As a part of the University of Tennessee MBA program, I work as a graduate assistant in the Marketing Department. Below, is some advice I compiled for Lisa Murray’s business writing class, but it is equally good advice for business owners.

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I have sent and received hundreds of thank-you notes, during my career. The good news is that it is VERY difficult for a thank-you note to leave a bad impression of the writer. Of all the notes received, I would only consider three of them as bad. Surprisingly enough, I can’t remember who sent them.

The most important part of a thank-you note is that it is personally written, addressed, stamped, and sent in a timely manner (within 24 hours.) While you shouldn’t totally disregard formatting, structure, materials, and content, they are not the key to a good note. So don’t stress out about having to conform to a set of note-writing rules, just do it.

Below, I have compiled a simple guideline to get you started. None of these are hard-and-fast rules, but they are so easy to do it would be folly to not follow them.

Materials:

• Paper: Use a fresh, clean, small note card, preferably not embossed with “Thank You” on the front. I use a simple white flat card and envelope from Crane & Co. They are more expensive than what you can get at Wal-Mart, but they set you apart from the crowd even more. The important thing is to keep it simple.
• Writing Instrument: Get a smooth pen. I like fountain pens. I use a Monteverde Invincia, but a Lamy Safari is $20 online (just google it.)
• Scratch paper: Compose, edit, and practice each note on a piece of scratch paper, rather than your expensive stationary. You want your final product to look perfect. When you get comfortable with the process, you could do away with this step.

Structure and Content:

Here is a simple thank-you note that would certainly get Ms. Jones’ attention.

Dear Ms. Jones,

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to our class. I am eager to use the persuasive techniques you mentioned as I rewrite my resume cover letter. It was exciting to have a person of your caliber share her real-world experiences with us, and I will certainly take you up on your offer of assistance in the future.

Thank you again for your time and wisdom.

Sincerely,
Cornelius Vanderkampencoopendunkin

Here is the formula I used for this note, as adapted from Leslie Harpold’s article in “The Morning News.“ Check out the link to get a better idea of what could be written in each of the sections.

Greet the giver: Dear Ms. Jones

Express gratitude: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to our class.

Discuss use: I am eager to use the persuasive techniques you mentioned as I rewrite my resume cover letter.

Mention the Past, Allude to the Future (massage the ego): It was exciting to have a person of your caliber share her real-world experiences with us, and I will certainly take you up on your offer of assistance in the future.

Grace: Thank you again for your time and wisdom.

Regards: Sincerely, Cornelius Vanderkampencoopendunkin

Things not to do:

• Use a full size sheet of paper. This is a short note and your message will be swimming in a sea of white.
• Use your printer to address the envelope. Or worse, use an address label. The three bad notes I referenced earlier did this.
• Scribble. If your handwriting is horrible (mine was), then fix it. You’re a smart college educated person, figure it out. I downloaded some elementary school handwriting guides from the internet.
• Use a postage meter. Buy a book of Forever stamps from the post office.

Final Advice

Send a thank-you note whenever possible. Writing a note is quick and it pays big dividends.

Here are some cues that a note is in order:

When a person speaks to your class.
When you talk to a recruiter at a career fair.
When your classmate has gone above and beyond to help you with a project.
When you have received someone’s business card (this is a BIG cue)

Also, get a sturdy box to hold your note cards, envelopes, and stamps. The box should be able to withstand the rough and tumble environment of your backpack without damaging the paper. If you have the cards with you at all times, you can dash off a quick note as soon as you finish meeting with someone. The longer you wait to write a note, the more likely you are to forget.

If you remember nothing else, remember what makes a thank-you note special:

• Personally written
• Hand addressed
• Real stamp
• Sent in a timely manner (within 24-48 hours)

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If you found this information useful, you could practice your thank-you note writing skills in the comments section below.

~greg