike what many people think, it isn't a year," Hyde cautions. One reason for being prompt? "A lot of times, the sender of the gift is wondering if you received it. If for some reason the gift didn't arrive, they still have a chance of tracking where it went astray," she said.
Gifts aren't the only reason to write a thank you note. "Any time someone has done something special for you is a good occasion for a note," Hyde said. Job interviewees could send notes to their interviewers, bosses to staff members for hard work, and guests to their hosts for parties.
If you know you'll need to be writing a thank you note for a gift or an occasion, make it easier on yourself, and pre-address the envelope. That way, the card is ready and waiting for you when it's time to write the note. All you have to do is jot down a few lines and pop the card in the mail. "For something like a job interview, you could even have the card and envelopes ready in your glove compartment and mail the note on your drive home," Hyde said.
A thank you note is always welcome. "If ever in doubt if a thank you note is necessary, write one. It's a nice gesture that you can't go wrong with," Hyde said. "Everyone likes to receive a nice note."
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