This Thanksgiving I wanted to say Thank You!
Scott G. Schmidt
Visionary Leader | Author | Educator | Speaker | Storyteller | Business Banking Partnerships | Treasury Management | Merchant Services | Lead Generation | Communications & Messaging |
Many of you have begun to read some of the articles I’ve recently posted on LinkedIn. In my 25 years in the Promotional Marketing Industry I have learned about a lot of diverse subjects and with LinkedIn I now have the ability to share some of that knowledge and experience with others.
This long 4 day weekend allows us to enjoy our family, friends and a bit of Thanksgiving Day football (Less the Turducken) and for the adventurous – Black Friday Door Buster sales!
In advance of this year’s holiday I began to think about what I was thankful for, and how I expressed my appreciation. I believe that everything happens for a reason and I was recently sent a message in a group that included a link to a blog entitled “The Attitude of Gratitude.” It reminded me that like a smile, gratitude is easily given and greatly appreciated!
My mother always insisted that we write thank you cards for gifts received when we were children and my wife is a stickler for that to this day. After the fog of my 50th birthday party had lifted I sat down and wrote out thank you cards to everyone who had attended. A few weeks later my wife met with one of our friends and she related to her how delighted she was in receiving the card and had shared it with her husband and son telling them that they needed to start sending thank you cards.
A few years back my brother took on a challenge of writing 30 meaningful emails in 30 days. One of those emails was on the art of that Thank You card. In my brother’s piece he related the following:
“It also makes a dramatic impression on the person receiving it. I discovered this one day while I was sitting in a client’s office. I noticed that he had a thank you card I had written several months earlier tacked up on his wall. When I asked him about it he said, This is the nicest card I have ever received from a business contact.”
When saying thank you in person it is vitally important that you stop, look the person in the eye, and say thank you. This is the most sincere way of showing your genuine appreciation. If sending a card or letter (it must be hand written), or if by email here are three steps to The Thank You approach courtesy of my brother.
- Break with tradition: praise the deed first
- Give the why
- Say “Thank You” last
So this Thanksgiving Day weekend as you’re coming out of your food coma, or have survived Black Friday shopping, make a commitment to say “Thank You” more often.
Thank you for reading and have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Scott