It is common to receive gifts from relatives, friends, or business partners, and it is advisable to appreciate their generosity. To do this, you can opt to write a thank you letter. A thank you letter for a gift lets you express gratitude and lets the giver know that you value the gift they gave you. Furthermore, the letter encourages them to consider sending gifts in the future since they feel that their efforts are recognized.
Thank you notes have been in use for a while, with research indicating that they were adopted in the 15th century. Recently, technological advances have allowed us to communicate gratitude online through social media platforms and various communication applications. This has made thank-you notes and letters seem outdated. However, it is appropriate to keep sending them since they communicate your appreciation and show etiquette.
To better understand it, this article elaborates on the different elements and practices to observe when writing a thank you letter to make it complete and effective. Examples and samples have also been included to help write the letter.
Download Free Templates
Following are the thank you letter for gift templates that you can download for free:
To Whom Should You Write Thank You Letter?
A thank you letter should be sent to anyone who shows kindness or generosity toward you. This includes friends, family, and colleagues who may send you a gift for making an achievement or on random occasions. Also, when writing a letter to the gift giver, it is essential to consider your relationship with them to write an effective letter that lets you thank them appropriately.
When writing a thank you letter to professional colleagues and business associates, you should use a handwritten letter and keep it formal by keeping it relevant and concise. However, when it comes to friends and family, your letter’s length is not limited, and you can customize it using colored paper to make it more attractive.
Step-By-Step Guide on Writing Thank You Letter
For a thank you letter to be as effective as possible, it is important that you carefully include all the essential elements. To help you better understand how to include them, here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Step 1: Offer your thanks
In the letter’s opening, it is essential to thank the recipient for their deed toward you. This lets the recipient know the letter’s purpose and makes them aware that you received the gift. In addition, by thanking the recipient, you get to acknowledge their actions toward you and express how happy you are. If you are not pleased with the gift, it is essential to avoid mentioning your feelings about it and ensure that you appreciate the giver for their thoughts.
For example:
I couldn’t wait to express my gratitude for the watch you gifted me. Thank you so much!
Step 2: Mention the gift in your letter
When writing the letter, ensure that you let the recipient know the specific gift you are thanking them for. This is because sometimes, you may host events where guests come bearing various gifts, requiring you to thank each of them for their gift. Moreover, mentioning the gift shows the recipient that your letter is not generic and makes your appreciation seem more genuine.
For example:
The cake you gifted me was tasty, and I enjoyed it.
Step 3: Specify how useful the gift is
It is essential to let your recipient know they made the right choice by showing them how beneficial the gift is to you. You can do this by explaining how you intend to use the gift and mentioning what the gift can help you achieve. Furthermore, the giver may be happy knowing they gave you something valuable.
For example:
The new oven will help me bake better cakes for my clients and allow me to take more orders weekly.
Step 4: Add a personal comment
When writing the letter, it is appropriate to express your thoughts by mentioning an experience you share or suggesting to meet with the person soon. A personal comment lets the recipient know they are in your thoughts and engages them as they read the letter.
For example:
Dad told me you couldn’t bring the gift personally because you were ill. I wish you a quick recovery and will visit you soon to see how you are doing.
Step 5: Say thank you one more time
Before concluding the letter, ensure that you thank the recipient’s efforts again to emphasize your appreciation. To make your appreciation less repetitive, you can add details about the gift you may not have mentioned in the letter’s opening.
For example:
Again, I appreciate the portrait you gifted me, Helen.
Step 6: End with a proper closing statement
To conclude the letter effectively, ensure that you express your gratitude for the gift another time. This allows you to emphasize your gratitude towards the person who gifted you and lets them know that you appreciate their gesture. Also, you can add a personal comment that makes your appreciation sound less repetitive.
For professional letters, you can write the following:
The gift is really encouraging, and I’ll keep working hard to help the department achieve more.
When writing to a friend or relative, you can use the following:
I’d love to meet for brunch soon so that you can tell me what you have recently been up to.
Thank You Letter for Gift Examples
Sample 1
Josh Winney
16, Pillage avenue
Oklahoma.
13th October 2023
Sierra Brooks
187, Fidder St.
New Jersey.
