7 tips for writing thank you letters with the class

When I started tracking the information preferences of people who visited my Writing Help Central website, I was surprised to find out how many people were looking for information on how to write thank you letters. In fact, the “thank you letter” information and sample templates are the fifth-ranked destinations on that website.

Actually, thank you letters are among the most important letters we will ever write. Whether business or personal, an effective thank you letter should be written with sincerity, tact, and sensitivity.

The following are some tips that will help you whenever you come across thank you letter situations in your business or personal life.

1. Make sure it’s appropriate

One of the main problems with thank you letters is knowing when to send one. As a general rule, I would say “better safe than sorry”. However, make sure there is something noteworthy about the situation. A letter of thanks for a routine situation is meaningless and dilutes its meaning.

2. Write it promptly

It’s always best to send a thank you letter as soon as possible after the event you’re giving thanks for. It will help with the level of sincerity in your letter if the event is still fresh in your mind. In either case, a belated thank you letter will seem like an obligatory afterthought to the recipient.

3. Remember the container

In your introductory sentence, make it very clear that it is indeed a thank you letter and that it refers to a specific event, situation, and/or person. This will eliminate any confusion on the part of the recipient as to the purpose of the letter.

4. Keep it short and to the point

Get straight to the point and never exceed one page. Thank you letters should be short, direct, sincere and to the point. In business situations, they will always be typed, but personal letters of thanks can be handwritten or typed, as appropriate to the situation.

5. Make it personal

By definition, a thank you letter is a sincere personal gesture from one individual to another. It should be expressed as a sincere personal feeling, even when writing in a business situation. At the same time, strive for a balanced approach and don’t be too effusive.

6. Always write it to one person

Always write your thank you letter to an individual, not an organization or group. Even if it is a situation involving a group, write your letter to the most senior person in the group and/or the group’s spokesperson. Ask that person to convey their sincere thanks to the others in the group and, if possible, name them in your letter. (Contrary to advice given by certain so-called experts online, in my experience writing a group letter is NEVER appropriate and accomplishes little to nothing.)

7. Check spelling and grammar

As with writing all the letters, be sure to check your spelling and grammar carefully. This is even more important for thank you letters, as they are almost always a sincere statement of thanks from one person to another. Be sure to check the spelling of all names used in the letter. There’s no quicker way to ruin your credibility and sincerity than misspelling someone’s name.

The bottom line for thank you letters is “be it appropriate and sincere,” or there really is no point in sending one.