By Lisa Lavender M.T.R., M.F.S.R., M.W.R., Scott Miller
Photo credit: marchmeena29 / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
March 8, 2024
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
Be honest – How often do you say “Thank you” in the course of a day? Think about your interactions with your co-workers, your customers, your referral sources, adjusters, TPA staff, claim reps at the carriers you work with and everyone else you come in contact with during your busy day. Some people say these two incredibly valuable little one syllable words without even thinking about it and others don’t say them nearly enough.
Aside from the intangible value of expressing gratitude by saying “thank you,” there’s also measurable value. I recently read a study by Boomerang (a Gmail add-in tool I’ve been using for years) on this topic. According to their study, emails that included some form of a thank-you had a significantly higher response rate. The study analyzed over 350,000 email threads and found that emails with “thanks in advance” had the highest response rate at 65.7%, compared to 51.2% for emails without a thank-you. Interesting, right?
The point is really about culture in your company. I truly believe that employers should find things to thank their team members for and team members should be reciprocating by showing their appreciation. Let’s not take each other for granted – bosses with the attitude that they shouldn’t have to thank people for just doing their job, and employees feeling like they shouldn’t be thankful to the boss for providing a job, a raise, a bonus, a holiday party or healthcare because they simply deserve it is just wrong (in the world according to Scott LOL).
Sometime ago, I found that I was annoying myself by replaying a Barney song in my head, Please and Thank You. My oldest son would listen to Barney repeatedly. As the song would play repeatedly in my head 20 years later, it was in the context of observing people and organizational culture.
Around this time Jon Issacson, Author, Contractor, Podcaster, Instructor, reached out to me to write a chapter in a book he was working on, Be Intentional Culture, How the Small Things Enhance or Undermine Your Culture. It was without hesitation that I knew I wanted to write about using the words, “THANK YOU.”
“Thank you” is the most common and probably most used term to express gratitude. It could be a thumb up, pat on the back, or your favorite thank-you emojis in a text. The point is that gratitude is an important attitude and skill and can be fostered and developed with the use of “Thank you.”
Fast Forward, and I was speaking to an industry colleague and friend, Scott Miller, The Growth League, who offers coaching and runs a Sales Coaching program. We were talking about “Thank you” on many levels: cultural, sales, and even one’s personal mental state. It can affect your relationships, referral marketing stream, and your culture, which leads to the first tip from Scott:
Wrapping up, the simple act of saying “Thank you” does more than acknowledge a job well done—it builds a foundation of appreciation and respect that can significantly shape your company’s culture. It’s about more than just manners—it’s about creating an environment where people feel valued, seen, and motivated to give their best. As leaders, our role in nurturing this culture of gratitude is so important, not just for the immediate positive vibes it creates but for the lasting impact it has on our team’s morale and our business’s success. So, let’s not hold back on those two powerful words. Let’s make “Thank you” a key part of our daily interactions, a habit that strengthens our teams and our business from the inside out. A culture that values gratitude is one that flourishes, and it all starts with us. Let’s lead by example and see the positive change it brings to our workplace.