Just as in any other area of life, most people would probably agree that a 'thank you' goes a long way in the world of comping.
When you've won a brilliant prize, the chances are that you'll automatically thank whoever has given it to you if you have an easy way to get in touch with them - after all, you're likely be in a brilliant mood!
If they contacted you by email, a cheerful response will probably be one of the first things you'll write after you hear the news.
Even a comper who has won thousands of competitions still feels the same excitement after a win - after all, those precious winning moments are a huge reason for taking part in the hobby?
Yes, many of us enjoy entering the competitions; with some entries being mentally challenging and other competitions being fun and wacky to enter, most compers certainly get a lot of joy from sharing the rewards our hobby with other people.
But it's that point when a prize message actually comes through that really gives most of us a thrill, and makes us want to keep at our favourite pastime.
The person dealing with your prize will certainly appreciate signs of your excitement. Just as in any job where someone has to deal with the public, if the people they come into contact with actively show pleasure about the work they do, it could make their day.
So send that thank you email, or make that thank you phone call. In fact, you could also consider some of the following comp-tastic ideas…
Say it on social media
Social media is where so much comping action happens these days, and with a lot of brands receiving feedback from the public via these portals, they will be delighted to get a very public acknowledgement of your appreciation and companies are always pleased to get good, rather than bad, news from people connecting with them on either Facebook or Twitter.
Just imagine how good it will look if you head to a brand's Facebook or Twitter page to register your gratitude and say thank you for a prize? This would give the organisation that extra little bit of good publicity, even after a competition has ended, and is sure to make whoever is in charge of running their account smile.
And it's also so easy – Facebook and Twitter are where a lot of us spend our time these days, anyway, so they're certainly a convenient place to send a message of thanks.
Plus, it takes only moments to write a post and connect with a brand that has impressed us.
Though not everyone will want to go with this option for saying thank you, it can certainly be a way of showing gratitude more publically, compared to sending a simple email.
The formal letter
Despite the evolvement of the digital age, a lot of people still feel that a really great way to show gratitude is with a formal letter. It's true that writing something out by hand could be appreciated by competition organisers, but we think that these days many will be equally thrilled with a digital message - so choose whichever fits for you!
Go with a gift?
You may want to present comp organisers with a gift when you experience a win you're particularly pleased with.
Again, although the people running a comp are likely to be doing this as part of their job, that doesn't mean they don't deserve to be shown gratitude.
Whether or not you actually choose to present a small gift to someone who has organised a prize for you is really your own choice, but here's a tip: It might be good to ask them about the suitability of a present beforehand, when you're thanking them in an email, for example.
It's no good sending a bottle of wine to someone who doesn't drink, for example. Of course, there's a chance someone will turn down the gift altogether in these circumstances, but at least they'll know the thought was there!
And sometimes, it is not just the promoters you need to thank. Always try and remember where you found out about the competition originally; it could have been through Compers News, Chatterbox or your comping club. Always remember to make time to say thank you to them as well. Hopefully a little bit of Comping Karma will work its magic and the next big win you hear of will be from the person who initially helped you.
