The ability to show gratitude, make someone smile, or feel valued is a superpower in the business world. It can open doors for you, make you stand out, and help you remain memorable long after the fact.
However, you’ll probably find that saying “thank you” in an email in a professional way is not as easy as it sounds. It’s easy to end up feeling at a loss for words and deleting draft after draft because you can’t seem to find the right tone or say what you want to say without sounding generic.
Not to worry, there’s an easy fix for that.
In this article, I will share professional thank you email templates that you can use as references to craft effective messages expressing your gratitude. I will also explore some tips you use to refine your thank you emails to ensure they hit the mark every time.
How to write an awesome professional thank you email?
Image – Tima Miroshnichenko
Email writing is an art. Regardless of your motive for sending a thank you email, there are certain components you need to include in your message if you want it to create a good impression and resonate with the reader.
Here are some tips you should follow and mistakes you will want to avoid to craft the perfect thank you email:
Pick a clear subject line
Resist the urge to get overly creative with your subject line because you can easily miss the mark and cause the receiver to just skip over your email instead of opening it.
Your subject line just needs to be simple and clear. It should provide an inkling of what your email is about so don’t forget to throw the words “thank you” somewhere in there.
For example, if you’re writing to thank someone for recommending you for a role, your headline can read: “Thank you for the job recommendation”.
Personalize your greeting
The vague “sir/madam” salutation no longer has a place in today’s professional settings. If you want your message to have an impact, you need to show the receiver that you actually know who you’re talking to.
You can accomplish this by including their first or last name or both in your greeting. The greeting you choose to use when addressing the recipient will depend on the professional setting and the nature of your relationship.
If you’re talking to a colleague, a customer, or someone who you have a somewhat informal relationship with, a casual “Hi X,” “Hello X,” or “Good evening X” will do.
But if the email is addressed to your boss, an interviewer, a client, or someone of authority, stick to formal honourifics like “Dear Mr. X.”
Photo by George Dolgikh
Share your gratitude
After your subject line and greeting comes the body of your email. This is where you get to express your gratitude by describing exactly what you are thankful for. Be specific about how their actions impacted your life or what they meant to you.
By sharing details about what the recipient did that you are grateful for, you can establish rapport, add a personal touch to your email, and demonstrate that you truly value their input.
Lean on the side of brevity
Keep in mind that the recipient has other things to do with their time so don’t turn your thank you email into a journal entry. Just get straight to the point and avoid bringing up or dwelling on any points that don’t directly serve the purpose of your message.
You will leave a more memorable explanation by sending a clear and concise message that can be easily read and understood rather than rambling on and on.
Also Read: How To Introduce Yourself In An Email?
Use formal, error-free language
If your email is riddled with jargon, slang, misspellings, or grammatical mistakes, you’re going to come off as lazy, unprofessional, and disoriented to the receiver.
You want to show the person you’re thanking that you’ve carved out time to craft a meaningful message to show your appreciation.
So before you hit that send button, proofread your message for errors and make sure you’re using the proper tone and grammar throughout.
Sign off your email
Close your thank you email with a simple closing remark that reiterates your gratitude and wishes them a great day or week. Then follow this up with words like “Thanks,” “Sincerely,” “Best,” or “Warmest regards” before your signature.
Always include a professional email signature in your messages because it helps remind the recipient of who you are while also making you come off as more professional, credible, and trustworthy.
Professional thank you email templates
Check out these 17 terrific thank you email templates and examples for different occasions that you can use as a model when crafting your first or next notes of appreciation.
1. Thank you email for attending an event
We only get 24 hours in a day and there are a hundred things vying for our attention in that timeframe. So when someone willingly gives up some of this time to participate in an event you organized, you should tell them that you appreciate their effort and presence.
This thank you email template doesn’t just demonstrate gratitude, it also creates room to solicit for feedback about the event.
This way, you are probably going to get some meaningful insights about what worked and what could be improved upon from the perspectives of your audience.
You can then apply this feedback to make your next event even better. Chances are, the receiver is going to make a mental note to show up for your next event simply because you took the time to thank them and seek their thoughts.
Check Out: How To Ask About Salary In An Email Before Interview?
2. Post-interview thank you email
It’s a wise practice to send a thank you email within 24 hours of concluding the interview. This simple act can help you stand out from the sea of candidates and create a personal and memorable connection with the interviewer.
This template hits all the right notes for a post-interview message. It starts with a warm, casual, and personalized greeting and delves right into showing appreciation for the time the interviewer spent with the candidate.
It mentions a specific detail from the conversation-the MVP vote-which shows that they were paying attention to what was said during the interview.
