8. Thank you for picking up the check. You’ve been taken out to dinner. The bill never arrives because your host covered it earlier. We run into this problem when friends invite us to their country club. Everything is paid by the member’s signature. We send a note afterwards. You are recognizing they have spent more than necessary.
9. Thank you for all your hard work. When you are involved with nonprofits, they often hold events supported by lots of volunteers. It’s good form for the head of the board or the executive director to write a letter to the editor at the local paper thanking volunteers by name. If there are dozens and dozens of volunteers, running an ad is the right thing to do. People may be volunteers, but their time has value.
10. Thank you for driving me to the airport. You are going on vacation. Instead of driving to the airport and paying for parking (or getting an Uber) you ask a neighbor to dive you to the airport. To you, it sounds like a small request. For them, it becomes the morning or afternoon activity. By thanking them you acknowledge their time has value.
11. Thank you for your contribution. You approached a friend for a charitable contribution for your nonprofit. They agreed. It’s easy to assume you are out of the loop. The organization handles the paperwork. As the person who asked, you should also be (one of) the people who thank them. You can never thank people enough.
Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor,” is available on Amazon.