Writing a good thank you letter is practically an art form - it requires time, effort and patience. But when done right, thank you letters are a great way to show your appreciation to someone.

There are many reasons to send thank you letters. Thank you letters for jobs are great for new employees, a quick thank you letter after an interview leaves a positive impression and even a simple thank you for lunch letter can help build more positive relationships. However, in order for business thank you letters to do all these things, they must be written well. Follow these tips for a more effective thank you letter:

1. Write it out – hand-written letters appear more thoughtful and personalized.

2. Keep it brief – be clear, but concise. Typically, your thank you letter should be no longer than a page.

3. Remind the person why you are thanking him or her – your recipient may or may not forget, but either way this shows that you vividly remember what he or she did for you.

Action Steps
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Read sample thank you letters

Though you should never copy someone else's thank you letter, a thank you letter sample can help you see different strategies in action.

I recommend: Find a sample business thank you letter that fits your particular situation. Whether you need a sample thank you letter after interview or a sample follow-up letter, Resume Resource offers a variety of examples that you can use for inspiration. For more on sample follow-up letters, check out ID Online. Here, you'll also find tips on when you should and shouldn't send a follow-up letter.

Have someone proofread your thank you letter

When you send a business thank you letter, it is important that you maintain a professional and competent appearance. Grammatical errors, misspellings and other editorial inconsistencies can damage your reputation, which means that well-intended thank you letter could do more harm than good.

I recommend: Before you even think about sending your thank you letter, make sure to thoroughly proofread it. If writing is not your area of expertise, check out Suite 101 for helpful writing tips for professionals. Update your letter as needed and then have someone you trust look over it as well. If none of your acquaintances fit that job description, Hyper Life provides editorial assistance for those in need of a professional editor's opinion.

Personalize your thank you letter and mention something that only you and the recipient would know

The point of a thank you letter is to personally show your appreciation to someone. In order to do this effectively, your letter should contain a tidbit of information known only to you and your recipient.

I recommend: Refer to a particular subject you two spoke about or mention something that occurred during your meeting. Check out Dev Seeker for some creative ways to add a touch of personality to your business thank you letter. If your letter is following an interview, visit Money-Zine.com for tips on how to write a stellar thank you letter that's both professional and personal.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget to send a thank you letter after a business lunch or an internal interview. Many people also forget to send a business meeting thank you letter. Additionally, it's always a good idea to send thank you letters for jobs that you actually do receive.

"Thank you" is a phrase that should be used far more often than it is in business. Few people take the time to think about the difference a brief thank you letter can make to a business relationship.

Just a few short words of appreciation penned to a potential client during tense negotiations can make all the difference in the world. A thank you for lunch letter sent to a client after a mid-day restaurant meeting to hash out the details of an ad campaign can demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest in the project, as well as in the person. A timely business meeting thank you letter can effectively show your colleagues how much you value their contribution to your organization.

Here are some positive results you can expect from the simple act of writing business thank you letters:

1. Goodwill among business contacts, clients, customers and associates.

2. Open doors to future business or networking opportunities.

3. Prospects who are more likely to want to do business with you.

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Give some thought to the different types of business thank you letters that could pay off for you

Many websites offer information and tips on the situations that should make you think 'business thank you letter.' Some of these also provide sample thank you letters and templates to help make your letters easier to write.

I recommend: WriteExpress provides a comprehensive list of situations where you might choose to write a business thank you letter. The website offers 8 tips on how to write effective business thank you letters and its 4,001 Business, Sales and Personal Letters software is available for download, as well as on CD-ROM. Watch a demo at the site.

Check comparison sites that point to various web pages offering thank you letter help

These websites have done the research for you, offering links to many sites that contain a variety of helpful resources. Some examples are internal interview thank you letters and thank you letters for jobs.

I recommend: ABusinessResource offers many different business thank you letter sites, all in one convenient place, that you can study and compare at your leisure. It might be a smart idea to bookmark it so you can return later to investigate sample thank you letters and other information you don't have time to check out immediately.

Visit different websites that offer sample business thank you letter text which can prompt ideas

Some sites offer sample text for such requirements as a business meeting thank you letter, a sample follow-up letter or a thank you for lunch letter, among others. This sample text can inspire you, prompting you to write a great thank you letter yourself.

I recommend: Many such prompts are offered by gOFFICE and make another great resource to bookmark for later use. Insider Reports also offers sample business thank you letter links of various types.

Find further info to help you learn even more about writing effective business thank you letters

Keeping your thank you letter skills sharp can help prepare you for the many different types of business thank you letters you'll be required to write.

I recommend: Wilbers gives you all the do's and don'ts of writing thank you letters for jobs, as well as a helpful step-by-step process for making future business thank-you letters easier to write.

Remember to check general business letter sites that also include business thank you letters

Some websites contain a large number of resources for writing many kinds of business letters, including sections that provide sample thank you letters.

