Tips for Writing Thank You Notes to Prospects and Clients

Networking can feel like a lot, especially when you're juggling your classes, clubs, and social life . But there's something simple and relatively light that can really make you stand out - sending a follow-up thank you email. It's easy to do, yet so many people forget about it. It's not just good manners; it's a smart move that keeps you on someone's radar and shows you're serious about your professional relationships. Let's talk why sending these little notes of thanks can make a big difference in your networking game. Imagine this: You've just had a great chat with someone at a career fair, or maybe you've received some game changing advice from a guest speaker at your uni. What's the next step? A thank you email – and it's more powerful than you might think. First off, it makes you memorable. In a sea of faces and conversations, your email can be the nudge that keeps your name and face in their mind. Plus, it shows you're not just interested, but also appreciative and attentive. People remember how you make them feel, and gratitude always leaves a positive impression. But it's not just about being remembered. These emails can open doors down the line. Maybe that professional you chatted with remembers you when an internship spot opens up. Or perhaps the speaker you thanked forwards you a job opportunity they come across. It's these small connections that can lead to big opportunities. You never know who might be digging through their inbox in the future looking for thank yous! Knowing when to send a thank you email is just as important as writing one. Here are some perfect opportunities to hit that send button: - After a Job Interview: This is a no-brainer. Send a thank you email within 24 hours of your interview. It shows you're eager, on top of things, and respectful of the opportunity - Following a networking event: Met someone interesting at a career fair or a guest lecture? Drop them a thank you note. It's a great way to follow up on your conversation and express your interest in keeping in touch. - After a coffee chat: If a professor, alumni, or anyone else takes time out to help you or give advice, a quick thank you email can go a long way in showing your appreciation. Lastly, crafting a thank you email that strikes the right chord requires a blend of personalization and sincerity, but it doesn't have to be hard. Here are some things to keep in mind: - Personalization is key: Start by mentioning something specific from your conversation or meeting. This shows you were genuinely engaged and not just sending a generic note. - Keep it short and sweet: Your email should be concise. Respect their time by getting straight to the point - thank them, express your interest, and sign off. - Express genuine gratitude: Let your appreciation shine through. A heartfelt thank you is always better than a formal, detached tone. How do you approach thank you notes? P.S. I've dropped a simple template you can build off of in the comments!

The “thank you email” is poorly named. It’s not about perfunctory gratitude for a job interview. But it can 100% help you stand out in the market today. And since I can’t come up with a better name (“follow up email” .. blah), here are some tips for candidates when writing thank you emails to stand out and improve opportunities: ➤ Send within 24 hours, but not 2 minutes after an interview.  This gives you time to reflect and write something tailored. Truthfully, there’s optics here, too. You want to convey to the interviewers that you’re able to take time to process - and that you have the organization skills to remember to send. ➤ Don’t neglect the recruiter / screener. A great thank you email can help move them from indecision on your candidacy to a submission. In fact, I'd recommend sending an email to every single person who interviews you. ➤ Share an authentic insight (briefly) from the call. Simple framwork 1. WHAT you learned, and 2. WHY it was impactful. ➤ If next steps were discussed, share a recap. This shows initiative and organization skills, and can also help you keep the hiring team on top of their process. ➤Don’t expect a response, but consider using a reply or follow up on this email if needed for clarity on your candidacy (some might disagree with me here). What are some other tips you’d offer for thank you emails? #interviewing

After a decade in recruiting, here is my 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗽 you might be missing in your interview process that is costing you getting the job. After being  in 1000s of interviews  I did a  deep dive into the final decision making process when there are  2 equally qualified candidates for 1 role. The candidate who had sent a personalized thank you note got the job more times than the other. 💌 Sending a thank you note isn't just a courtesy—𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻! 🥇 It can end up being the tie breaker that makes you stand out from the other qualified candidate you are up against  Here is an example of 2 qualified candidates I worked with. ----- > Example 1: Betty left her interview and followed up with a generic yet kind email for the team ❌ 𝐵𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑗𝑜𝑏. ------> Example 2: Cindy left her interview and sent individual thank you emails that consisted of these 5 things… ➡ Thanking them for their time ➡ 2-3 line recap of the interview ➡ At least 1 take-away learned from each member in the hiring team ➡ Reiterating your excitement about working for this team specifically. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. A well delivered Thank you might feel like additional  work, but so is starting over in another interview process, its worth the extra 15 mins!  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎯 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝐸𝑥-𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ - 𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑝𝑠!  ♻ 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 & 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑓𝑢𝑙!

