Mastering The Art (And Science) Of Thank You Letters

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After interviews, job seekers typically send nondescript, cookie-cutter thank-you notes: “It was a pleasure meeting you and I appreciate the time you spent speaking with me. I know I can add significant value to your team,” but, these letters are often disregarded and turn out to be a waste of time.

To ensure your letters stand out from the competition, it is important to rethink how you approach them.

Understand the purpose of your thank-you letters is to get you another meeting and to further sell yourself into that position, which can easily be accomplished if you incorporate a new spin on the thank-you letters of ol’.

Here are three ways to turn bland and ineffective thank you letters into offer-winning sales documents:

Overcome Objections:

“You’re right. I do not have experience selling HR solutions, but I can assure you in my current and previous roles I successfully sold products and services that were new to me. My approach? Learn what makes that service unique and how it fills a void for the client; once I know that, I can sell benefits which, rather than features, naturally address the true concerns of the client.”

Share How You Have Solved A Similar Problem:

“I have met the challenges of employee retention you are currently facing in your department. As a VP of Human Resources at XY Corporation, I made employee recognition frequent and peer-driven by forming committees and programs for employees to recognize each other with various awards (such as “above and beyond the call of duty”), improving employee retention 15% in two years.”

Highlight Qualifications Missed In Interview:

“During our fast-paced, exciting discussion, I was remiss in telling you I spent much of my childhood in Hong Kong and have been back many times as an adult. I am very comfortable with international travel and am in a place in my life where I would welcome it. Given your aggressive goal to double your current revenue in international markets such as Hong Kong, I feel I would be a natural fit.”

After the interview is no time to stop selling. In fact, it is the ideal time to address objections, share an idea/proposal, explain how you have already done the job and, lest I forget, thank them for their time.

Remember, the purpose of a thank-you letter is to get you to the next meeting, so keep your letters interesting, compelling and unique and ditch the bland and boring ones!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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6 Comments

1. 

   A. Carlos

   March 6, 2013 at 8:41 PM

   How do you address the, “sorry but I don’t have business cards at the moment” excuse to send the person interviewing? How would yo thank them if they did not have the professional curtesy to give you his/her email address?

   Reply
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     Valerie Delgado

     March 8, 2013 at 1:46 PM

     There are a couple of things that you can try:
     1. Call the main number of the Company and simply ask for that person’s email address. If they hesitate explain that you wish to send the person info in follow up to a conversation you had. Provide only the briefest specific answer to their questions. ABOVE ALL ANSWER TRUTHFULLY!! THis is YOUR INTEGRITY, REPUTATION, AND FUTURE AT STAKE!!

     2. If the receptionist can not or will not give the email address:
     -look to see if you have any HR emails etc, that give you an email address. Send them and email for her with an intro statement requestiong them to forward it to the interviewer. OR
     -ask to be transferred to their phone number or voicemail. If you are transferred to their phone and that person picks up gather yourself, Make it short. Smile while you are talking and cordially BRIEFLY ask them for an email because “you want to thank them for their time.” This may sound silly but 2 thank yous are better than none. If you get voicemail,,, SPEAK AND SMILE AND THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS while you say thank you in your best professional voice. Leave your email or phone number before you say good-bye.

     2. Write your Thank you including “selling your vision and strengths” particularly for this company’s mission statement, goals, or need. TAKE IT THERE IN PERSON! DON’T FORGET TO DRESS UP LIKE FOR AN INTERVIEW TO TAKE IT THERE. Learn the Receps name and use it ONLY ONCE WHEN THANKING HER/HIM “SO MUCH” FOR BEING SO HELPFUL IN ASSISTING YOU TO GET THAT MESSAGE TO THE INTERVIEWER. Smile! Say good bye and walk out confidently cuz you look awesome and you’ve gone the extra mile!!

     Reply
2. 

   HR

   November 14, 2011 at 12:11 PM

   Good article.  I handle the recruiting for the company I work for and it amazes me how many people do not follow up with any kind of Thank you email or note.  It is important and those candidates that do stand out. 

   Reply
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     Michael

     February 5, 2013 at 5:35 PM

     I would say that the reason for that would be because they don’t feel like that they performed well enough during the interview even though some of them may be better than the actual candidate that lands the job. I am sure that if they believed that they have made an impact during the interview, they would send the note.

     Reply
3. 

   James

   November 14, 2011 at 8:59 AM

   That’s exactly where most of the applicants fail. Writing a great thank-you letter is one of the most important aspects of attracting the employer’s attention. The article makes some really interesting points. Thanks for this wonderful share!

   Reply
4. 

   Drew R. Hinkle

   March 24, 2010 at 4:54 AM

   I believe that the best time to overcome objectives is during the interview, not on a thank-you note. At the end of the interview, applicants should ask the prospective employer if he/she has the experience and skills that they are looking for. It is during this time that weaknesses or doubts should be flushed out and addressed. The thank-you note should simply be icing on the cake.

   Of course, this is just my $.02, and everyone has their own opinion and sense of personal timing. Use what works best for your personality. One thing is universally clear, though: You have to stand out from the crowd to get hired these days!

   Reply