Thanks Letter

Thank You Letter

Thank You Letter is a type of letter which is used when a person or an organisation wishes a gesture of appreciation for a good deed, the good conduct of a work, activity etc. It is also used to acknowledge a favour, a gift or any activity which deserves gratitude. It is also known as ‘Letter of Thanks’ and sometimes referred as ‘Letter of Gratitude’. Though, some of us may not admit it but everybody loves appreciation or at least acknowledgement of one’s efforts towards someone’s welfare or benefit. The majority like to be acknowledged for their efforts no matter how small. A thank you letter as such gains a lot of importance even beyond mere thanks. They set the tone for your relationship whether business or personal. Letters of Thanks thus are used for various reasons and on various occasions. In a corporate world it may be used for more than just a simple thanks and in an informal environment it is simply what it intends to – ‘Thank You’. There are various social events like birthdays, weddings, baby showers etc. when you would be required to send such letters. While for many of us it is unnecessary but many are very peculiar about such letters. Depending upon the tradition and practices in various parts of the world, Letters of Gratitude have their own significance. Irrespective of the importance of these letters, one may come across a situation in real life, where one has to thank someone whether obligatory or emotionally. It is an Etiquette or good manner to send such letters whenever the need arises. These letters are not just restricted to postal ones. Email being the most prevalent form of communication in the digital world, Thank You Letter is also sent by e-mail. Though e-mail is very convenient and also fast but it is not tangible. Physical letter is more cherished because of the feel of it which an e-mail will not be able to. E-mail Thank You letter can also be confused for spam if the person is not known to the receiver. Because of the physical nature of a Paper Letter it has more impact and will be remembered for a long time.

Types of ‘Thank You Letter’

Letter of Thanks are of basically Two Types:

1. Business Thank You Letters - Thank You Letter – Business, are those letters which are used in the Corporate World. Business environment is filled with interactions of all sorts which demand the need for ‘Letter of Thanks in Business’. These are more of an obligation on an individual or company level as they have certain purposes which are of economic nature. In the corporate world building a network of relationships is important to be successful.
   
   
2. Personal Thank You Letters - Personal Thank You Letters are Informal Letters intended to show gratitude to someone on a personal level. It is considered as an etiquette to send someone a Personal Thank You Letter. This is because when a relative, acquaintance or a senior does something extraordinary for you, an acknowledgment of that person’s efforts shows that you are considerate and value that effort. Personal or unofficial thank you letters are used when you really feel that gratitude is required not as an obligation but as genuine gesture. But then, we do write such letters as an obligation on certain situations.

But very few types of such letter have certain hard and fast rules. This is because in a business environment one may write letter on a personal level to thanks and one may write a personal letter thank you letter for the motive of business. Sometimes a business thank you letter can become a personal one and vice versa. Sometimes Business Thank you letters are sugar coated with a personal Thank you letter to make it acceptable to the receiving party.  

For example:

When A Thank You Letter is letter is written by a candidate who has given an interview, his real motive is to acquire a job. Personal thanking here is secondary motive and ultimatley realted to generate business. If you don’t want to be remembered by your interviewer why would you spend some extra time to write and send a ‘Thank You Letter’.

However, there are certain exceptions where you are genuinely expressing your genuine feelings for the person intended.  

For example:

When you have graduated and you really feel indebted to the person who was responsible for your help, then that is an actual ‘Personal Thank You Letter’.