Thank-You Notes 101

• Don't spend a fortune on printed thank-you notecards. (They're acceptable as long as your handwritten message goes inside.) Use your own stationery, or buy some simple Crane's fold-over notecards.
  
  
• Don't gush. Mention right off the bat what you appreciate ("thank you for your time," "I appreciate your seeing me today"), and add one detail about what you learned or especially enjoyed about the meeting/product/interview.
  
  
• Don't clutter up your letter. Save your news, product pitches, questions, and recommendations for another time. Never, never, never sneak in a request for something ("By the way, if you could supply me with that database you mentioned, I'd really be grateful"). Part of the art of saying thank you is being patient. Today, just say thanks.
  
  
• Say "thank you" only once. Otherwise it sounds like you aren't sure why you're writing a note in the first place -- or worse, phony.
  
  
• Get your note out within 48 hours. Mail (as in U.S. Postal Service) it. Don't fax it. If you sense that you're the hottest prospect for a chunk of new business, have the letter hand-delivered.
  
  
• If you have waited more than 48 hours, don't worry: it's never too late. Even if months or years have gone by, write that thank-you note for a favor or a gift. Apologize, of course, for the delay.
  
  
• Keep it lively. Don't kill yourself over your wording, but do put some energy into it. Your note should sound friendly, not stiff and formal.
  
  
• Make it stand out. If somebody went out of their way to help you, acknowledge it with one line: "I couldn't have done it without your help," or "You saved the day," or even "Those PowerPoint slides were knockouts." The idea, as always, is to make the recipient feel that all the trouble she went to on your behalf was worth it.