I recommend: Quazell is a site that offers a section of thank you letters among its other business letter types, providing links to individual letters.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Continually work on improving your skill at writing the business thank you letter, tailoring it to the individual recipient, rather than sending the same letter to everyone. Mention something that will be especially meaningful to the person receiving it, which will help you build rapport. Get ideas from prior conversations, correspondence or other contact you've had with this person.

As more businesses now rely upon email as their primary means of communication, many people have forgotten the importance of sending a thank you letter. Although emails are appropriate for day-to-day correspondence, certain occasions call for the use of a physical letter. Thanking someone is one of them.

Business thank you letters offer a quick and simple way to help create and maintain professional relationships. Taking the time to send a personalized note of thanks reveals thought and consideration that is sure to impress its recipient. Whether spoken verbally, emailed, written or typed, a thank you is always appreciated. However, here are some of the most common types of thank you letters:

1. Thank you letter after interview

2. Thank you for lunch letter

3. Business meeting thank you letter

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Research sample thank you letters

In order for a business thank you letter to be successful, you must maintain a clear, concise and professional tone. Reading a thank you letter sample provides an example of how this is done.

I recommend: Find a well-written sample business thank you letter and model your own around it. My-Thank-You-Site.com boasts a huge selection of example thank you letters that can help you get started. From writing thank you letters for jobs to internal interview thank you letters or a basic sample thank you letter after an interview, WritingHelp-Centra also provides tips and examples that can help you create a memorable thank you letter.

Write and send a thank you letter within 48 hours

When mailing a thank you letter, time is of the essence. Thank you letters should be sent while the event is still fresh in both your and the recipient's minds.

I recommend: Regardless of what you're thanking someone for, your thank you letter should be sent sooner rather than later. Quint Careers offers suggestions regarding the timing of your thank you letter. Lunch thank you notes, for example, should be sent no more than 24 hours later. Write Express also provides additional tips for writing the perfect thank you letter.

View sample follow-up letters to determine if one is needed

A follow-up letter shows genuine care and determination; however, they are not always appropriate. A sample follow up letter can help you decide whether or not following up is necessary.

I recommend: One of the most common times to send a follow-up is after a job interview. Check out CareerPerfect to see sample follow-up letters for your situation. Make sure your letter shows persistence, but not impatience. Read tips from Mahalo to make sure your tone is appropriate.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Do not plagiarize. Sample letters should be used for ideas only. Imagine the embarrassment you would feel if the recipient of your supposedly-personalized thank you letter were to discover you just copied it from someone else.
• •  Make sure you carefully proofread your letter to check for errors. Typos, misspellings and incorrect grammar can make the reader question your intelligence and professionalism.

Writing a business Thank You letter is more than a common courtesy; it can make the difference in getting a job, maintaining good customer relations, making a sale or smoothing over a difficult situation.

Some of the many situations when you might send a Thank You letter include after a job interview, sales meeting, informational meeting or tour. Understand these key terms and situations to help in writing an effective Thank You letter.

Action Steps
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Job-interview Thank You

Fewer than 10% of all job candidates send Thank You notes following an interview. Those that do make a good impression on potential employers. Sending a Thank You letter to the interviewer(s) also puts your name in front of them again, providing an additional opportunity to stand out from other candidates.

I recommend: For more information on when and why to send a follow-up letter after an interview, check out wiseGEEK. Many websites offer sample Thank You letters to send to employers after an interview, including Career Services Group and My-Thank-You-Site.

Career-assistance Thank You

When another business or a colleague assists you in finding a job, providing a lead or helping with a project, a Thank You note is in order. These notes let other people know that you value their assistance and can ensure that it will be provided again in the future.

I recommend: WritingHelp-Central.com provides a copy of a letter suitable for thanking another company for assistance in a fund-raising effort. Quazell.com and Resume-Resource show Thank You letters sent following tours of company facilities.

Omission or damage-control Thank You

When an interview or other business situation does not go as smoothly as you expected, a Thank You note can provide the opportunity to correct misinformation or make a better impression.

I recommend: Money-Zine.com offers samples of Thank You letters to help improve your image with a prospective employer. Quintessential Careers also has a Thank You letter template aimed at damage control.

Sales-visit Thank You

After visiting a prospect, sending a Thank You note can keep the meeting fresh in the customer's mind and lead to closing a sale. Similar to job interviews, the customer has a choice and a Thank You letter can keep your name at the top of the list.

I recommend: Tips for writing a Thank You letter after a sales call can be found at eHow.

Elements and formatting

Formatting a Thank You letter correctly makes the best impression. Most senders type their Thank You letters using the usual business correspondence format.

I recommend: Writing-Business-Letters.com has a chart that details each part of a business letter.

Block and indented layouts

Business Thank You letters are usually laid out in block style, in which all the elements are justified against the left margin, because it is considered the most formal layout. Indented forms that have the paragraphs or the signature indented are considered less formal.

I recommend: WriteExpress compares samples of both block and indented layouts. UW-Madison Writing Center has a sample of the indented layout.