As cheesy as it sounds, I’ve always cherished the minutes preceding my family’s yearly Thanksgiving meal during which we go around the table and each say what we’re thankful for in our lives. Year after year I’m surprised by the surge of gratitude that fills my chest and often brings tears to my eyes. It’s no mystery why – there is tremendous power in these two little words “thank you.” To me, part of their magic lies in the fact that they bring as much joy and satisfaction to the sender as they do to the recipient.
Why wait for this one day each year to express our thanks? Being more mindful and intentional about when and how we show our gratitude can have an enormously positive impact on our businesses, our brands, and our relationships both personal and professional, all year round.
The great thing about expressing thanks is that we can do it at any time at all – we don’t need a reason – and it can be said or shown in an infinite number of ways. Below are eight easy ideas for showing the important people in your life just how much you value and appreciate them.
1) Pick up the phone.
Once a normality, picking up the phone and calling someone now holds special meaning and weight. Even if your recipient is too busy to answer (which many of us often are), hearing your thank you voicemail will most certainly brighten their day.
2) Craft a thoughtful email.
Remember that when it comes to heartfelt thank you’s, it’s not the tool you’re using to deliver your message but the message itself that matters. A thoughtful and well-crafted email is a great way of showing your thanks.
3) Send a handwritten note.
One thing my mother taught me about thank you cards is that you can never, ever have too many boxes of them lying around. When I receive a thank you card from a client in the mail, just knowing that they took the time to write it out and put it in the mail always makes me smile.
4) Treat someone to a coffee.
Want to show someone that you value having them in your life? Take them out for a coffee. In today’s hectic world, reserving an hour out of your schedule to sit down with someone and ask how they’re doing is incredibly meaningful and shows that you care.
5) Provide a testimonial.
All too often in business, we wait to provide testimonials until we are asked to do so. Whether it’s on a Facebook page, Linkedin profile, or simply a paragraph sent in an email, providing a testimonial to someone who has done you a great service is one of the best ways you can show them your appreciation.
6) Make a referral.
The referral: the ultimate expression of gratitude in business. After my realtor helped me to find my dream condo in my hometown, nothing felt better than to refer him several months later to a family friend who was looking to buy a home as well. Referring is connecting and paying it forward together in one.
7) Send a personal gift.
There’s just nothing like a thoughtful gift. While chocolates and flowers are always nice, try giving some real thought to your recipient’s hobbies, interests, and needs. Quite often you’ll find that it’s something small, inexpensive, and incredibly thoughtful that fits them perfectly.
8) Share a resource.
A simple and easy way of showing thanks is to share a new tool or resource with someone. Whether it’s a blog post, new web app, recommended book, or anything else – reaching out to say “Hey, this made me think of you and I thought you might enjoy it” feels good and does good.
I hope that you’ll find these eight ideas helpful both in this season of thanks and all year round!
And with that I will say, thank you for reading 🙂
