What Makes a Good Business Thank You Card?

Business Thank You Cards Tips and Tricks

Maintaining a positive connection with clients and business associates is vital to keeping a business afloat.

Research shows that 92% of customers trust small businesses based on positive word of mouth comments from family and friends.

The easiest way to make sure everyone sees your business in a good light is to regularly send thank you cards. Timing is everything when it comes to making sure your card has the most impact.

Not every custom business thank you card should be the same. You wouldn't talk to a client like you would a coworker or your boss. Keep in mind who the card is for so there's no miscommunication problems.

To make sure everyone feels truly appreciated, consider how best to personalize the cards you send. Leave them feeling special and they will remember your business in the best light. A tasteful business thank you gift can also be appropriate.

When Do You Need a Business Thank You Card?

There's never a bad time to show someone how much you appreciate them. Whether for something they did, for sympathy messages, or any other reason, receiving praise from others instantly makes someone's day ten times better.

To make the most impact when sending a thank you card, it should arrive within a week of whatever event prompted you to send it. Holiday cards are appreciated during the entire month. However, you might want to make sure you send them by the end of the first week so they don't get stuck in the holiday mail and arrive late.

Try sending out business thank you cards during these important times:

When another business meets with you to share ideas or brainstorm ways to work together in the future
Anytime an employee works hard on a project
Whenever an employee picks up the slack because someone else had an emergency
During the holidays to thank clients for their support during the year
Randomly throughout the year to remind customers how much they mean to you
When a contractor or supplier has gone out of the way to be helpful
Anytime your boss lends a hand to solve a problem
If your boss does you a favor. This includes providing mentoring, sending you to a long-awaited conference, giving you extra leave time, or putting your name in for a promotion/bonus/raise.
After a coworker or boss collects funds to aid you or a family member. This includes raising money for medical bills, a funeral, or for happier occasions like weddings and births.
Whenever a coworker or boss arranges a birthday party or other special event within the company
When someone announces they are leaving your department or business
The moment you announce you're leaving the department or business

The Different Types of Business Thank You Cards

ALT:person with a flower tattoo handing a thank you gift

Creating personalized messages for the people important to your business can be a lot of fun. But to make sure you don't send the wrong impression, it's best to follow a few guidelines.

Below are examples for the most common types of cards. You can use these card templates as is or create you own and customize the language as needed.

Writing Cards for Clients and Customers

There are three general types of thank you cards you'll send to clients and customers.

The first kind of professional thank you card is one you send to all your customers during certain times of the year.

Holiday Cards - Should reflect the values of your business while simultaneously showing appreciation for the customer's support throughout the year. Give them a small taste of what to look forward to in the coming year so they feel like a special part of your business. Feel free to include photos of your team.
Randomly Sent Thank You Cards - These can come at a truly random time, or you can send them around the anniversary for your business opening, after a successful sales campaign, or when there's something new and exciting about to happen for your business. Thank your customers for being by your side as your business continues to grow. Maybe even offer an exclusive peek at your future plans so they feel really involved in your company's success.

For example:

Happy holidays!

We just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much we've appreciated your support as a customer over this last year. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to add the new location in downtown Salem.

As a valued customer, we hope you'll continue to shop with us in the new year. We've got a few customer appreciation events planned to show you just how much your support means to us.

Best wishes,

Gary Hank

Manager for Groceryland

The second kind of thank you card is a personalized thank you note to customers who spend a lot of time and money with your business.

Successful thank you cards for clients follow a few general guidelines:

A friendly greeting - For personalized messages, use their first name.
The thank you - Get straight to the point. Make your appreciation as genuine as possible. Avoid the urge to tell a joke; it diminishes your intended message.
Get a little personal - In personalized thank you cards, take a moment to show you know who you're sending it to. Wish them well on an upcoming trip they talked about or congratulate them on the new grandchild. Just make sure whatever you choose doesn't sound creepy.
Wrap it up - Close out the card with something like Best Wishes, Thanks Again, or Keep in Touch.

Writing Thank You Cards for Employees

ALT: Yellow thank you card

It is vital that as a boss, you aren't shy about telling employees just how much their hard work means to you and the success of your business. An employee who feels seen and appreciated will go the extra mile for the company.

The best thank you card to send to an employee needs to be professional, but still relaxed enough to get the point across. Keep it clear, short, and easy to read.

Here's a sample of how to write a thank you card for an employee:

Hi Martha,

Thank you so much for coming in to work extra hours while Jim is on medical leave. I appreciate all the hard work you've put in to make sure the Haught project goes ahead as planned despite this hiccup.

I don't know what we'd do without your strong work ethic. Running a small business is far easier with hard workers like you onboard. Thank you again.

Cheers,

Adam

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Writing Cards for Managers

When sending thank you cards to your boss, you need to walk a careful line. Show how much you sincerely appreciate them, but you don't want to come across like you're doing it to manipulate them into doing something for you or favoring you over others.

Don't be vague in the message. Tell them what specific action you're thankful for. In the same way that details are rewarded with invitations, business thank you cards do well with specific.

Keep it short and simple. Cards don't have a lot of room to babble about how great you think your boss is because they hosted a family BBQ that served the kind of ribs you like.

If you work with your manager often, go ahead and use their first name in the card. Wrap up the note with something like “Thanks Again” or “Sincerely.”

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Standard Thank You Cards vs. Personalized Thank You Cards

ALT: Roses thank you card

Everyone wants a moment to feel unique and special. While standard thank you cards work when sending them out to large groups of customers, they lack the familiarity of a personalized message.

Standard cards can be ordered in bulk and delivered incredibly fast. It is tempting to shift all your business thank you cards to this method. But the downside is, people don't open type-written messages as often as handwritten thank you cards. All your hard work to show appreciation might end up at the bottom of someone's mail bin instead of being pinned on their fridge.

If you can, always opt for the more personalized, handwritten approach to sending thank you cards. A client is more likely to talk to their friends about your business if they feel that personal connection.

Why Use Automated Thank You Cards?

Sending hundreds of personalized business thank you cards can take a lot of time. When your business hits a certain point, your customer base is too large to reach out to by spending a weekend dedicated to nothing but writing thank you cards.

That's where automated thank you cards come in handy. You can send business thank you cards quickly and easily when the work is done for you.

There are companies, like SimplyNoted, who can integrate their software into your company's address and email lists in order to quickly process bulk orders of thank you cards. You don't need a professional designer on staff to get vibrant colors and custom card designs that speak to your quality and services. An account with Simply Noted takes care of all of your thank you cards business. As a bonus, SimplyNoted makes sure these cards look handwritten so customers are certain to open them.

Make Thank You Cards a Part of Your Everyday Business Plan

ALT: thank you card with flowers, macaroons, pen, and present

Setting aside a little time every morning when you start your workday to express gratitude to others can make your life more enjoyable. It gives you something to focus on that is a sure sign your business is succeeding and there are people out there who support your efforts.

If you start to run out of time to handwrite each card personally, don't worry. SimplyNoted can personalize every business thank you card you wish to send, and we give it a handwritten look so the recipient still feels like you really do care.