February 27, 2003

The Rewards of Gratitude

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone." G.B. Stern, English Novelist

As a child, I loved getting birthday and Christmas presents but hated writing thank you notes. I always thought that writing to give thanks was a pointless exercise. After all, I had already received what I wanted, and I would have to wait a long time before getting a gift from the same person.

Fortunately, my mother didn't let me get away with that line of thinking. Just as I could count on a full Christmas stocking and a delicious birthday cake, my mother's reminders to sit down and write thank you notes were guaranteed. Try as I might, I could never find a valid excuse such as "I said thank you over the phone" that would convince my mother to spare me from putting pen to paper to say thank you.

Years later, I read an article in Time Magazine that referred to President George Bush Senior as the "thank you note president." President Bush took pride in taking time every day to write thank you notes to those who had done something for him or the community. In fact, many pundits believe that Bush's determined effort to write thank you notes was one of the keys to his political ascension.

At first glance, a link between sending thank you notes and becoming president may seem strained. But, is it possible that the thank you note is a secret weapon that you can employ to advance your career or build your company?

Given their proven success, it is stunning how few business people take the time to actually write a thank you note. How many written thank you notes with a personalized handwritten message have you received over the last month? I would imagine many of you would have to think pretty hard to remember just one.

For many years, I was a dedicated customer of Nordstrom. I loved their clothing and thought their customer service was a cut above the rest. One day, unable to find the right suit at Nordstrom, I ventured across the street into the Men's Warehouse. I have to admit that I wasn't too optimistic about finding something classy in what I perceived as a low-end clothing store.

Too my surprise, the Men's Warehouse had a great selection of high-quality suits with significantly better prices than Nordstrom. But, it was the post-purchase experience that converted me into a Men's Warehouse customer. I got a simple hand-written note from my friendly salesperson thanking me for the business and inviting me to call or visit him when I needed clothing.

In just a few minutes, that Men's Warehouse salesman did something that I had never seen from Nordstrom, an organization oftentimes ballyhooed for its superior customer service. One simple note played a huge role in putting Men's Warehouse on the list of places I shop when buying clothes.

Thank you notes are even more powerful in the era of electronic communication. It takes only about three minutes to write a note, fold it, stick it in an envelope and mail it but the power of that message is awesome. Since almost all your competitors have given up on snail-mail, you can enjoy the benefits of this ultimate success weapon with very little competition. People who send thank notes are thought of as gracious, well mannered -- and since so few people do it -- also a clear cut above the rest. Not bad for an investment that costs about 50 cents.

Since the power of thank you notes is unquestionable, consider sending them to all your important business contacts such as prospects, peers, and vendors. Those who reap the biggest reward from writing thank you notes approach the task systematically but make sure to maintain their spontaneity. Actually, there are just four simple steps: 1. Use a broad tip pen for a bold, easy to read message 2. Keep the note short - maximum 3-5 lines. 3. Develop your own unique close (rather than "sincerely") 4. Set a goal to write a minimum number of notes per day or per week.

The habit of writing thank you notes will do positive things for your business and personal lives that you never imagined. And, you'll sleep easier too knowing your mother would be proud of your newfound habit.

Best wishes,
Patrick Galvin