“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it,” said author William Ward. With Thanksgiving and the holiday season just around the corner, we can’t help but agree.
If you’re looking for an occasion to show special gratitude to your customers with direct acts of kindness, one of the best ways to connect to customers is by using business thank you notes or cards. Whether you send thank you notes out on Thanksgiving, during the Holiday Season, or for a special occasion like your company anniversary, they represent the human connection that’s vital for a healthy business.
Business thank you cards get an open rate of >75% — unprecendented for business mail
So far so good. But if you’re a first-timer at sending business thank you notes, you will have quite a few questions. How do you write a business thank you note, should you send it via snail mail or email, and how important is personalization?
To learn how to write business thank you cards like a pro, we talked to twelve entrepreneurs who use and benefit from the practice.
With these expert tips and examples, you can’t go wrong!
1. Find occasions for gratitude
The occasion to send out a thank you card doesn’t have to be a holiday. Some businesses have a great habit of sending thank you notes to mark personal milestones with their clients. Amy Vance, Owner of Eco Modern Concierge, sends thank you cards after working with clients on projects. However, this year, Amy and her team decided to thank clients in time for Thanksgiving — the perfect gratitude season.
“This year, we are sending out notes of gratitude as our holiday cards in time for Thanksgiving. Because we send so many out we get them printed from a card company. We order when there are heavy discounts from those sites like 50-70%off. The message on our thank you note [is]:
“‘Thank you so much for trusting the Eco Modern Concierge team to help you this year! We are beyond grateful and appreciative this year and always. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a happy, healthy, & organized 2021. THANK YOU!!’
“We send our notes via snail mail. Even though we love using eco practices, I think it makes more of an impression on many clients by sending via snail mail. Plus, it is a great marketing tool for us as we have often received referrals from clients after sending cards.”
— Amy Vance
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2. Send thank you notes with product samples
For Meaghan Thomas, Founder of Pinch Spice Market, it’s an important part of business to make thousands of customers and partners across the world feel special and appreciated. Her team supports their farmer partners and clients from around the world with a special appreciation message sent around Thanksgiving time. This year, due to the COVID pandemic, Meaghan is taking even further steps to support her global family.
“This year, because the pandemic and other events have had a lot of us down, we’re doing something a little different. We’re sending out a mailer with a sample of our organic apple pie spice, enough to make a pie, along with our Grandmother’s apple pie recipe.
“We’re signing each one personally (thousands and thousands, but it’s worth it if it helps show how much we truly care about our customers). It’s a small gift to say thanks, and we hope it brings a smile to their face.”
— Meaghan Thomas
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3. Have a designer on your team? Design custom thank you notes!
If your business is located outside your clients’ country, you should take the time to congratulate customers with national holidays. Marvin Magusara, Founder of WhatStorage in the UK always sends thank you notes to US clients for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even better, those cards are custom-designed by their in-house designer.
“Our designer makes the card each year to show our clients how special they are to us.We usually send:
“‘Thank you for being a part of our journey this year. Thank you for being a wonderful and supportive client. We’re looking forward to the upcoming years and looking back on what we did so far.’
“From the feedback we got, clients are happy to get it and feel valued. Ultimately, I think Thank You cards are a great way of showing you’re not looking at your clients only from a monetary perspective, but that you actually appreciate you’re working with them.”
— Marvin Magusara
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4. Have team members write thank you notes to clients they worked with
If you have a small to medium-sized practice or a small business where team members work with personal clients, having each colleague write thank you notes to their clients based on previously recorded information is an amazing way to personalize the customer experience. This is exactly what Melissa Breyer, Owner at The Hive Law, recommends for practices like her own.
“In every letter, we write about something that we remember about [our clients] and ask for an update. These could be things like how their child is doing in college or how their new job is going. We put these types of notes in our CRM when we are working with the clients. For our P.S., we ask them who they know that might need our services as a call to action.
“We have had numerous people every year reach out via letters, email, and calls saying that these are the only letters that they have gotten this whole year. For a lot of people, it lets them know that someone cares enough to listen and think of them.”
— Melissa Breyer
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5. Don’t feel limited to one option
Most entrepreneurs agree that snail mail thank you notes win the day over email for their extra effort, personalization, and creativity in digital times. But one option doesn’t always eliminate the other. Meg Marrs Founder & CEO, K9 of Mine, says you should keep both the regular mail and digital options on your agenda depending on your business, clients, and partnerships.
“If it is a high-value partnership that we are in the middle of pursuing, I would send a snail mail note. If I’m looking to maintain an existing good relationship with a company we’re already working with, I might just send a digital thank you note.
“[In terms of wording] I try to keep it short: ‘It’s been a tail-wagging delight to work with you this year, looking forward to continuing to partner on new projects together!’
“I use this kind of wording because we run a dog website. I’ll also include a photo of my dog to add personality! I […] find that generally publishers I’ve” maintained good relations with and sent thank you notes to are more likely to respond to my inquiries for future partnerships down the line.”
— Meg Marrs
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6. Encourage others to spread the goodness
If you feel like doing something exceptional this holiday season, how about encouraging your respondents to extend gratitude to their own contacts? For Conni Medina, President & CEO of Clarity Consulting, Inc., thank you notes aren’t just a two-way connection between her business and clients/partners, but a way to connect to the larger community. A gesture like that is sure to stay in your clients’ and partners’ hearts for a long while!
“For Thanksgiving, I handwrite notes to my clients and referral partners, telling why I’m grateful for them during this unique and challenging year. The closing message will be an ask to grow gratitude in their own professional network.
