Thank-You Letters

Eight tips on how to write an effective thank-you letter.

1. 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.

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

3. 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.

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

5. Stick to the point.

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

7. 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).

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

Just how important are thank-you letters?

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

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

According to Business Letters for Busy People, “in a study of 800 letters written by the top chief executive officers in the US, all 800 letters were found to be short, clear and personal.

By the time these people became CEOs, they had learned never to send out a letter that didn't reflect those three basic principles of good writing.”

When writing a thank-you letter, first impressions count!

by Margaret Pettis, English Teacher

Have you ever written a thank-you letter to an employer or friend that was so poorly received you wished you had never sent it? Did your inappropriate or confusing phrasing result in your having to “put out the fire” and spend more time on the “quick” communication?

You are not alone!

Writing the perfect thank-you letter is a difficult process.
It is an area in which many of us falter. A poorly written thank-you letter can negate a chance for an interview or harm a relationship with a dear friend or employer.

The power of an effectively crafted thank-you letter is immense.
It requires a formal, exacting style. It demands sensitivity to tone and word choice. It must engage an uncompromising eye for grammatical and spelling errors. It is not the same thought process as speaking.

Often it is as simple as attending to the first and last lines of the letter.
We at WriteExpress understand the vital bridge between making it to an employer’s “short list” and landing in the slush pile with other poorly-constructed letters. Often it is as simple as attending to the first and last lines of the letter, which a busy employer is prone to scan to form a first impression.

Our job is to fit the thoughts and concerns of the writer to the task at hand.
We have studied reams of poorly written communiqués in the business world and resolved this critical aspect of smooth, intelligent, and appropriate connection between two parties. Now you can find just the right strategy, just the right way to phrase what you are longing to say but have lacked “the right words!”

First impressions are lasting.
Set yourself above the rest with a letter that shines in clarity, cordiality, and message. Let WriteExpress work for you. We know you’ll be satisfied!

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