Hey Sierra,
I want to express my gratitude for the best birthday gift ever! I remember mentioning that I had recently lost my phone but didn’t know you would buy me one. Words can’t express how overjoyed I was when I removed the gift wrap, only to find the phone of my dreams. Unfortunately, when I lost my phone and bought an inferior one, I could not enjoy the previous features, which made me unable to communicate with others. Thanks to you, I now have the phone I desire and can enjoy features I couldn’t get on my previous phone.
The phone will benefit me because it has a better battery capacity and more storage space. This enables me to keep the phone on for longer and install essential battery-consuming apps. Also, the massive storage space allows me to store large amounts of data, which will significantly assist my school projects.
I hope everything is good in New Jersey, and I would love to come to your place during the holidays. Once again, thank you for the phone, and I can’t wait to video call you more often since the phone supports that feature. Our friendship is of great value to me, and I wish it never ends.
Best,
[signature]
Josh Winney
Sample 2
Martha Teresa
Accountant
Joweb Industries
Wisconsin 7889
4th June 2023
Jesse Bell
General manager-Finance
Joweb industries
Wisconsin 7889
Dear Mr. Bell,
RE: Appreciation for Your Gift
Thank you very much for your generosity. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to gift me two tickets to the new movie released at the cinema this weekend. My husband and I had planned to watch the movie after the prices were reduced, and I couldn’t wait to give him the good news.
Since its announcement, I have been looking forward to the movie’s release, and it means so much to watch it on its release date. The movie is a perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy more time with my spouse, and I am grateful for that. I have been performing my best this year, but I wasn’t expecting to be the employee of the year in the department. Nevertheless, I promise to continue putting maximum effort into work so that my performance levels remain constant.
Again, I appreciate your gift and can’t wait to watch the movie on Saturday. You are the best boss ever.
Sincerely,
[signature]
Martha Teresa.
Best Practices
To write the letter effectively, you should observe some practices. These practices ensure that the letter is well-written and allow you to express your appreciation appropriately.
They include:
Write a handwritten thank you letter
When thanking a person formally, ensure that you express your gratitude in a handwritten thank you letter instead of an email. A handwritten letter shows that you took the time to express your feelings and makes the recipient value it more. However, some situations may require you to express your gratitude faster. In that case, sending an email before sending a handwritten letter would be appropriate since it might take some time before it is delivered.
Include appropriate greeting
Before expressing your appreciation in the letter, ensure you start by greeting the recipient appropriately. It is vital to consider your relationship with the recipient since it lets you greet them properly. For instance, in professional letters, include the word ‘dear’ before writing the recipient’s name. However, it is acceptable to include their names only when writing a letter to thank your friends.
Also, ensure that the name is spelled correctly and that the title before the name is correct.
Choose your words carefully
When writing the letter, ensure that your words are simple since they allow the recipient to understand the letter better. Furthermore, using suitable words in your letter lets you express yourself appropriately and makes your letter more effective. In addition, use a friendly and accommodating tone when writing the letter to match its mood.
For example:
–I appreciate the mug you bought for me and can’t wait to use it tomorrow morning.
–I never thought I would own such a beautiful, expensive vase. Thank you, Jerry.
–I am extremely grateful for the laptop you got me!
–Thank you so much for the voucher you gifted me, Nelly.
–I can’t stop gratifying you for the cake you gifted me. It was so delicious.
Send the letter timely
Upon receiving a gift, it is appropriate to write the letter and send it within a day or two so that the giver knows that the gift was received and that you appreciate it. Furthermore, you should avoid staying for long before sending the letter since you won’t be able to express genuine feelings in the letter. Also, the letter becomes less effective since the recipient may not value it if sent after much time has passed.
Consult a sample letter or a template
A sample letter or template gives you an idea of the necessary sections of it, thus enabling you to write a complete letter. In addition, ensure that you edit and change the sample details if you wish to customize and send them. Unchanged details from your sample may show the recipient that the letter was not originally theirs and makes the letter ineffective.
Putting It All Together
Thank you letters should be written and sent to givers after receiving gifts from them since they let you express your gratitude for their generosity. Furthermore, the letter informs the receiver that you received their gift and appreciate it. The letter is essential since it strengthens your relationship with the giver and makes them consider gifting you again in the future because you value their efforts.
When writing your letter, you should remember your relationship with the giver to express your appreciation correctly. Also, the letter should be sent shortly after receiving the gift since delaying it makes it less effective and prevents the letter from serving its purpose.