"Thank you" is a phrase that should be used far more often than it is in business. Few people take the time to think about the difference a brief thank you letter can make to a business relationship.
Just a few short words of appreciation penned to a potential client during tense negotiations can make all the difference in the world. A thank you for lunch letter sent to a client after a mid-day restaurant meeting to hash out the details of an ad campaign can demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest in the project, as well as in the person. A timely business meeting thank you letter can effectively show your colleagues how much you value their contribution to your organization.
Here are some positive results you can expect from the simple act of writing business thank you letters:
1. Goodwill among business contacts, clients, customers and associates.
2. Open doors to future business or networking opportunities.
3. Prospects who are more likely to want to do business with you.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Give some thought to the different types of business thank you letters that could pay off for you
Many websites offer information and tips on the situations that should make you think "business thank you letter." Some of these also provide sample thank you letters and templates to help make your letters easier to write.
I recommend: WriteExpress provides a comprehensive list of situations where you might choose to write a business thank you letter. The website offers 8 tips on how to write effective business thank you letters and its
4,001 Business, Sales and Personal Letters software is available for download, as well as on CD-ROM. Watch a demo at the site.
Check comparison sites that point to various web pages offering thank you letter help
These websites have done the research for you, offering links to many sites that contain a variety of helpful resources. Some examples are internal interview thank you letters and thank you letters for jobs.
I recommend: ABusinessResource offers many different business thank you letter sites, all in one convenient place, that you can study and compare at your leisure. It might be a smart idea to bookmark it so you can return later to investigate sample thank you letters and other information you don't have time to check out immediately.
Visit different websites that offer sample business thank you letter text which can prompt ideas
Some sites offer sample text for such requirements as a business meeting thank you letter, a sample follow-up letter or a thank you for lunch letter, among others. This sample text can inspire you, prompting you to write a great thank you letter yourself.
I recommend: Many such prompts are offered by
gOFFICE and make another great resource to bookmark for later use.
Insider Reports also offers sample business thank you letter links of various types.
Find further info to help you learn even more about writing effective business thank you letters
Keeping your thank you letter skills sharp can help prepare you for the many different types of business thank you letters you'll be required to write.
I recommend: Wilbers gives you all the do's and don'ts of writing thank you letters for jobs, as well as a helpful step-by-step process for making future business thank-you letters easier to write.
Remember to check general business letter sites that also include business thank you letters
Some websites contain a large number of resources for writing many kinds of business letters, including sections that provide sample thank you letters.
I recommend: Quazell is a site that offers a section of thank you letters among its other business letter types, providing links to individual letters.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Continually work on improving your skill at writing the business thank you letter, tailoring it to the individual recipient, rather than sending the same letter to everyone. Mention something that will be especially meaningful to the person receiving it, which will help you build rapport. Get ideas from prior conversations, correspondence or other contact you've had with this person.
The official source of Thank You Letters For Jobs is
the Thank You Letters For Jobs page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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