When was the last time you sent or received a thank you card?

What if the thank you card (or a simple thank you note) was seen as an essential seed for a relationship to flourish?

Many high school graduates have fond memories of a parent who reminded them to send thank you notes to people who attended their reception or sent them gifts.

No, you can’t send a text message. No, you cannot send an email. Handwrite a thank you note.

My mom taught us the subtle art of writing thank you notes right after receiving a gift. No child wants to do that, of course; but the discipline of doing it right away helps her avoid the embarrassment of remembering that she didn’t send a thank you card for a meeting she had 3 months earlier.

Over the years, I’ve talked to countless people who have saved thank you notes or heartfelt thank you notes. When someone is feeling down, opening their collection of thank you cards and letters snaps them out of the complacency rut.

After the concert in NYC:

Several musicians and I went out for dinner after performing a successful concert in New York City. I was already an established musician traveling the world, and the others were just beginning their professional journey. I decided to pay the dinner bill for our party.

3 days later I received a beautiful duet for viola and piano dedicated to me by one of our musicians who was a composer. It was a wonderful thank you!

Dream Job Interview:

Jay has just been interviewed for his dream job. He thought the interview had gone well! When he called a week later, they said the position was filled. He was in shock!

He asked the corporation secretary “what made the winning candidate different from the other candidates?” She replied, “The winning candidate sent a handwritten follow-up note immediately after the interview.” Jay learned a valuable lesson that day!

Stand out from the competition

Amy Segelin, president and co-owner of Chaloner, a national executive search firm, says, “The message is simple with thank-you notes after a job interview: No follow-up, no job.”

“We reached out to more than 50 people from different industries who had hired at least three communication professionals in the last year (including some who hired many more).”

“We were surprised to learn that more than 75% of the people surveyed did not receive any type of thank you note from the majority of the candidates they interviewed, and For 30% of those surveyed, the lack of follow-up meant that there were no further steps for the candidate.”

One hiring manager said, “Follow-up is the backbone for me. If the interview goes well and I feel energized and excited about someone, I wait to see what kind of tracking efforts they proposed”.

New York fashion publicist Cristiano Magni says, “It’s very important, in a digital world, to have the dignity to sit down and write something with your own hand.”

Landing an interview is a great demonstration of what you can say. A simple thank you note shows that you are capable of delivering.

Do I need to write a long and complicated thank you note?

No. Even something as simple as “It was a pleasure meeting with you and your team. I appreciate your time and hope to see you again soon” will get the job done.

If you want to integrate a more detailed follow-up, Ted Chaloner, Founder of Chaloner, commented: “A good follow-up communicates interest, trust and enthusiasm. Thank the interviewer for their time and affirm your belief in your ability to do the job. If there is an opportunity to follow up or close the circle on a topic or event that came up in your interview, take this opportunity to do so.”

Amy Segelin says, “With so many factors out of your control in your job search, take advantage of the easy opportunity to send a thank you note to show humility, confidence and passion.”

Tim Ventura, a digital marketing executive, says that with many candidates to consider for a job and “with a stack of resumes and notes, a thank you follow-up will tend to give your resume a little more weight, because it puts them back on track.” your radar. A thank you note demonstrates real interest, genuine enthusiasm, a self-motivated, “drive-by” attitude.

Ventura also says, “I’ve written a lot of thank-you letters myself, and I usually try to start the letter with a sentence that describes what went well in the interview (don’t mention the things that didn’t go well, obviously). Then , I try to touch on some of the key points discussed in the interview and offer brief reminders as to why my skills fit those requirements well, then finish with a line of “I look forward to contributing to your team,” and of course, your feedback. at the bottom. The “thank you” part is more important than the summary, in my opinion; keep it short, don’t write a book. But it’s good to remind them why you’re a great candidate.”

“Hey, you’re not done yet! Set a reminder to follow up with them in a week, 2 weeks, and then if they haven’t made a decision yet, space them out a bit longer.” so you don’t look desperate.”

Don’t let the commitment stop with a single thank you. Sharing an article you found on LinkedIn with a simple, “Read this and thought of you… All the best!” Reinforce that you are interested and involved in the relationship, not just the transaction.

“Encouraging Notes” by Dr. John Maxwell: Dr. John Maxwell, the #1 leadership coach in the world, thought it was so important to write thank you notes that he recently started “The John Maxwell Stationary Series – Box of Encouragement Notes.”

Be grateful in everything:

Rev. Matthew Henry had his wallet stolen one night. Instead of lamenting his ordeal, that night he wrote the following in his diary:

“That I be grateful first because they never robbed me before second because even though they took my wallet they didn’t take my life third because even though they took everything from me it wasn’t much and fourth because it was me who robbed me, it’s not me who stole.”

Sure, Fire Way to write a thank you right after:

Says Amy Segelin: “I met a candidate who carries stationery with her at all times and disciplines herself to write the note right after leaving a meeting so she can mail it right away. Consider this strategy if you’re having a tough time … practice tracking. And don’t worry too much about the format — the gesture itself is what people remember.”

Composer Joseph Haydn’s most memorable thank you note:

John Bland, an English music publisher, was visiting composer Joseph Haydn at his home in Vienna, Austria. His aim was to convince Haydn to come to London in 1787 for a concert and to publish Haydn’s music.

When Bland arrived at Haydn’s house, he found the composer struggling to shave with a dull razor. The world-famous composer’s face and neck were covered with nicks and cuts and he complained of a headache from shaving with a dull razor.

Haydn said, “I’d give my best quartet for a good razor.”

Bland hurried back to his room, grabbed his new British razors, and ran back to hand them to Haydn.

True to his word, Bland received the manuscript of the Quartet, Op. 55 No.2, the Razor Quartet. It was quite a thank you gift!

Building Strong Relationships:

That day was the beginning of a strong connection and friendship between the two men. John Bland became Hayden’s music publisher and when Haydn came to England he stayed at John Bland’s house.

What if:

What if the thank you card or a simple thank you note was seen as an essential seed to make a relationship flourish? Would you take the next step?