Writing a Thank You Note (2): Writing a Business Thank you Note

Sending a thank you note is always a lovely gesture – and often an expected one. I’m sure that when you were a child, your parents encouraged (or forced) you to write thank you notes for birthday and Christmas presents. As an adult, you should still make a point of writing a thank you note to express gratitude in a number of situations. These come in both personal and business contexts:

It’s appropriate to send a thank you note:
After attending a job interview.
After receiving a promotion or payrise.
After a business lunch, dinner or party.
When an acquaintance has given you their time and advice.
When a manager or professor has supplied you with a reference letter.
To co-workers who’ve given you a gift (this last one may fall into the “personal” category, depending on how well you know your colleagues).
Thank you notes are mandatory and expected in some situations. A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found that:

Nearly 15 percent of hiring managers would reject a job candidate who neglected to send a thank you letter after the interview
32 percent said they would still consider the thankless prospect but that their opinion of him or her would diminish
– advice from Write Express

As you can see, after a job interview, a thank you note may be a must. (This will depend on your career area and the business etiquette in your country.) And in any business situation, it never hurts to send a polite letter, whether or not you think it’s absolutely required.

A business thank you letter is somewhat different to the sort you send to your Grandma in gratitude for your Christmas slippers. Your business letter should:

Be typed, ideally on letter-headed paper. (Handwritten or emailed letters are okay if you know the recipient will prefer this.)
Be sent promptly (within 24 hours of an interview, for instance).
Be friendly but also professional. It would be very inappropriate to end a business thank you with “love from”.
Structuring a Business Thank You Note

As with the personal thank you note, there’s an easy formula to follow.

Set your letter out as a proper business letter, using letter headed paper and including your address, the recipient’s address, and the date. (You can find instructions on US business letter format and UK business letter format here on Daily Writing Tips.)
Address the recipient as “Dear [name],” erring on the side of caution regarding formality. (“Mr Jones” or “Dr Smith” rather than “Bob”).
Start by thanking them for the interview, pay rise, promotion, event, or other occasion that you’re writing about.
Go on to mention something specific about how it has helped you, or how you enjoyed the event. Be sincere, and make it clear how much you appreciate their time and effort.
You may want to mention the next occasion on which you hope to see them – though try not to be presumptuous. If you’re writing a thank you note for an initial interview, don’t act as though you’ve already been given the job!
End with “Yours sincerely” when writing to someone you don’t know well (an interviewer or acquaintance from another company). If you’re writing to your boss or manager, “Best wishes” or “Many thanks” might be an appropriate way to close your letter.


Example of a Business Thank You Note

There are some good examples at Business Thank You Note Samples, including this one:

Dear [City officials names],
We’d like to express our gratitude for the school administrators’ luncheon last week. The luncheon itself was very well done and enjoyed by all, but of course it’s the sentiment behind the gathering that means the most. The city’s renewed united commitment is a boost to the administration’s morale and a vote of confidence in the school’s future. For that, we thank you .
Best wishes,

As with a personal note, a business thank you letter needn’t be long. Indeed, since the recipient is likely to be busy, you should try to be concise and stick to the point. And make sure you double and triple proofread your letter – especially if it’s one you’ve sent after an interview, in the hopes of being hired. Early impressions really do count for a lot.

by Ali Hale