Say Thank You For Success in Your Business and Life

One of the first things many of us were taught as kids was to say "Thank you." It is one of the first things we taught our daughter, and we still sometimes remind her when she is excited about something and forgets. We'll ask her, "What do you say?" She will then always say those magic words, that along with the other magic word, "please" mean so much and can do so much for us. They are so important, take so little time to say, and can add to our personal and business lives, so why don't we say them or hear them more?

Are people's mom's not teaching them any more? I don't think so. Are we getting lazy? Maybe. Are we too used to typing "tx" or "ty" instead of writing it out? Maybe that's it. We get so used to using the abbreviations that in actual conversation we forget. I'm not sure. And what about sending actual hand written thank you cards? How many people still do that? I know that I do, and that I help my daughter send them too. I've always believed in them, and I guess the one good thing is that if less people are sending them, mine will make a greater impact and stand out more. If for no other reason, this should be enough to get you to say thanks more and start sending cards. It will help get you noticed. Besides, it's the right thing to do.

Why does it get you noticed? It gets you noticed because saying thank you is giving recognition and acknowledging others for their contributions to you. People appreciate appreciation and recognition is a great motivator. A sincere thank you can make a lot of difference to both your personal and business relationships. And there are many ways to say thanks, depending on the situation, so be creative with your gratitude.

Personalize your thank you notes and comments. Let the person know what you are thanking them for, and use the thank you as an opportunity to connect with the person and further your relationship. Make the thank you about the other person, express acknowledgment for the act and offer thanks. Don't turn it into a sales pitch or something else. Save the other message for a separate correspondence.

Make it a habit to send written thank you notes and to say thanks more often to those that do things for you. Besides advancing your relationships and leading to more success, it simply feels good to acknowledge others and say thanks. Be creative, enjoy doing it, and always remember to say thank you.