How to Deliver an Unforgettable "Thank You"

If I were to ask you when you last reached out to someone via text, tweet, email or Facebook, you probably wouldn’t have to think long. We live in an age of instant communication—but while technology rocks, sometimes it just isn’t enough. If you want to send someone the message that you’ve made a sincere effort on their behalf, you’re going to have to get a little old-school.

At the risk of sounding hopelessly outdated, whatever happened to the art of the handwritten note? When is the last time you sent (or received) a message on paper? I bet you have to think a little harder about about that! In a way, the scarcity of handwritten communication actually offers an advantage—if you do choose to go old-school, the gesture will carry more of an impact.

Picture the scene: The mild shock on the face of the lucky person receiving your note quickly transforms into a smile upon seeing that it was you who reached out in such an antiquated way. That smile registers the fact that you went out of your way to make him or her feel special. When curiosity prompts the recipient to open your note, he or she will feel touched on an emotional level, even if the contents of your note are simple and straightforward.

If you were to send that same person a text, tweet or email, of course the gesture would be appreciated. But your words would quickly become buried in an email folder or lost in cyberspace. That old-school handwritten note, on the other hand, would likely be displayed prominently on a desk or stashed in a drawer with other sentimental objects. Even your grumpy co-worker or distant relative is likely to react this way—while most inboxes are overloaded, most drawers have plenty of space.

Think about that the next time you want to say “thank you” (or anything else important) to your boss, team member, friends or family. Set aside your keypad, smartphone or iPad, and get out your pen and paper. Let old-school “technology” work its magic. While technology rocks, sometimes it’s the old-school methods that will put you on a roll.