Many of us have found ourselves racking our brains over how to reply to appreciation emails that we receive at work.

All kinds of questions pop up in our minds.

How do I start my email?

On what note do I end my mail?

How do I express sincere gratitude?

How do I avoid going overboard with my thank you?

Two Simple Steps to help you frame your reply to an appreciation email.

Have a look!

Step 1. Acknowledge the appreciation

Yes, that’s the first thing you should be doing at the very beginning of your email.

Sample this-

• Thank you for your encouraging words.
• It is very thoughtful of you to appreciate my efforts and nominate me for the Employee of the Year award.
• Thank you very much for recognizing my contribution to the team. This means a lot to me.
• I am humbled by your public appreciation for my work. Thank you.
• Thank you for your feedback. Glad I could be of help.

Step 2. Add- how their words of appreciation would help you better your performance

Here are some examples to word it.

a) If there is a compliment- return the compliment

• It was a wonderful learning experience working with you. I look forward to implementing this knowledge in my next ABC task.
• It was a pleasure assisting you with the assignment. I hope to work with your QA team again.

b) If there is feedback- acknowledge and say how this would benefit you

• Thank you for taking the time and letting me know the team’s views on my Sales prediction presentation. I am glad my work made sense to everyone. This feedback has motivated me to dig deeper into the analytics of my market research.

A few handy tips for that perfect reply to an appreciation email

• Keep it brief – Too wordy a mail loses its purpose. People don’t have the patience and attention span to read long emails. Keep your emails under 100 words.
• Give due credit– Attribute your success to your boss’s guidance & support and your co-workers’ cooperation.
• Avoid going overboard with your display of gratitude.

Eg. How will I ever repay this debt! [X]

Let me take you out for lunch for the favor that you have bestowed upon me. [X]

I am forever indebted to you for nominating my name for the Employee of the Year award! [X]

• In an attempt to sound humble, do not downplay your achievements. You might come across as saying your efforts are not worthy of appreciation.

Eg. Thank you but it’s no big deal. [X]

Thank you but I didn’t go out of the way for that. It was nothing. [X]

• Never dismiss a compliment/words of appreciation. It reflects low confidence.

Eg. I don’t think I have reached that great a level. [X]

I don’t think I am anywhere close to those standards. [X]

Thank you but I am not in that league yet. [X]

Sample email-

Dear Emiko,

Please accept my sincere thanks for your encouraging words for my contribution to the Xyz account.

My entire team lent me strong support on this. Without that, a smooth completion wouldn’t have been possible.

Thank you for your continuous guidance and support.

Regards,

Jessica Watson

– Neha Srivastava, Content Media Professional and Corporate Skills Trainer