Written by Saul Carliner and reprinted with permission from TIELINE, the
newsletter of the Society for Technical Communication, Arlington, VA, U.S.A.

Tips for Managing Committees
Thank You Notes: The Volunteer's Paycheck

How to Make a Quick Good Impression

To quickly make a great impression, write a thank you note. Thank you are two of the rarest words volunteers hear and among the two words they want to hear most. That's because a thank you tells someone that their work was appreciated and that they made a difference to the organization. Thank you is the only "pay" volunteers receive for their efforts.

But how often do we let an implied thank you do the job of a formal one? Unfortunately, volunteers are not mind readers; they don't always know when we appreciate their work. Without a formal thank you, many volunteers feel their work is unappreciated and unnoticed.

Specicifically, when should you write thank you notes? Write thank you notes to:

• People who speak at your monthly meetings.
• Reporters who contribute to your chapter newsletter.
• Volunteers:
• After they complete a job, no matter how small. For example, write thank you notes to people who staff the registration desks at monthly meetings as well as the committee members who organized the meetings.
• When they reach a major milestone in a long project, as a means of encouraging them to complete the job.
• Officers:
• After they reach a major milestone in their work.
• After they complete their term.
• Organizations and individuals who provide support, such as organizations who provide meeting rooms for STC meetings and experienced professionals who share their hard-earned knowledge with you.

The chapter leaders who is responsible for the task should feel obligated to write a thank you note. For example, the newsletter editor should feel obligated to write a thank you note to each person who contributes an article to the newsletter.

But other chapter officers can also send thank you notes. For example, the president should write thank you notes to speakers¾ in addition to the thank you note written by the program organizer. Volunteers appreciate all the thank you notes they receive: the more the merrier.

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Tips for Writing Thank You Notes

A thank you note should be personal, indicating that you really noticed the volunteers' work. Consider the following points when writing a thank-you note:

• Avoid form letters, even if you have twenty or thirty volunteers to thank at one time. While better than no thank you at all, a form letter¾ especially one created with mail merge¾ says that you are too busy to notice individual contributions. Those individual contributions are what volunteers want to be noticed for.
• Be specific. Mention something that would only apply to the person, such as a point made in their presentation or something you appreciated about working with them.

For example, if you are writing a thank you letter to a speaker, mention more than just the ratings that members gave on their meeting evaluation forms. You might mention something that you appreciated about working with them or something specific you learned in the presentation.

• Mail thank you notes quickly, within 10 business days of the event. Some people suggest that you mail thank you notes as quickly as 48 hours after the event. Volunteers want immediate feedback, the longer you delay in sending the thank you note, the less the immediacy.

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Other Uses for Thank You Notes

Like most skills you develop as an STC leader, writing thank you notes is one that can serve you well on the job and in other community situations.

On the job, you might write thank you notes to:

• Co-workers and management, for their assistance and support with projects
• People who teach you things, such as authors of articles and instructors in training classes
• People who perform favors for you, such as taking you to lunch and recommending your services to a potential client
• People who take the time to interview you for jobs (a thank you note following an interview makes a strong impression)

In your personal life, you might also write thank-you notes to people who:

• Invite you to meals at their homes or treat you to meals in restaurants
• Give you gifts
• "Mentor" you, sharing their knowledge and ideas with you

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(c) Copyright. Saul Carliner. 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002. All rights reserved.