A few weeks ago I got involved in a thread here on LinkedIn about what to do after an interview. I piped in and said you should send a hand-written thank you note. I was stunned how much push back I got…
* I was told that’s outdated and made me sound old
* You can’t do that because people work from home
* It wouldn’t work anyway
All those responses were wrong (except for the part of me being old 😰 ). It works because it helps you stand out, BECAUSE no one sends hand-written notes anymore!
If you’re not sure how to write the perfect thank-you notes, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! Here are our four tips for writing great thank you notes:
- Be Specific – When writing a thank-you note, it’s important to be specific about what you’re thanking the person for. Instead of just saying “thanks,” explain why you’re appreciative and how the recipient helped. For example, if someone gave you a gift, mention what it was and why it was so special.
- Add a Personal Touch – To make your thank you note even more meaningful, try to add a personal touch. This could be anything from mentioning how much you enjoyed spending time with the recipient, to including a joke or funny story.
- Express Gratitude in Your Own Words – It can be tempting to copy and paste generic thank-you notes, but it’s always better to express your gratitude in your own words. This shows that you truly appreciate the gesture and are taking the time to make a heartfelt thank-you note.
- Send It Quickly – Finally, be sure to send off your note as soon as possible. Even if it’s just a few days later, it’s important to show your appreciation in a timely manner. Plus, the sooner you write it, the fresher the gesture will be in your recipient’s mind!
Writing thank-you notes can seem daunting at first, but with these tips you’ll be able to craft meaningful and heartfelt messages that are sure to make any recipient feel appreciated. I’ll sign off with a classic Bill Becker smartass close…for those of you who don’t believe in thank you notes, keep up the bad work! It makes the ones that do write them stick out better!