Saying thank you is always a good way of showing sincere gratitude for anything that was done for your behalf or given to you charitably. It is important to acknowledge the kind actions of people or material gifts that are sent your way.

One good way to tangibly show gratitude is to write a thank you letter. A thank you letter is still a must send even though you have personally or verbally by phone thanked the person that did you a favor or gave you a gift. It is also important to send the letter within 24 hours if possible or at the soonest time. Waiting for months to send this type of letter is bad form. This will take planning especially nowadays since there has been radical changes affecting our postal service. Time is of course of the essence to show that the gesture or favor was and is meaningful for you. Thank you letters should not be long but must be personalized. Never just copy a form letter and send it. Never use a signature stamp. The main idea is to make the letter as meaningful to the giver as possible. This will make them feel special and they will understand that their gesture was important to you.

Thank you letters are not meant to be long. Be direct in writing your letter. Write it in such a way that the reader will get the feeling that you are just there sitting right across the table. Feel free to use the inter-office mail system if it is a co-worker you want to thank. Using e-mail is not the same, as a letter is always a more personal touch. Also do not thank the person by letter beforehand because this can make you appear presumptuous and may derail the good will that was headed your way.

Give special mention to what is the most important type of thank you letter. This is the type that you send when you are looking for work. It is very important that in the process of seeking employment, that you send a thank you letter or e-mail as soon as possible. Of course a thank you letter just like letters for gifts and kind gestures are more effective than e-mails. There is something really personal about putting a letter in the mail and what’s more, it abides by the rules of etiquette.