Thank You Very Much

Let's face it: People like being thanked. You probably don't expect to receive a hand-written thank you note for every service or small act of kindness you perform in a day, but the occasional recognition for assistance given or services rendered can put a little spring in your step. It also usually makes you feel more warmly towards the person who thanked you and may very well make you more likely to continue and perhaps even expand your association with the person who thanked you. That, of course, is the primary purpose of the business thank you greeting card, and knowing the proper thank you card etiquette can make that much more of a difference.

Sample thank you cards abound — some people even send a business Christmas thank you card — but, as with every card you choose to send, the more you can personalize your message, either by adding a personal note to the printed message or by composing the entire message yourself, the more likely it is that your business thank you greeting card will have the impact on the recipient that you were hoping for. So write away!

Did the copier repair guy really go above and beyond the call of duty in getting your machine up and running again? Send him a card. Did one of your vendors respond to a crisis and come through with the goods in the nick of time? Send her a card. Did a freelance employee cancel a vacation to help you out in a pinch? Again, a business thank you greeting card is a great way to show your appreciation.

What about a year in which you simply weren't able to get around to getting your annual holiday cards out on time? You have a number of options in that instance. You could simply send your holiday card late, offering some excuse for its tardiness — the dog ate my homework — but you risk your recipients concluding that you are overworked and perhaps a bit disorganized, not exactly the message you're hoping to send to customers or clients from whom you want additional business. If your clients sent you a holiday card, you could respond with a business Christmas card thank you, but some of your customers might consider that a case of overkill. Assuming the card is going out in January, it probably makes more sense to send a thank you card, slanted towards a new year's theme. A sample saying or verse for a card of this type might read, "As we start another new year, I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for your business. Here's to more success for us both in the year ahead!"

There really is no reason not to send a business thank you greeting card in any circumstance where you think it is deserved or might do your business some good. Again, the question is a simple one: Who doesn't like being thanked?