New research on the benefits of handwritten thank-you letters was led by Amit Kumar, assistant professor of marketing in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin. Kumar collaborated with Nicholas Epley, professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

For their recent study, Kumar and Epley conducted three different experiments in which study participants wrote various letters expressing gratitude and then predicted how surprised, happy, or potentially awkward they thought the recipient would feel when he or she received a handwritten note of appreciation.

Their results showed that people expressing gratitude underestimated how pleasantly surprised recipients would be to receive a handwritten “thank you” and how positive the expression of gratitude made recipients feel. On the flip side, people who wrote thank-you letters overestimated the potential awkwardness that someone receiving a heartfelt thank-you note would experience.

Additionally, the researchers found that the prosocial gesture of expressing gratitude in a handwritten note boosts positive emotions and well-being for both the letter-writing “expresser” and the recipient of the stated appreciation.

Kumar and Epley speculate that egocentric bias often leads expressers of gratitude to systematically undervalue the positive impact that expressing appreciation and thankfulness has on recipients. As the authors write, “Wise decisions are guided by an accurate assessment of the expected value of action. Underestimating the value of prosocial actions, such as expressing gratitude, may keep people from engaging in behavior that would maximize their own — and others’ — well-being.” They hope that putting the benefits of handwritten “thank-you” notes in the spotlight will inspire people from all walks of life to express gratitude more frequently in their day-to-day lives.

“We looked at what’s correlating with people’s likelihood of expressing gratitude — what drives those choices — and what we found is that predictions or expectations of that awkwardness, that anticipation of how a recipient would feel — those are the things that matter when people are deciding whether to express gratitude or not,” Kumar said in a statement.

“What we saw is that it only takes a couple of minutes to compose letters like these, thoughtful ones and sincere ones. It comes at little cost, but the benefits are larger than people expect.”

Don’t Delay
If you are thanking someone for their time in meeting with you for coffee, lunch, or a gift, you should send your handwritten thank you note right away, within 48 hours. Make it a priority. The longer time has elapsed, the less of an impact your note will have.

Don’t Over Think It – Just Do It!
Many of us get “stuck” in our note writing, not knowing what to say or how to say it. Don’t get bogged down… just take 2 minutes and send a quick thank you from Mail Handwritten Cards.com.

Recognize Them
We all like recognition and a pat on the back every now and then. Send a personal note for no reason except to acknowledge the person and let him/her know they are appreciated. It’s an act of kindness that will certainly bring a smile to their face, and the thoughtful gesture will reflect well on your character.

Be Clear and Concise
Handwritten notes are notes, short and sweet. The rule of thumb is approximately five sentences or less, that’s all you need to convey your message of appreciation.