This article was co-authored by Tami Claytor. Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification.
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Good manners and common courtesy can be great assets in the business world. A well-written thank you note is a great way to show gratitude to people or other businesses who have helped you. Whether you simply want to express your appreciation, or use this letter to try and gain more business for yourself, a genuine thank you note is always a good idea. Start by choosing the perfect medium. While a handwritten letter or card is ideal, send an email if time is a factor. Then use a formal business letter format and write a concise note thanking this person for their services. Conclude with a professional closing and sign your name by hand.
Steps
Picking the Right Time and Medium
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1Write and send your note as soon as possible. It’s polite to send a thank you note soon after the business or person helped you. Don’t delay. Write your note and send it within 24-48 hours.
- Time is especially important after a job interview. Contact the interviewer to say thank you within 1 day of the interview to thank them for their time.
- For other services, time is not as crucial. If you forgot to send a note and a week has gone by, still send the note. People appreciate receiving thanks, even if it’s late.
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2Send a typed or handwritten letter for normal correspondence. In most cases, a typed or handwritten letter is perfect for a thank you note. Both are formal enough for business correspondence, yet more personal than an email. Choose this option unless you need the letter delivered quickly or want to send a more personal card.[1]
- If you don’t have excellent handwriting, opt for a typed letter.
- Once you print or write the letter, keep it clean and tidy until you send it. Don’t let it get wrinkled or spill anything on it.
- Use nice stationary for an added touch.
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3Get a thank you card to show more appreciation. If you are especially thankful for something a business has done, look for a nice thank you card. This shows that you’ve taken an extra step to show your thanks, and the recipient will be happy to receive it.[2]
- Choose an appropriate design for the card. It should still look professional. A simple card with a small design and generic text works just fine.
- Greeting cards are also a good choice if you know the person you’re writing to personally. If you’ve met or spoken to this person before and built more of a relationship, a card helps solidify that relationship.
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4Write an email if time is short. While physical letters are usually more personal, an email is your best choice for fast communication. This is especially important following job interviews. If you’ve just had an interview or prefer your messages delivered quickly, choose an email instead.[3]
- If you do send an email, write “Thank You” followed by your name in the subject line. This way, the recipient knows you sent the email by just skimming their inbox.
- If you prefer sending a letter but need it delivered quickly, you could send it with overnight mail. This can be an expensive service, however.
Writing the Note
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1Use a standard business letter format. Although this is a thank you letter, it should still use the typical formalities that are in other business letters. Include your name and address on the top left, above the date. Then write the date, followed by the recipient’s name, title, and address.[4]
- An exception would be if you send a card rather than a letter. In this case, just include the date.
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2Open with a formal greeting. Business communications, even for thank-you’s, should always be formal. Use a formal salutation like “Dear” before writing the person’s name. Don’t use a familiar greeting like “Hi.” Then write “Mr.” or “Ms.” followed by the person’s last name.[5]
- If the person has a specific title, like “Dr.”, use this instead of Mr. or Ms.
- If you don’t know or cannot determine the person’s gender, use their full name instead. For example, “Dear Jamie Wilson.”
- If you personally know the person, it is appropriate to only use their first name. In all other cases, use their title and last name or full name.
- Don’t use an impersonal greeting like “To Whom it May Concern.” This is inappropriate for a thank you letter. Find the name of someone you can address the letter to.
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3Thank the recipient within the first 2 sentences of your note. Businesspeople receive a lot of correspondence, so keep your note concise. Say thank you within the first or second sentence so the recipient knows your purpose for writing. Be specific about what you're thanking them for to personalize the note. A business owner may do many jobs and not remember you offhand. Phrasing your thank you as “I wanted to thank you for …” and then explaining the job they did helps them remember who you are.[6]
- For example, “I hope you are doing well. I’m writing to thank you for the excellent service you provided for our store last week.” This greets the recipient, thanks them, and provides necessary details all within 2 sentences.
- If you’re sending an email, write “Thank You” with your name after so the recipient can see right away that it’s a thank you note.