Next, the thank you message reiterates the candidate’s interest in the role and company and their excitement about hearing back from the interviewer soon.
Including all these points in your message will not only tell the interviewer that you are a detail-oriented professional with great people skills, it will also establish you as a candidate that is worth following up with even if you don’t get the job.
3. Thank you for volunteering email
As a manager or team leader, it’s important to recognize employees who do great work or go beyond the scope of their responsibilities to ensure the business continues to run smoothly.
Don’t take it for granted when someone offers to work late so you meet a project deadline or volunteers to take ownership of a task. Or when they agree to assume another role that they are not being directly compensated in addition to their current responsibilities.
Encourage and inspire them to do more by letting them know you see and appreciate the amazing work they are doing.
Although this thank you email template focuses on a work/office setting, it can still be adapted to fit general volunteer scenarios where members of the public donate their time and effort towards a cause.
Also Read: How To Respond To An Interview Request?
4. Last day of work thank you email
Never forget that the professional connection you make in a company can last you a lifetime and keep bearing fruit long after you’ve left the organization.
So don’t be tempted to burn bridges or just up and leave without saying a word because you’ve got a better offer somewhere. Take a cue from this template and craft a thank you email to your teammates and supervisors telling them how grateful you are to have worked with them.
If you can, sprinkle in specific examples of how each recipient inspired you and helped you grow your career. Or just share a fun memory to bring that feeling of camaraderie to life one last time.
End your email by saying you’d like to keep in touch and provide them with your personal contact information. Just be genuine and make it harder for them to forget you.
Also Read: How To Write An Email For A Job?
5. Thank you email for patronizing your business
I get really excited when I buy something from a website and they send me a thank you email as part of the order confirmation process or after my order has been delivered.
It’s a small gesture but it’s one of the things that signal to me that the business pays attention to every customer and purchase that comes through its virtual doors. I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels this way.
So if you’re running a business, consider sending a sweet and professional thank you email like the example above to let your customers know how much their purchase means to you.
You don’t even have to manually send out a message each time you make a sale. Just create the email template containing your message and automate it to go out after a buyer completes their transaction.
Check Out: How To Apologize Professionally In An Email?
6. Referral thank you email
Word of mouth is one of the most effective and trusted forms of recommendations and marketing. The truth is that we have greater faith in products and brands that someone we know swears by than we have in the most creative and expensive ad campaign.
The same hold true even in professional settings. Your chances of getting hired or closing a business deal soars tremendously if you’re recommended by someone the recruiter or potential client is familiar with.
So if you’re lucky to earn a referral, whether it’s for a job role or a business opportunity, make sure you let the referrer know that you don’t take their confidence in you lightly.
In just a few short sentences, this professional thank you email template shows deep appreciation by expressing gratitude and even extending a thank you gift to the recipient.
Also Read: Bad Email Examples
7. Thank you email after rounding up negotiations
So you have just concluded negotiations and closed a business deal after weeks or months of haggling and constant back and forths? Congratulations! That’s amazing.
But before you get lost in the celebrations or dive into bringing the project to life, why not take a moment to send a note of thanks to the person at the other end of the arrangement?
This thank you email underscores the importance of the just-concluded negotiations and how much you treasure the recipient for making it possible. It also lays the groundwork for a fruitful and pleasing professional relationship for the days to come.
8. Professional thank you email after a meeting
Keep in mind that saying thank you is just a matter of simple etiquette. It takes nothing away from you but it can add a lot of value to a professional relationship. How? Because it’s predicated on the premise of recognition.
You’re saying that the person you’re thanking has brought something meaningful to the table. Even if you’re both getting something out of the equation, giving the other person some praise for their contributions can encourage more positive outcomes.
In this email template, the sender goes straight to the point. The subject line tells the reader what the message is about even before they open it. And in just two paragraphs, they state their gratitude for the opportunity to meet and their excitement at the prospect of collaborating.
This template can be modified to suit your specific situation whether you’re addressing a coworker, a client, or a potential partner in your line of work.
Also Read: Best LinkedIn InMail Template Examples
9. Thank you email to a boss or manager
Maybe your boss is celebrating a milestone at work. Perhaps they’ve recently given you a raise or promotion, or paved the way for some kind of career advancement that you’re proud of. Or perhaps you just feel like they could use some praise.
That’s a perfect time to send them a thank you email explaining how they have impacted and influenced your life for good.
Instead of starting by saying thanks, this template opens with a description of some of the ways the boss in question has made a difference in the sender’s professional life.
Only after highlighting some of the boss’ great deeds, does the sender go on to say how thankful they are for everything their boss has done and continues to do for them.
