Thank You

Thank You: The two most important words! Score points with courteous, professional or personal thank-you letters. Send thank-you letters following many occasions such as:

• Demonstrate/reiterate your interest in a project, product, position, etc.
• Thank someone for their assistance or contribution.
• Make or reinforce a good impression.
• Promote opportunities for further collaboration.
• Form or strengthen positive business and personal relationships.
• Acknowledge receipt of a resume, invitation, report, or other important documents.

8 Thank-You Letter Tips:

• Write the thank-you letter as soon as possible after the event (for a job interview, this should be within 24 hours of the interview). However, do not thank the person beforehand (for example, "Thanking you in advance for your help in this matter"). To do so is presumptuous and suggests you are unwilling to write a follow-up letter.

• Handwrite personal letters, and use customized letterhead for business correspondence. Use quality paper. E-mail may also be appropriate in less formal situations, especially if the addressee expresses a preference for it or if time constraints require it.

• Address your letter to a specific person, if possible, not just the company or organization in general.

• Write clearly and concisely; this is no time to be longwinded or flowery.

• Stick to the point.

• Be sincere--most people can sense when you aren't being honest.

• Be specific and include details from the event. Make your letter stand out (don't send a generic letter that could be to or from anyone).

• Proofread the letter before sending it: grammatical errors and typos are sloppy and unprofessional.

Thank-You Letter Statistics:

 

70% said e-mailing thank-you notes was appropriate, especially to acknowledge a small gift or gesture (Recent survey by the Emily Post Institute).

Thank-you notes are mandatory and expected in some situations. A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found that:

• Nearly 15 percent of hiring managers would reject a job candidate who neglected to send a thank-you letter after the interview

• 32 percent said they would still consider the thankless prospect but that their opinion of him or her would diminish

• Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of managers prefer handwritten thank-you letters

  • 21 percent seek a typed hard copy

  • 19 percent want an e-mailed thank-you letter followed up with a snail-mailed letter