Every Friday I write thank you cards to clients I served that week. They’re hand written and I choose the card from a stockpile I keep in my office, something for every client personality. It takes me 15-20 minutes do write each week’s cards and I know they matter because clients have commented.

Sometimes, I’ll include an article from my files if I have one that’s relevant post-mediation or consult. And, of course, I include my business card…three of them. One for the client to keep, two for them to give to others.

I still remember my mother sitting me down at the kitchen table when I was a child, reminding me of the components of good thank you notes, and handing me a stack of blank cards after each Christmas and birthday. Thanks, Mom.

Business thank you notes aren’t much different, and Church of the Customer has a good, short post on the Five Must-Haves for Thank-You Notes, including:

• Thank the person for choosing your business. If they shared a specific reason why they choose your business of why they like it, reaffirm it. For heaven’s sake, though, don’t turn it into a sales pitch.
• Include a personal detail about the recipient that you picked up on. Prove that you were listening. Humanity is a good thing in the antiseptic world of business.

If you want an alternative to sending out your own cards, Send Out Cards will do it for you, for a fee. I prefer the personal touch of doing it myself, but I also know business owners who rave about this service.

What thank you strategy do you use? Share a comment and keep the conversation going (if you’re reading this in email, click on the article title to be taken to the article’s page and comment box)?

Copyright © 2007 by Tammy Lenski. All rights reserved.