With the hustle and bustle of today’s digital age, it’s easy to become numb to the average “Thank you.” From email and text messages to push notifications, so many demands on our time make it easy to put up emotional barriers. So how does a modern business professional cut through all the noise and build genuine connections? Introducing an old school tool, you should add back into your arsenal: the handwritten thank you note. Anecdotally, we’ve all experienced it. The pleasant surprise of a thank you note, when we didn’t expect it, putting a smile on our face. Science backs it up too. A recent study published in Psychological Science found a note of gratitude exceeded even the researchers’ expectations when it comes to the “surprise” of the recipients and improvement to the recipient’s “mood”.
It turns out thank notes don’t just elevate the recipient’s mood, it creates a feeling of gratitude in the person who writes the card. John Israel, founder of The Mr. Thank You Project , says when he started writing thank you notes daily, not only were other appreciative, but it became a tool to elevate his own gratitude each day. The evidence is clear: writing thank you notes, are a win-win.
So with the overwhelming support behind writing thank you notes, why don’t most of us do it?
Most of us would probably respond by saying, “I just don’t have the time.” Which, as we know, is another way of saying, “I just didn’t make the time.” Considering there is statistical evidence that a thank you note can help build stronger relationships, and strong relationships lead to more opportunities for business, it seems to be a no brainer; Writing thank you notes is well worth the time investment.
But what if we’ve waited too long to send a thank you note? Is there a deadline that, after which, the thank you is no longer worth it. Actually, the opposite seems to be true. In many cases, a thank you note sent weeks or even months after the fact comes as even more of a surprise, maximizing its impact even further.
So the results are in. Send handwritten thank you notes. It’s worth it.
Looking to step up your game beyond just a canned paper thank you card? Check out Lux Metal Thank You Notes to make an even bigger impact.