“Each note will be accompanied by three more notecards (with stamped envelopes) to be written and sent to people in their networks.
“During the chaotic times of 2020, handwritten thank-you notes to clients and referral partners received overwhelmingly positive feedback. People were touched by the personal approach, and the handwritten message received in their mailbox was seen as a delightful surprise.”
— Conni Medina
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7. Remember the little things
When showing your care for another human being, it’s noting down the little details about their life that makes the most striking impact says Trevor Rappleye, CEO of CorporateFilming.com. For a small business, building such friendships with clients isn’t difficult (Using a simple CRM tool like this one to record notes about customers after calls works great). The connection you build, however, will be priceless.
“We use a specific example of why we like working with [our clients] such as:
“‘Hi Debbie! We love helping create videos of your company, it really means a lot to me and my team that you trust us to do so. Please say hi to your daughter for me…and your dog Storm! Happy Holidays 🙂 Love, the CorporateFilming and FranchiseFilming Team’
“Think of how many emails we get vs how many handwritten cards? Our clients love it – they feel so appreciated. It’s the little things that go a long way.”
— Trevor Rappleye
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8. Connect where your audience is
For some businesses, sending thank you cards in the mail just isn’t an option. Though digital thank you cards have more chances of getting lost or marked as Spam, some of the perks are instant delivery and an easy enough way for your customers and partners to continue the conversation. While many clients won’t follow up with a handwritten note, sending an email response is pretty easy for even the busiest person, says Darrell Rosenstein, Founder at The Rosenstein Group.
““Many of our clients are happy to read the heartfelt letter of appreciation and they write back pointing out specific services, we have offered that they too are thankful for. An example of a thank you note we typically send to clients:
“‘Thank you for your continued support and trust in our company. We value the relationship we have with you and attribute our success to the loyalty you have shown us. Have a joyous holiday and we look forward to the opportunity to continue serving you.’
“One of the best feedback we have received after sending a thank you note is the client introducing us to another bigger client, which undoubtedly boosted our bottom line and cemented our relationship further.”
— Darrell Rosenstein
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9. Want extra ROI? Invest extra effort.
As the owner of a stationery design business, Emilie Dulles, Founder of Dulles Designs, has an extra reason — and responsibility — to thank clients with hand-crafted cards. Dulles Designs sends thank you notes to clients on all major occasions, from holidays to birthdays. Each note is written by the founder, Emilie, and is engraved or letterpress printed.
“Most of our clients have come to expect the Dulles level of hand-written and hand-mailed excellence, because they send elegant ‘thank you’ notes and holiday cards the old fashioned way as well.
“As marketing pieces, our mail usually earns a 75 to 90% open rate, which is unheard of. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and the postage costs can be mighty, however, the ROI is astonishing. New clients do backflips and even call us to thank us… for sending them… a ‘thank you’ note!“
— Emilie Dulles
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10. Be thankful, even if you’re the client
John Ross, President & CEO of Test Prep Insight , an online education company, has a habit of writing Thanksgiving notes not just to customers but to business partners, vendors, and service providers. Even when his business is on the ‘client’ side of the relationship, building a connection with partners and vendors establishes reciprocity for future cooperation.
“My notes are not long. Just a few sentences thanking them for the stellar service throughout the year, how I am thankful for and appreciate their partnership, and a note about hopes for continued success for both companies.
“Lean into the being thankful aspect of Thanksgiving, it’s the basis of the note.
“Just a simple note keeps you at the front of your vendor’s mind, and when you need a discount or quick turn on a request, they are more likely to accommodate. It basically just helps ensure they’ll go the extra mile for you because you’re one of their favorites. Our partners love these notes. It is not uncommon that I get a call or note back wishing me the same.”
— John Ross
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11. Keep your thank you notes simple
Israel Gaudette, Founder at Link Tracker Pro reminds us that sending out thank you notes is just as much part of business etiquette as saying thank you in person and during meetings. If you aren’t into fancy stuff, just a simple warm message showing that you count your clients among your blessings during the holidays can go a long way in taking business relationships to the next level.
“My thank-you message is short but appreciative:
“‘Today, I’m counting and making a list of my blessings, and working with you is on top of it. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!’
“My clients are very thankful for it and most of them said they’re keeping it as a keepsake. And the best part is, I was often surprised by receiving back a response letter from them appreciating the gesture I’ve made.”
— Israel Gaudette
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12. Use digital tools to help out
Lastly, if you have a burning wish to handwrite your thank you notes but just never have enough time, use a digital service to save time and help out. James Pollard of The Advisor Coach LLC recommends using digital tools to create business thank you notes in advance. Just type in your message and the service will take care of the rest.
“I use a service called Handwrytten.com and choose from one of the cards in their Thanksgiving category. I type up my note and they will write it out in a handwritten font and mail it to them.
“The message on my thank you note stresses how grateful I am that they do business with me and how I will continue to work hard to serve the financial services industry. I end with a sincere thank you and a wish for them to do well in the coming year.
“I’ve used digital thank you cards in the past, but the tangible ones always get more positive feedback. Plus, they get shared on social media, which is good for me as well because it sends more people my way.”
— James Pollard
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Discover more
As a business, we can’t underestimate the power of expressing gratitude. Like every personalized effort to connect with customers, writing business thank you notes takes some time. But the return of customer involvement you get can’t be measured with money.
Give it a try this Thanksgiving, holiday season, or for your next special occasion!
And check out our out-of-this-world fast, mobile, and budget-friendly phone system for small business. We’ll help your team talk anytime, anywhere, and about anything, at a stunning price.
