Think back to when you worked with a company or boss that never valued your work. It didn’t matter how hard you tried or how productive you were. They just didn’t care
Maybe you’re in that job now, but you’re not alone. Most people have experienced that feeling or are currently experiencing that feeling
Many people think of gratitude as something you express in your personal relationships. While it’s important to express gratitude in those relationships, it’s also equally important to express gratitude in business communication as well
Gratitude in a business context can contribute to a positive work climate and healthy work culture. Whether you’re a team leader or team member, gratitude is a critical component to making your day-to-day experience pleasant and fulfilling
Expressing gratitude improves performance
People want to feel appreciated at work. They want to feel like their actions have meaning and are important.
As a worker, it feels good to be appreciated. When someone shows gratitude to a peer or employee, they are more likely to perform at a higher level.
It’s easy to express gratitude
Often, expressing gratitude is easy, free, and does not require a time commitment. It can be as simple as sending a thank you message.
Writing a genuine thank you
Writing a thank you is an easy way to show your gratitude. When you write and express your appreciation through business communication, you’re working on company culture and making yourself, and another person at your office feel just a little bit better
To communicate your genuine thanks, follow these fundamentals:
- Be timely about your thank-you. It’s always welcome, and a timely thank-you is preferable to a belated one because the actions are fresh on the mind
- Avoid adding in additional tasks or requests; say thank you and mean it
- Tell the person precisely what you’re thanking them for and why you’re grateful. Let them know the positive outcome their actions had
- Use direct language to show the person that you appreciate their help. For instance, “I appreciate your attention to this matter” versus “Your attention was appreciated.” The first shows you appreciate the support, and the second does not specify who is grateful
- Make it personal by using their name
- Send a note or an email; people love to be thanked
Thank you example
Here is an example “thank you” response that’s less than 100 words
“Thank you for replacing my computer monitor; I appreciate how quickly you came to replace it
I would have needed more time to present to our potential investors, and we might have missed out on a funding opportunity. Because of your speed and expertise, we could show our plan, and everyone could visualise our project. Your actions had a hand in helping the company stay solvent today
On behalf of the entire company, thank you
Best,”
The message above comes in at under 100 words; in most cases, this will be the typical length of a message.
Avoid this thank you pitfall
It’s best to avoid using the phrase “Thank you in advance” for multiple reasons. The first of which is that it does not sound genuine
The phrase itself makes a presumption that a person will do the thing requested. The presumptuousness of the words makes people feel at least slightly resentful toward the task
Furthermore, people don’t know how to respond. “You’re welcome in advance” sounds snarky, sarcastic, and a bit ridiculous. The silly sound of the “You’re welcome in advance” highlights the silliness of “thank you in advance.”
Another thing is that “thank you in advance” robs the doer of future thanks. A person does something but has been thanked in advance. What is the action they completed made an enormous impact? Will their contribution be ignored now
What to do instead
Most people who write “thank you in advance” don’t think you’ll jump up and make their request. It’s usually a case of trying to be polite in advance
Just delete the “in advance” part of the phrase to make your “thank you” sing. It comes off more genuine and still conveys the message you intend
Thank you in advance for helping me becomes Thank you for helping
The above example shows that dropping the “in advance” part pulls double duty: it keeps the meaning the same, and it is a masterclass in brevity
Positive language examples
Business writing can be powerful. For example, when we express gratitude without thinking, we often use the negatively phrased “no problem.” Why not use this opportunity for some positive language
Imagine how the recipient might feel if you use the alternative phrases below, which are certainly more positive and gracious when compared to “no problem:”
- You are welcome
- It was my pleasure
- Thank you
- You’re welcome
- My pleasure
- Thanks for asking about our …
- Of course
- Certainly
- I’m glad to hear I helped
- Nice to know I helped
- Delighted to help
- We’re here to help
- You’re welcome
- I’m glad to hear I helped
Positive language checklist
Let’s take a look at a checklist you can refer to when writing “positively.”
Tell them what you can do rather what you can’t do:
Positive: I will be happy to schedule a meeting at 3 pm to review your proposal
Negative: I’m not available tomorrow morning, so I will not be able to review the proposal until 3 pm
Tell them your desired action rather than the negative action you wish to avoid
Positive: Please leave the servers on during the night
Negative: Please do not turn off the servers during the night
Use a decisive “yes” when replying, rather than the imprecise “okay,” “sure,” or “yeah.” (These words give the impression that a long-suffering sigh is sure to follow.)
Positive: May I take next Monday off as a personal day? “Yes, a personal day on Monday fits our schedule well.” To take the positivity to the next level, follow up with “Enjoy your day off!”
Negative: May I take next Monday off as a personal day? If you reply with “okay” or ” sure,” it can feel a bit begrudging
Choose positive framing instead of negative
Positive: Thank you for your request
Negative: I received your request
Focus on solutions instead of blame
Positive: To complete your request, I will need
Negative: You neglected to include xx in your request
The takeaway
We will leave you with this thought – the implications of positive language are significant, and are certainly worth the effort. Here are some benefits
- Consultants will enjoy better client engagement
- Sales people will gain trust and likeability
- Freelancers will better connect with clients
- Customer service representatives will comfort agitated customers
- Business analysts will recognise opportunities and gaps in a manner that promotes teamwork and improvement
