7 Sample Letters of Appreciation for Business Contacts

Updated February 5, 2020
sample business letters of appreciation

Wondering how to write a letter of appreciation? Use one of the sample letters provided here to get started writing a letter that conveys just how much you appreciate someone's actions. Simply click the image of the letter that most closely aligns with your situation to access a PDF template that can be edited, saved and printed. See this guide to printables if you need assistance.

Appreciation Letter to a Company for Great Customer Service

Don't take outstanding customer service for granted! This letter provides example text that you may want to send to a store manager to ensure the employees who were particularly helpful to you are recognized for their efforts.

great customer service appreciation letter
Thanks for great customer service

Appreciation Letter for Good Work to a Vendor

Customer service is important, but outcomes matter too! When the finished product of a vendor's work exceeds expectations, send a letter expressing appreciation for good work or services rendered.

Appreciation letter for good work
Appreciation letter for quality work

Employee Appreciation Letter From the Boss

It's important for managers to take the time to let employees know how much they are appreciated. While it is beneficial to say thank you in person often, it's advisable for supervisors to express appreciation periodically in writing to team members for key contributions.

Employee appreciation from manager
Formal employee appreciation message

Letter of Appreciation to the Boss

When is the last time you let your boss know how much you appreciate him or her? If you have a terrific boss, it can certainly be a good idea to take the time to say thank you with a formal letter of appreciation or thank you note!

Appreciation letter to the boss
Appreciation letter to the boss

Appreciation for Support to a Coworker

When a co-worker goes out of his or her way to be helpful, writing a note or letter of appreciation is a great way to let the person know that his or her efforts did not go unnoticed.

Thanks for a Customer Referral

If you are fortunate enough to secure a new customer as a result of a referral from one of your contacts, be sure to send a letter of thanks. You just might find that you receive additional referrals from the same person in the future if you take the time to express your appreciation.

customer referral appreciation
Appreciation for a customer referral

Speaker Appreciation Letter

If you are involved with a professional association that invites business leaders or other individuals to speak at chapter meetings or other professional development events, it is important to let those who serve in this capacity know that you appreciate their time and effort.

Speaking engagement appreciation
Appreciation for a meeting speaker

Tips for Creating Your Own Letters of Appreciation

The sample documents above are intended to provide you with inspiration for creating your own letters of appreciation. You can, of course, use them the way they are written if they work for your specific situation. However, many circumstances can lead to the need to write this type of letter. Keep the following tips in mind when your goal is to write a letter of appreciation.

Acknowledgment

Start off by describing exactly what the person did that you want to acknowledge. You can use language similar to this:

  • "I want to take the time to acknowledge your contribution to our recent [campaign, sales promotion, corporate event]...."
  • "On behalf of [name of corporation, organization, work group, school, etc.], I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to you...."
  • "Thank you for taking time to meet with me to discuss the position of [name of position you were being interviewed for]...."

Fill in the Details

The next step in writing a thank you letter is expanding on your first sentence. This is the portion of the letter where you explain how the person's actions affected you or your company in a positive way. Use specific language to acknowledge their contribution.

  • "Due to your [efforts, enthusiasm, etc.], our [division, group, organization] was able to [set out the results achieved due to the recipient's efforts]...."
  • "I appreciate your [taking the time to make a presentation, generosity in providing funding, donating items] to [name of group, charity, cause, event]...."
  • "I was excited to learn more about the position at [XYZ Company] and I feel that my experience as/skills in [give examples] would be beneficial to the company...."

Closing the Letter

The way that you end a letter of appreciation is just as important as the information that comes before.

  • To finish the letter, you want to write a sentence or two to wish the person continued success and thank him or her again for their efforts.
  • In the case of a thank you letter to a customer, be sure to invite the recipient to contact you or your company for future needs.
  • When sending a letter to a coworker or your boss, be sure to mention that you look forward to continuing to work with the person.

Finalizing a Formal Letter of Appreciation

Don't forget that a letter of appreciation is a form of professional communication. Whatever reason led to your desire to send a formal letter of appreciation, be sure that the document you send is formatted appropriately either using a business letter format, a business email, or as a hand-written thank you note. If you opt for a hand-written note, you may want to use one of these printable thank you card templates. The finished document should be well-written and free from typos and grammatical mistakes. Proofread carefully before sending to be sure it is error-free. Be sure the document reflects positively on your level of professionalism just as much as it expresses gratitude to the person receiving it.

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7 Sample Letters of Appreciation for Business Contacts