Destination Success: Thank yous score points with business folk

When we were children, our mothers taught us to say thank you when someone gave us a gift. We took the gift, got the nudge and heard the often hissed, "What do you say?"

"Thank you," we mumbled sheepishly.

As adults, we need to give ourselves the nudge. Often.

There are three occasions when written thank you notes are important.

Job searches

Thank-you notes need to go out within 24 hours of an interview. They should be sent to everyone you meet with and they should be sent every time you visit a company. This is one area where an e-mail may be sufficient as time is crucial.

Take the time required, though! When I was recruiting for an entertainment company, I had presented five candidates for construction manager to the director of construction. After the interviews, I went to ask the Director which candidates he wanted back for second interviews. His response was succinct: "I don't know yet. It will depend who sends a thank you note."

Since the construction managers were dealing at a very high level, he felt that their business etiquette was paramount. Out of the five, two sent thank you notes and they were brought back. One was hired.

Job search thank you notes should include thanking the person for their time, specific comments upon what was said in the interview [you should also ask if it is OK to take notes] and further reiteration of your interest in the business. Make sure that all spelling of names, both company and personal are correct.

A human resources candidate of mine was rejected in the final interview stages after her thank you note. Not only had she spelled the name of the company wrong five times, she spelled the name of the manager wrong! "If she is this careless with her communication, how will she treat our employees?" was the feedback.

Gifts

I received a decorated vase filled with chocolate from a vendor at Christmas. (At my company, we were allowed to accept gifts under $25.) I sent the vendor a note and called to thank him. What he said made me sad: "Thank you for thanking me. I sent out 25 of these and you are the only person who has thanked me."

Thank you notes for gifts need to be in your handwriting. They should mention the gift specifically. If possible, you should tell the giver what the gift means to you and how you will use it.

One of my former managers had stationery printed with his name on the top. He always wrote a note immediately, even when the gift came to him in person from someone in the office. Because the notes were not on company stationary, they felt very special.

Going the extra mile

Thanking peers and employees for their efforts is good business. This is one area where you can really use your imagination! One of my bosses saw that I had bad day but that I kept making cold calls. The next morning, I came in to find a little pot of flowers on my desk and a note that said: "You put in a great day yesterday. It will pay off today!" I was so motivated that I hit the phones hard and had a stellar day.

Times when you should send a thank-you note might include:

An outside speaker comes in to speak to your company or club, whether they are being paid or not.

A vendor makes an extra effort to help you meet a deadline.

A customer takes the time to make you aware of a problem.

An individual consults with you on a personal basis.

You are invited to take part in a special event.

Recently, the subject of thank you notes came up with a friend, and he said, "I grew up on a farm and I wasn't taught to send thank you notes." What he didn't take into account was the fact that he wasn't on a farm anymore. He was a college grad with a senior level job and 15 years of experience. Peers would say he "should know better."

For further reading, look for "Business Etiquette for Dummies," "Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy" and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Business Etiquette."

(Sinara Stull O'Donnell is a writer and professional speaker in the career arena through her company Sinara Speaks.)