How to Spread Gratitude in Our Digital World
Your Formal Training on Formal Letters
Despite more modern media, we still receive formal letters today. Some arrive via snail mail. Some are attached to email messages. Formal letter writing preceded the existence of word processing and email messaging. While our prevalent use of email has reformatted these components. most still apply. How does this apply to gratitude? Thanks for asking. I believe you’ll find the answer in the close.
Exploring "The Complimentary Close"
As some point in my primary education years, I learned about the components of a formal letter. Here’s a review.
- The Heading
- Address
- The Salutation.
- The Body
- The Complimentary Close
- The Signature Line.
- Enclosures
How Complimentary is YOUR Close?
This is the part of a letter that immediately precedes the writer’s signature, consisting of words such as Sincerely, Cordially, Very truly yours, Best regards, etc. We still use the complimentary close in our email messages. And most of us use the same closing phrases that have been used for decades. Why?
We’ve always done it that way.
I believe it’s OK to declare your sincerity or to close cordially. But some of these closings have used those terms for over a century, When would it be the right time to explore more personalized alternatives? How about today?
Since I’m writing this as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, why not discover new ways to be grateful.
Closing With Gratitude
Earlier this year, I learned about the benefits of using a gratitude oriented complimentary close. Here are a few options:
- With thanks,
- Thanks (or Thank You)
- Gratefully,
- With gratitude,
So I decided to try it. I edited my email signature. I replaced “All the best ” with “Gratefully”. Yet I wondered if that closing might not fit with the tone of all my business messages. After a six month trial, I have no regrets. I believe those traditional formal closings are empty rubber stamps by comparison. Before clicking SEND, my closing is a reminder to be grateful for whatever content precedes the gratefully. I yet don’t know how my recipients are affected. But if others want to judge my attitude of gratitude negatively, I refuse to make it my problem. It’s a small way to make the world a more grateful and positive place.
Helpful Hack
Email Signature Generators
A simple enhancement of your automated email signature puts your positive expression of gratitude on cruise control. And, it can differentiate you from others who still other century old closing statements.
If you have a need to create a neatly formatted email signature for yourself, read this page: 5 Best Free Email Signature Generators of 2021 (+ Useful Tips). Most are free or freemium.
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