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The Value Of A Personal Touch: Six Tips For A Successful Thank-You Note

Forbes Human Resources Council
POST WRITTEN BY
John Pierce

I was watching television one evening when I saw an interesting story about a café in France. The shop owner listed coffee on the blackboard at a price of nine euros. That’s pretty darn expensive for a cup of coffee. However, below that, he’d listed the same coffee for five euros ... if the customer said “good morning,” “good afternoon,” “good evening,” or “thank you.”

While the shop owner didn’t report a large spike in sales as a result of this unconventional marketing tactic, his customers did become friendlier, and the five-euro coffees far outsold the more expensive option. Although greeting your barista might seem simple and obvious, plenty of people forget to do it when they’re stressed or in a rush. That café wanted to remind people to get back to those forgotten basics.

We can apply this lesson to the recruitment process too. Recruiters can take small, simple steps to build meaningful relationships with desirable candidates and get a leg up on competitors when it comes times for the candidates to make their final decisions.

One of my favorite “forgotten basics” is the thank-you note. People often assume that candidates are the only ones who should be writing thank-you notes, but in today’s candidate-driven recruitment landscape, recruiters should take the time to thank candidates and add personal touches to the hiring process.

Sadly, the mechanics of the thank you have been lost to email, tweet and text. Yes, it’s quick and easy to jot off a five-second electronic follow-up and move on, but it doesn’t take much longer to make a memorable impression with a handwritten note. After a phone call or first meeting, don’t wait for the next call or meeting to continue communications. Do the unexpected and make that prospect or client feel valued with a real thank-you note.

Just follow these steps:

1. Write it by hand. A handwritten thank-you note has far more impact than a typed note or an email, but with one caveat: it should be written by you. Don’t delegate this task to your assistant. It should be in your own words and handwriting.

2. Give it a real stamp. Machine metering is faster and easier, but go ahead and splurge for some real stamps to keep in your desk. Savvy prospects will notice the real stamp and appreciate the personal touch and attention to detail — and to them.

3. Pay attention to the ink color. Make sure that your ink is in a different color from any printed material on the stationery. If you’re taking the time to write a note by hand, you want it to be noticed! With a different color of ink, your client or prospect will immediately know that you made that effort.

4. Don’t leave out the address. You should write the address by hand too. The address will be the first thing that the prospect or client sees when they receive the note, and they’ll be immediately blown away to realize that they’re receiving a handwritten note from you. Labels make it less personal. Send the right message.

5. Use unexpected sizes. Larger notes grab people’s attention more quickly than standard sizes (think: the size of a wedding invitation). Nonstandard sizes stand out among the bills and mailers most people are used to receiving.

6. Keep it concise. The card itself may be large, but don’t write a novel or try to summarize your discussion. A quick sentence or two will suffice, as long as your message is sincere and genuine. Reflect on what the meeting or phone call meant to you, and express that in the first sentence. In the second, reference a personal detail to show that you were really listening to what the prospect or client had to say. “Crystal, I really enjoyed our first meeting and am excited to follow up with you. That is awesome news about your daughter’s college selection — congratulations again!”

In my role as Head of Recruitment for Stifel, I have the opportunity to interact with many potential recruits. I would estimate that 2% take the time to follow up with me after engagement, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that those 2% make an impact. Those are the people I really want in our organization.

Conversely, I keep a cupboard full of note cards that I send to every recruit who I would like to join our organization. I believe that this extra step helps us stand out and build relationships with top candidates.

Of course, I realize that the suggestion to send handwritten thank-you notes is rather basic. Anyone who’s recruited candidates or searched for a job before has likely heard it. However, almost no one actually does it. Be one of the few to make the effort, and you’ll have genuine impact.

Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?