Everyone wants to feel appreciated and can likely remember when they felt the warm glow of recognition and acknowledgment. Yet, we often forget that part of making a workplace great isn't just soaking up the sun of other's affirmation but also BEING the sun for others. As part of our commitment to the PILOT crew's professional development, we hired Heather Barnes, founder of Improv @ Work, to stretch us beyond our comfort zones, activate our emotions, and tie it all together beautifully so that we can apply immediately in our roles. One highlight for me was learning a simple framework for acknowledgment. Too often, we are stingy or lazy by simply checking the box with "good job" or "thanks for that." We can do better! In this spirit, we got to practice, and just writing down a few sentences lifted my mood and made me feel closer to the person I was affirming. -GENUINE - Comes from the heart with authenticity -PERSONAL - Bring yourself and their impact on you into it -SPECIFIC - Mention small details to make it come alive -TIMELY - A short loop between the goodness and acknowledgment -RELEVANT - Address something they directly contributed to Next time you're stumped with "What do I say?" in a thank you note - remember this post! An additional tip I'll provide is to quote them or mention something they said. This shows you're listening, and everyone loves being fondly quoted! Please reshare this post if others in your network would benefit from boosting how they recognize and show appreciation to others. Remember to be the SUN before expecting to BASK in others' light. #gratitude #improv #appreciation #recognition

Are thank-you notes passe? Nope. They are still a relevant part of any job interview process (and a handy networking tool). Here's a few strategies I follow: Timing 🕘 For email, it's not a deal-breaker to email same-day. But I prefer to wait until the next morning. This allows your momentum to spread over two days rather than one. You also allow the interview to breathe a bit. For hand-written, mail them as soon as you can. Mode 🖋 This really depends on the timeline of the job search. If the decision turnaround is quick (less than a week) I would send an email next-day to all those you interviewed with. This can be a group email or separate emails. If the decision turnaround is longer (a week or more) I would do hand-written notes. You have the time and it shows a little extra effort. Send one to everyone who participated in the interview. Content 💬 You only need two things here - 1️⃣ Reference something specific with that person (no duplicates!) 2️⃣ Keep it brief. Thank-you notes by themselves won't win or lose you a job, but they act as a confirmation to the hiring manager - either for you or against you. Very possible it won't matter if you send them. But also possible that they are the last item on the scale to tip it in your favor ⚖ DM me for more interview tips ➡

While thank you notes don't take the place of interview preparation or experience, they do remind the hiring team who you are among a sea of applicants. Other benefits of a well-crafted note: - Shows the hiring manager how you'd interact with potential customers (ie. communication skills) - Reemphasizes your qualifications and interest in the role - Opens the door for further dialogue Lourdes Olvera-Marshall, who teaches networking and career management courses at NYU, says “The thank you note starts during the interview.” She recommends jotting down notes while you’re interviewing, so you can make your follow-up message more meaningful. Best practices: Timing: DON'T send it immediately after the interview DO send within 24-48 hours Content: DO express gratitude, personalize, reiterate your interest in the role & why. DON'T be generic, complain, bring up compensation, be overly casual Length: DO keep it concise. We recommend 3-5 sentences or 1-2 small paragraphs. DON'T send 1 sentence or a long novel with a lot of docs attachments Bonus tip: If you interviewed with multiple people, send individual thank-you emails to each person with personalized details from your conversation. Have you received a thank you note that stood out? I'd love to hear why! Kester Search Group, LLC ® Molly White Jones Lee Kester