Following the same structure will allow you to craft a thank you message that’s genuine, heartfelt, and personal.
Also Read: Best Follow-up Email Templates After Interview & No Response After A Week
10. Networking thank you email
Who you know can get you a lot farther in less time than your skills and knowledge so don’t squander opportunities to strengthen the relationship you have with people in your network.
Break out this professional thank you email template for networking after you make a meaningful connection with someone who delivers invaluable support to help your professional endeavors.
Even if the person hasn’t already done something to help you, sending a thank you email after your first meeting or interaction can go a long way in ensuring that they will when the time comes.
It positions you as someone who actually values the recipient’s involvement in your life no matter how little, rather than as someone only interested in exploiting them for your gain.
Also Read: Funny Voicemail Greetings
11. Thank you email after a job rejection
Let’s face it; you’re not going to get every job you apply to and it’s going to suck. But you can decide to take it in stride and send a thank you email anyways.
Doing so shows the recruiter or interviewer that you are a person of great character and worth keeping in the pipeline for future positions.
This email template enables you to stay positive and leverage your displeasure at not getting the job into a networking opportunity. In the email, the sender uses a formal greeting and thanks the recruiter for considering them for the role.
They also frame the disappointment of not getting the job in a constructive light and let the recruiter know that they’re still interested in working for their company in the future.
So when a new opportunity opens up, the recruiter will likely remember them, invite them to interview and give their application special consideration.
Also Read: Best Company Introduction Sample Emails
12. Job offer thank you email
Congratulations on landing the job you interviewed for. It’s no easy feat beating out other qualified candidates and emerging as the best prospect to fill a position. But now that that’s done and an offer has been extended, it’s time to accept or decline the job.
Either way, it’s polite to send a thank you email to show that you appreciate the offer and let the company know the decision you’ve made.
In this email template, the sender is thanking the employer while simultaneously accepting the offer and sharing how enthused they are to begin their new role.
However, you can also apply it in a situation where you’re rejecting the offer. But instead of talking about how excited you are to join the company, mention how you think it’s a great place to work.
Next, express your disappointment at not being able to give a positive response, give a reason why, and close by saying you hope you will be able to work with the company someday in the future. Keep it short and sweet.
Check Out: Polite Follow-up Email Examples
13. Professional thank you email to a colleague
Your coworkers do not have to fill in for you when you need to go on an impromptu leave. They do not have to walk you through how to use the new software that was implemented at work or offer advice to help you deal with a problem you’re struggling with.
So when they offer you their help and support willingly, you should send an appreciation email to let them know you don’t take their assistance for granted. This gesture will not only brighten their day, it will also build up your work relationship.
All your email has to do is mention the specific way the colleague helped you and thank them profusely for it like in the template above.
14. Thank you email following a job promotion
If you’ve received a bonus, pay bump, or promotion at work, you need to show your appreciation. Otherwise, you might risk coming off as haughty and full of yourself.
Getting a pay raise or a better job title is your company or boss’ way of thanking you for the great work you’ve been doing and the contributions you’ve made to the organization.
Use this thank you email template to show you appreciate the recognition and are happy about the reward you’ve received.
As usual, the subject line is clear and simple. Although the greeting is informal, you can choose to go the formal route if your industry or professional relationship demands it.
For the body of the email, you just have to say that the promotion or raise means a lot to you, explain how grateful you are, and how you don’t plan to relent in your hard work in your new role.
Also Read: How To Send Email To Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing?
Alternative words and phrases for showing gratitude in thank you emails
Photo by Taryn Elliott
There are many ways you can communicate your appreciation for what someone has done without constantly repeating the words “thank you” over and over in your emails.
Here are other words and phrases to use to spice up your thank you messages:
- Much obliged
- Accept my gratitude
- I am beyond grateful
- Your support means the world to me
- Sincerely grateful for
- I wanted to express my deepest gratitude
- Many thanks
- It’s kind of you to
- I’m indebted to you
- Thanks a million
- I can’t thank you enough for
- Eternally thankful
- I owe you one
- Your input is so valuable
- I appreciate your input
- I’m beyond grateful for
Also Read: How To Unsubscribe From Emails Without Unsubscribe Link?
How to write professional thank you emails – Recap
As long as you are engaged in the professional world in some capacity, be it as an employee, freelancer, partner, or business owner, you have to learn how to appreciate people and show gratitude.
Without this, you’re not going to get very far. A well-crafted thank you email can break down walls, grease relationships, and help you warm your way into people’s hearts and minds.
These thank you email templates will serve as a guide when creating your own messages. Feel free to tweak them to suit your specific needs and personal style and start conveying your gratitude in a way that will resonate with recipients.
