Reviving the Lost Art of Thank You Cards
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All right. Be honest. When was the last time you wrote a "thank you" card? Last week? Last month? Last year? Never?
When was the last time someone wrote a "thank you" card to you?
It used to be that "thank you" cards were a given. Receive a gift, send a thank you. Whether it was for a wedding present or ride to the store or something in between, even the smallest kindness was never let go unnoticed. Pen met paper and gratitude was expressed the old fashioned way.
Then came the information age.
With email, texting, Facebook and Twitter, it's become so much easier (and faster) to communicate - and so I guess "thank you's" are still being sent online? - except they're not as meaningful that way (in my mind). There's just something about writing a thank you with your own hand (versus pounding it out on a keyboard).
Writing a thank you card says you care enough to take the time to sit down and consider the act of the other person towards you (beyond two seconds). Writing a thank you card says he or she means something to you as you use their name and highlight their kind act in written form. Lastly, writing a thank you card reinforces a positive relationship. It's a way of saying, "I'm glad you're in my life and I'm in yours. Thanks for honoring me in this way."
Has writing thank you cards been a missing component in your experience? It's time to revive a lost art.
(Resource: How to Write A Thank-You Note by Leslie Harpold. A must read for quality information on expressing gratitude in thank you cards.)
When was the last time someone wrote a "thank you" card to you?
It used to be that "thank you" cards were a given. Receive a gift, send a thank you. Whether it was for a wedding present or ride to the store or something in between, even the smallest kindness was never let go unnoticed. Pen met paper and gratitude was expressed the old fashioned way.
Then came the information age.
With email, texting, Facebook and Twitter, it's become so much easier (and faster) to communicate - and so I guess "thank you's" are still being sent online? - except they're not as meaningful that way (in my mind). There's just something about writing a thank you with your own hand (versus pounding it out on a keyboard).
Writing a thank you card says you care enough to take the time to sit down and consider the act of the other person towards you (beyond two seconds). Writing a thank you card says he or she means something to you as you use their name and highlight their kind act in written form. Lastly, writing a thank you card reinforces a positive relationship. It's a way of saying, "I'm glad you're in my life and I'm in yours. Thanks for honoring me in this way."
Has writing thank you cards been a missing component in your experience? It's time to revive a lost art.
(Resource: How to Write A Thank-You Note by Leslie Harpold. A must read for quality information on expressing gratitude in thank you cards.)
Labels: calaveras county, gratitude, home sales, mother lode, real estate, real estate lake tulloch, sonora, sonora real estate, thank you, twain harte, twain harte real estate
5 Comments:
Mike,
I LOVE it!! To be honest, writing a note card is a pain. However, it is almost as if the new digital age has given us the opporutnity to show up as a huge winner; when you take the time to write a handwritten note.
I can tell you countless times that someone has actually commented on the handwritten note they received from me. In one case just after I'd written a new home contract for nearly $400k (keep in mind that's BIG for Houston where the average sale is about half that), the lady told me that we were working together becuase I took the time to write her a handwritten note after our first conversation. She went on to say that I didn't know for sure whether I'd get her business or not at that point- but I took the time to write to her anyway.
I do a huge internet lead gen business here and I keep a stack of note cards right by my telephone so that when I do connect, I can get it in the mail immeidately.
My theory? I want to be first in their inbox, their voice mail, AND, their mailbox.
Thanks for the reminder.
John
Owning a B&B we often send thank you cards and receive them, if it is via email it is often looked upon as spam.
Living in the South, there is still found that southern Belle etiquette and hand written cards are sent for anything nice someone has done for someone else.
When I lived in CA and WA handwritten cards were taboo - we've got to save the trees! Meals were never homecooked - bought as costco.
So I say, buy COTTON stationary, pull out your pen and make someone smile today. Invite a friend over and COOK for them, instead of saying "We'll just order pizza" in other words, you are worth my time.
That is the handwritten card in a nutshell...you are important to me, and worth my time.
Writing 2 thank you notes is on my to-do list today!! :) great reminder!
...and you'd be even MORE surprised to see the impact of thank you notes on handmade cards. Always go the extra mile.
I write thank you notes all the time. It's a nice way to show your appreciation for something that was done for you. It takes a bit extra time to pick out the card and write out a message by hand and to post it, but to me it's definitely more sincere than an email thank you.
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