Specific Guidelines for Writing Your Thank-You Letters
The thank-you letter is sent out following a new business appointment. First, let me say that I know this is one of the areas most people tend to agonize over, the reason being a sense of pressure exists. That's because the stakes have risen. You're fully "in the game" now and you don't want to blow your chances and landing the new corporate business.
Take the time you need to carefully word your thank-you note, but please remember to send it within 24 hours of your face to face new business appointment.
Who Should Receive a Thank-You Letter?
1. The Decision Maker (prospective department head)
2. The vendor team members
3. The department manager and other company executives.
4. Networking contacts
What are the benefits of a thank-you letter being sent to the new vendor decision maker?
a. It shows you have great follow-up skills.
b. It shows you appreciate the time they spent with you.
c. It's a great opportunity to market yourself, your organization and your relevant product/service, feature and benefit once again.
d. It shows you are interested in and enthusiastic for the business!
The general format of your thank-you letter should follow these guidelines:
1. Express thanks and appreciation for the appointment time and the executive’s time.
2. Reiterate interest in the business and working with the company.
3. Reaffirm your product’s, service or your relevant qualifications/experience,
4. Include a special value statement if possible.
5. Close with a final thank you.
What are the benefits of a thank-you letter to the new vendor team?
It's not as required as the previous letter, but this note of appreciation, again, will set you apart from the "crowd." It will also give you a definite competitive edge over the other vendors for the bid. Another idea to give you a leg up on the competition is to follow up an emailed thank-you letter with a snail-mailed copy of the letter. Hand-address the envelope if your handwriting is legible. In that case, a hand-scripted thank-you note is a great touch. Whether typed or penned by hand, personalize these letters as much as possible, but keep them simple.
The general format of your thank-you letter should follow these guidelines:
1. Express thanks and appreciation for the presentation time spent and the potential client’s time.
2. Reiterate interest in the business and working with the company.
3. Refer to a topic or event that occurred during the appointment.
4. Show appreciation for information shared with you during the appointment.
5. Close with a final thank you and reference of possibly working together.
When sending a thank-you letter to the decision maker or buyer, the general format should follow these guidelines:
1. Express appreciation for arranging the appointment.
2. State that you are interested in the business.
3. Include a brief value statement that emphasizes your ability to make a contribution to the solution with your company’s product or service.
4. Close with a final thank-you and state your interest in receiving the opportunity to provide your product or service to their organization.
What are the benefits of a thank-you letter to your networking contacts?
Here again, with some well-placed appreciation, you can really differentiate yourself from the pack. Most people network and get ideas/leads from others, but they rarely slow down long enough to go back and thank the person who helped them, let alone provide that individual with an update of how the lead worked out. It's just another way to get noticed and stand out from other new business development executives.
When sending a thank-you letter to networking contacts, the general format should follow these guidelines:
1. Express appreciation for the help provided.
2. Offer feedback on the benefits your contact's help afforded you.
3. Update them on the status of your new business solicitation process.
4. Request ongoing or additional help.
5. Close with a final thank-you statement.
In next week’s Corporate Success Partners blog, I will share with you:
“15 Tips to Writing Business Cover Letters You Should Know”
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