Writing thank you cards is a bit of a lost art.
And it's kind of unfortunate when you think about it.
Sure texting a message is a little bit quicker and easier. But does it really convey a heartfelt message that took time to craft? it certainly doesn't.
Emails are quick too, but how many emails do you get a day?
50? More?
Emails get lost in a sea of hundreds or thousands of emails that we get each month.
Many go unopened. So there's a good chance that if you're thanking someone over email, they won't even see your message.
And that leaves us with the good 'ole heartfelt handwritten thank you note.
Imagine when you walk to your mailbox, what do you normally find in there?
Ads and bills, right?
Well what happens when you see an envelope addressed to you in handwriting?
You're hoping it's a card and you can't wait to see what's written inside of it.
You instantly feel good and probably smile.
This is how the recipient of your card will feel when they see it in their mailbox.
Whether you're writing a card to a friend or you're a business writing a thank you card to your customers, if you do this regularly, you're going to start putting a lot of smiles on people's faces.
And you know what happens when you make a lot of people smile?
You feel pretty darn good too! And the people that get your cards are going to want to hang around you more.
If you're a business, that means you're going to have customers longer. Why go anywhere else when you're the only company sending out handwritten cards?
So now let's talk about creating a habit around writing thank you cards.
You might be excited about writing thank you cards, possibly even on a daily basis! But that excitement will soon wear off and you might even start to think of it as a chore.
Well we don't want that! Remember, you'll be making people smile and you'll feel good about doing so. That should NOT be a chore.
How to Build a Habit of Sending Thank You Cards
Here are some tips to keep your thank you card writing on track and make it a habit:
1. Start small.
It may sound great to write 5 thank you cards daily, but is that realistic? Start small and consider writing 1 card per day. Or 1 card Monday - Friday or even 1 card 3 days per week. Find what works for you.
2. Determine who you’ll write the card to.
I would suggest doing this in the evening, right before you go to bed. Figure out who you want to write your card to the next day.
A customer that bought one of your products?
Perhaps a co-worker that helped you with a project.
Or a friend that met you for lunch.
Figure this out the night before so you don’t have to spend a lot of time on it the next day.
3. Get your materials ready.
Writing a thank you card involves a card, an envelope, a stamp, a pen and a mailing address. Have all of these out the evening before so you’re ready to go the next day!
4. Figure out what time you’ll write the card.
I love writing cards as part of my morning routine. It ties in nicely with writing in a gratitude journal. Writing a card first thing in the morning improves my odds of getting the card written.
As the day goes by, and other “stuff” gets in the way, writing thank you cards becomes more difficult.
5. Practice habit stacking.
When creating this new habit, you’ll have a better chance of sticking with it if you stack in on an existing habit. Perhaps you make coffee first thing in the morning each morning.
Making coffee can be the trigger to write your thank you note. While you’re sitting down enjoying that freshly brewed cup of coffee, put pen to paper, and write the thank you note.
We're all people with feelings. We want to feel valued and cared about. So whether you're writing a card to a friend or a customer, make the world a better place and start writing thank you cards today.
About the Author
Scott Colby is an adventure lover who has always created businesses around his passions. Although he has spent over a decade in the fitness industry, helping people create transformations, it was a trip to Guatemala that inspired him to create his latest brand - Say It With Gratitude.
Say It With Gratitude is on a mission to make everyone feel appreciated through the power of gratitude. We spread our message to individuals and businesses with thank you cards, T-shirts and live experiences. We also help companies grow their business with gratitude!
To learn more, check out his free report, 29 Ways To Use Gratitude To Grow Your Business And Make It More Profitable.
