Retirement Thank You Cards

Sending a thank you card is a great way to build and maintain business or personal relationship. It can be simple and precise, but the receiver still has to prove that you're a person sharing and caring. In our impersonal world, the simple act of saying "thank you" is very powerful.

When a thank you card to send?
Certainly, after a business meeting where you were introduced to the ore met someone for the first time is very appropriate. If someone out of there way to give you a "random act of kindness" this certainly justifies a thank you card as well.

More importantly, there are many people in our lives that we take for granted that never heard the word "thank you" in person. Who are you in contact with that deserves a sincere "thank you". Could it be a teacher, family member who lives far away, a retired coach, a bank teller, or hairdresser?

Thank you cards are appropriate for each time you want to let someone know they are special and you appreciate the contribution they make to your life.

When should thank you cards be sent?
A thank you card should be sent no later than 24 hours after a business meeting. Especially if you go to an interview, follow up with a card the minute you return home.

In a random act of kindness, thank you cards can be sent at any time. In fact, thank you cards can be a way for you to start focusing on the positive things in your life and draw your attention away from you and start thinking of others.

For example, if you had a bad day, take a moment to write five people who are always there for you and send them a thank you card. Let them know how important they are for you and not be a holiday to get a card from your hand.

What you say in a thank you card?
From thank you cards are usually about 3-4 sentences, you must get to the point quickly. If you're like me, the first sentence is the most difficult to write, so I developed a formula for writing Thank you card that works. Here's my formula for writing thank you cards after a business meeting or interview.

1. Start all thank you cards with this sentence:
"It was a pleasure to meet and visit with you today."
2. Remind them what your meeting was about:
"Thank you for taking the time to tell us more about company XYZ."
3. Give them a few comments on your experience:
"I enjoyed meeting members of the team and get an idea of what XYZ is all about.
4. Closely with:
"Thank you, Mr. Jones. I look forward to hearing from you soon. "Sincerely Jack Smith

So let's look at the final you thank you letter:
Mr Jones
It was a pleasure to meet and visit with you today. Thank you for taking the time to say more about the company. XYZ I enjoyed meeting the team members and get an idea of what XYZ is all about. Thank you, Mr. Jones. I am glad to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
Jack Smith

What about e-cards thank notes??
My advice is to always send a REAL card. An e-card is very impersonal and can get lost in the spam filter. Stand out in the crowd. Your potential employer deserves a real card. Now, if you were asked to provide additional information by e-mail, go ahead and send it, but thank you for sending a real card as well.

Now we will examine a sample for a simple random act of kindness thank you card:

Dear Sue,
Thank you for taking the time to visit with me today. Your words of encouragement lifted my spirits and I have a much more on "The Big Picture". I really appreciate your attention.
Thank you
Valerie

T.