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4Add a few details on how this person helped you. After your initial thanks, use the next 2 or 3 sentences to explain how their service helped you. Tell the person what you appreciate and why. This makes your note much more sincere than a simple expression of thanks.[7]
- Don’t ramble with details. Use a few sentences at most to get this point across.
- For example, saying “Your emergency plumbing services helped keep our store open through one of our busiest periods. Without your help, our business would have lost money and customers. I’m very thankful for your fast and high-quality work” gets the job done quickly.
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5Allude to the future if you want to maintain a relationship. If you’ve had a particularly good experience with this person or business, let them know that you’d like that relationship to continue. Say that you hope to use their services, work with them, or simply see them again in the future. This indicates that you want to maintain the working relationship.[8]
- Something simple like “I would love to work with your business again” is enough to show your interest in the future.
- If you’re thanking someone after a job interview, take this opportunity to reiterate your interest in the job. However, don’t try to convince them to hire you. They’ve already seen your resume and interviewed you. Keep this part brief and focus on the thanking part.
- If, however, you had a good experience but don’t want to maintain any relationship, just thank the person and don’t allude to the future.
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6Reiterate your thanks before closing. Before wrapping up your letter and signing, say thanks one more time. This affirms your gratitude and ends your letter on a positive note.[9]
- Just a simple “Thanks again” works fine here. Don’t go into another section detailing what the person did for you.
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7Hand-sign your letter to conclude. When you’ve said your thanks, wrap the letter up. Use a formal closing like “Sincerely” or "Best regards". Then hand-sign your name. Even if the letter is typed, print it out and write your name at the end. This is more personal than sending a fully-typed thank you note.[10]
- Stick with professional closings like “Sincerely.” “Best” also works in a less formal case. Don’t use an informal ending like “Cheers.”
- Unfortunately, you can’t physically sign your name on an email. In this case, simply write your name to conclude.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow would you write a thank you letter to a client for their business?
wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerwikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerGreet your client by name, since the thank you will mean more if it’s personalized. In the body of the message, use positive, appreciative language and mention something specific to the client, like a project you worked on or a specific memory you have of doing business with them. Mention that you look forward to getting their feedback or working with them again in the future to encourage a continued relationship, and sign off again with another sincere “thank you.”
Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer.
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QuestionHow do you say thank you for your business on an invoice?wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerwikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerWrite your thank you note in a prominent location, or use a large font or bold colors so it’s easy to spot. You can also give them a discount or a freebie and highlight it on the invoice with a note saying “Thank you for your business!” In your note, include an invitation to reach out if they need additional help or want to give feedback.Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer.
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QuestionHow do you write a thank you letter for a business partnership?wikiHow Staff EditorThis answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Staff AnswerwikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerKeep it brief and sincere. Express your gratitude, and also highlight how long you have been partners and specific ways that your business has benefited from the partnership. You can also discuss what the partnership means to you personally. Let your partner know that you look forward to continuing your fruitful business relationship going forward!Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer.
References
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/general-thank-you-letter-sample-2063961
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/general-thank-you-letter-sample-2063961
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/general-thank-you-letter-sample-2063961
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/business-thank-you-email-message-example-2059675
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/general-thank-you-letter-sample-2063961
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tips-for-writing-business-thank-you-notes-2059712
- ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/general-thank-you-letter-sample-2063961
About This Article
Writing a business thank you note is a great way to show gratitude to people who have helped you professionally. To write one, type up a short letter and send it within 1 day of your meeting or interview. If you have time, print out your note and send it in the mail, or hand-deliver it for a more personal touch. If you don’t have time, you can also send them an email. When you write your note, open with a formal greeting, like, “Dear Dr. Wilson.” Then, thank the recipient in the first 2 sentences, which will keep your note concise. You could say, “I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing to thank you for the excellent service you provided our store last week.” After this, add 2 or 3 sentences explaining how they helped you or why you appreciate them. If you’re hoping to maintain a relationship, close the letter by saying something like, “I would love to work with your business again.” Finally, hand-sign your letter. To learn how to format the recipient’s address, read on!
