Stephanie Young, a trusted friend and client from The Manus Group, asked me to post an article I wrote a while back.  So, for your reading pleasure, here's a few tips on getting the most out of a written Thank You Note:

There are few words known to man that are more appreciated than the two words  “Thank You.”  In fact, just hearing the words “thank you” from someone  inspires you to think of ways you might be able to help them again in  the future.  It’s a simple fact that the showing of appreciation and  gratitude is at the basis of human interactions.  In sales, the Thank You note serves two key purposes.  First, they help  you stand out from the competition in the minds of your customers, and  second, they provide a perfect opportunity to ask for a referral.   Although using a Thank You note for each and every customer you interact  with can be time consuming, it can possibly be the best marketing tool  you’ll ever use.  Let’s go over a quick “how to” for creating productive Thank You notes in your business:  

1)  Handwritten – A cardinal rule when using Thank  You notes is to be sure that they are hand written.  Nothing turns a person off faster than a heartfelt note written in Times New Roman  Font.  A little effort on your part to use your own handwriting will go  far in the minds of your customers.  

2)  Spell your customer’s name right – This is  crucial.  Misspelling the name of a customer that you are trying to  thank will only show that you don’t care enough to truly know and  appreciate them.  Find out the correct spelling of their name at all  costs!   

3)  Be brief – A Thank You note is what it should  be – a note.  This is not the place for long product descriptions or  other long winded information.  Be brief and to the point in thanking  them for the business, conversation, visit, or whatever the interaction  was or else they will only confuse your intentions and lose their  appreciation for your gesture.  

4)  Use specifics – Do your best to include  something specific to your relationship with the customer or your last  interaction with them to jog the memory of their experience.  The more  you can remind them, the better the chances that they will reflect on  their time with you in a positive manner.  Being specific also helps  when someone else reads your note before its intended target can get to  it.  Sometimes this person is a secretary or maybe even a spouse who may  only tell your customer about the note.  Using specifics paints a better story for them to tell and still accomplishes your goal.

5)  Include an invitation to do more - End your  note with a brief offer of additional assistance in their buying  process, or if the sale has been closed and the customer enjoyed their  experience, ask for a personal recommendation from them.  Writing  something like, “I hope you had an enjoyable experience with us.  If I  can ever help any of your friends or relatives in the same way, I’ll be  happy to do so,” should work just fine in a professional Thank You note.  

6)  Include a business card – This is a debatable  option, although we believe in branding, so we suggest putting a  business card in with the note.  There are times where your customers  may not remember your name or your face, but they will recognize your  business or logo and any time you can associate your brand with their  positive experience you’ve succeeded.  

7)  Finally, don’t EXPECT anything in return – The  first intention of a Thank You note is to give thanks, not act as a sure  bet for new business to come from it.  Truly expecting more from  sending a personal Thank You note defeats the original purpose of  offering thanks and will only discourage you from maintaining  consistency in writing notes for future customers.  Rest assured, the  results will come, but don’t bet everything on the first time you write  out a card!  Take some time this month to reflect on your customer base.  Who  deserves a Thank You note for their business?  Who should get a card in  the mail immediately after meeting with you over some business?  How  will you touch them?  Take the time to acknowledge them and they will  remember you for it.    

Andy Stansfield is the President of Revolutionary Marketing, a full service marketing agency, and serves as Educational Coordinator  to Business Network Internationalspecializing in the training of  salespeople in referral marketing.