Why is it important to say thank you?

Recently a video appeared showing Cameron Dietrich, a diver, helping a Sea Turtle get free from a fishing line. The turtle immediately swam away once freed. Moments later the turtle returned as if to say thank you to the diver that helped him.

It made me start wondering: why aren't we as good at saying thanks as that sea turtle?

My guess is that we have many good reasons why we don't say thank you as regularly as we could: "I don't have the time", "I don't know when to say thanks", "I don't know how to say thanks", and so on.

Here are some ideas to help you understand more about thanking people:

"Why is it important to say thank you?

There are four big reasons to say thanks:

1. Because your mother told you to.
2. Because people like to be appreciated.
3. Because it conveys a sense of respect
4. Because saying thank you allows us to stop and appreciate the kindness of others.

Who should you say thank you to:

• Your current customers
• Your potential customers
• Your employees
• Your fellow employee
• Your family, friends and kind strangers

What to say:

The folks at The Thank You People website has an awesome list of words you can use to say thanks—and many thanks to them for this helpful information:

Here are a few of their tips:

• Thank you for your time. It's something we never take for granted.
• We appreciate your time and attention.
• Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate your interest in our business.
• We enjoyed sharing ideas and business opportunities with you

When to say it:

• When someone contacts you or visits your business
• When someone purchases your products or services
• When someone went above or beyond
• And make sure it is as timely as possible.

How

• Say "thank you" in person on the phone
• Write an email that says thanks
• Write thank you on a bill or receipt
• Write thank you on a door hanger
• And the BEST way to say "Thank you" is to hand write a thank you card or thank you postcardAnd thank you in advance for sharing this with others.

And of course, thank YOU for reading this. If you have other great ideas around saying thank you, let me know.