You can use these general thank you note examples and tips in the notes you want to write today.
Whether it’s to say thank you to a business associate for a referral or to say thank you to your best friend for a gift, the tips below will make it easy for you to compose any note in just minutes.
I’ve even made a video for you, too. 🙂
The Basics of Every Thank You Note Revealed
Every letter has a body (Dear So or So, Hi Nelly!) and a sign off (Sincerely, Me or Hugs and Kisses, Ana). Where most people get hung up on is the body of the note. The truth is that your thank you can actually be quite short. It’s thinking it has to be a long letter that makes people procrastinate.
The body of your note can simply contain a few sentences. The first sentence will always start of with the thanking part:
Examples:
- Thank you for watching my dog while I was on vacation.
- I can’t thank you enough for trading shifts withe me last week.
Next, you you can use a sentence or two to talk about the gift or favor. Check it out:
- The Macy’s gift card was the perfect gift. I used it to buy a brand new purse that I’ve had my eye on for months.
- How did you know that Arcade Fire was my favorite band? I’ve been listening to the album every single day.
The next sentence is a compliment. It can be short:
- You rock.
- You are a kind and generous friend.
- You’re the best mom ever.
Then, you simply thank the person again:
- Thanks again.
- Thanks, Joy!
Finally just sign the letter, and you’re done. This doesn’t have to be a stiff and formal letter. It can be fun and friendly:
Hi Joy!
Thank you for taking me out to The Garlic Rose for my birthday. The food was amazing, and I’ve been dying to go there for so long. You really made my birthday into something truly special. You rock. Thanks, chicka!
Your aging friend,
Ana
A Quick Tip on Informal vs Formal
A simple rule of thumb for this is that to have a more formal tone, use the word “you” more than the word “I.”This is particularly helpful in business, because the word “you” is considered to be a power-word in copywriting. Despite the fact that you don’t need to persuade your grandmother, you’ll find when you put more emphasis on the person receiving the note (example: I wanted to write and thank you for the gift. -vs- Thank you for the gift.), you’ll instinctually see how omitting the word “I” makes the sentence more direct.
However, if you’re writing a quick Email to say thanks to a close friend, it’s more important to just write the darn thing. You’ll notice a lot of samples on the internet start with “I.” It may be because most people are thinking, “Hey I want to write a thank you note to so and so” and then they start the note with “I wanted to write to you to thank you for … .”
The truth is a good friend won’t even notice. However, if you dig on being concise, you can see that it’s pretty redundant to write to someone and write that you want to write them. It’s pretty self-evident by the fact that your friend or loved one is actually holding the letter you wanted to write. Regardless, here are two sample notes. One using “I” a little more, and the other using “you” more.
Informal
Dear Grandma,
I just wanted to write to you to say thanks for the awesome sweater you sent to me for my birthday. I can’t wait until it’s cold so I can wear it and show it off to all of my friends. I love it. Thanks again.
Hugs and kisses,
Emily
Formal
Dear Grandma,
Thank you for the lovely sweater you sent for my birthday. It fits perfectly and will definitely come in handy this winter. Your taste, as always, is fantastic. Thanks again, Grams (or other nickname).
Love,
Emily
You can see either example works, however, some people do notice that the note that uses “you” seems less self-centered than a note that uses “I.”
With friends and family, it’s more a matter of personal preference. In business, it’s another story.
Find even more thank you note wording you can use for friends and family such as thank you for your hospitality, and gifts. Plus there are tons of business letters such as sample business thank yous for referrals, for sales, and other business thank you letters.
Thank YOU for reading, and stay tuned!