Not all thank you messages are equal. A quick “thank you” will not feel as meaningful as a carefully worded thank-you note message.
With a little bit of effort, you can say thank you meaningfully.
Why Are You Saying Thank You
The first step to a meaningful thank you message is to consider why you want to express your gratitude.
You likely know what you what to say thank you for. To take your message to the next level, think about how the gesture made you feel.
- Do you feel thankful because they helped you out of a bind?
- Did the monastery come along at just the right time?
- Were you surprised by their thoughtfulness?
Be Genuine and Specific
The best meaningful thank-you notes are genuine. Lies and flattery are not included.
You’ll want to include why you are saying thank you specifically in your thank-you message.
Your first sentence could start with:
- Thank you for the ________.
- I appreciate you because ________.
Make Sure Your Words Sound Like You
The wording for the thank-you message is the hard part of writing a good thank-you note.
I’ve written hundreds of examples of thank you messages for many topics that have helped millions of people.
The messages can easily be copied into an email or used for handwritten thank-you notes.
However, you’ll want to be careful so that the tone of the message sounds like it’s from you.
To avoid sounding fake, paraphrase sample messages into words you usually use.
Use Their Name
Use their name in the greeting of the message. For example, if you are writing a handwritten thank-you note, it’s natural to begin with, Hi Buster or Dear Violet.
Names are not often used with established contacts when sending thank-you text messages.
People like to hear their names. So take an extra second to start a thank you text with the person’s name. You can have your text message look exactly like a handwritten thank-you note.
However, make sure to spell their name correctly!
Spelling and Grammar
Missing spelling words and poor grammar could ruin your meaningful thank-you message.
Some people will only remember mistakes no matter how kind or thoughtful your words are.
If you need to improve spelling and grammar, there are online tools, such as Grammarly, that you can use for free to check both.
Be Prompt
It’s usually never too late to say thank you, but your “thank you” will feel more meaningful and less like an afterthought if you express your gratitude sooner rather than later.
Putting It All Together
Here’s an example of a meaningful thank-you note.
Dear Charlotte,
I am grateful for the cookbook you gave me last week. I greatly appreciate that you remembered that I am learning to cook for myself at home. The beginner step-by-step instructions with pictures are precisely what I needed. Your gift was very thoughtful. I’ll invite you over for a homemade dinner soon.
Thanks Again,
Heidi
Of course, what you say in your thank you message will vary based on why and for what you are saying thank you.
Resource: Thank You Note Example List
More Thank You Note Tips
These tips were taken for my How To Write A Better Thank-You Note Guide.
With a bit of extra time, you can improve your thank-you notes!
Thank You Memes
While I encourage thank you notes, a quick thank you meme is better than not expressing your gratitude at all.
More Thank You Note Writing Tips
And here are even more thank-note writing tips.
Writing a Thank You Note: 22 Expert Tips To Help Improve Your Notes
Words Can Be Hard
There are words that I struggle to say correctly.
10 Words I Mispronounced for Most of My Life (and Maybe Still Do)
