I think it’s important to remind you of the power and possibilities crafting thank-you notes can bring.

I am not going to get into the argument about email vs. handwritten notes. My handwriting is illegible and I am dyslexic, so you can imagine where I fall on this.

Setting the tone

When a client decides they want to work with you – and actually pays you – an enthusiastic thank-you note can set the right tone for the relationship.

People want to work with people who care about them and their goals. Make sure you take the opportunity to tell your new client how excited you are to work with them, and how you will help them achieve their goals.

This can get you past any buyer’s remorse they may be feeling (the wallet nerve is very sensitive), and help your new client get into the right mindset to have a productive relationship with you.

Redirecting the conversation

If a conversation went in an unexpected direction, a thank-you note gives you the opportunity to get the conversation back on track.

Let’s say your prospect went into the deep weeds about something your business doesn’t do, or isn’t a core strength. A paragraph about what your client actually needs (that your business excels at) can get the conversation moving forward in a better direction.

Or, if there are things you wish you had said differently, you can recap key points in the language you wished you had used.

Adding additional thoughts

Often, you will think of things you wish you had said minutes or hours after the conversation is over. Once again, the thank-you note can come to your rescue. Feel free to add a paragraph starting with this:

Upon further consideration, I realized your company would benefit from….

This is a big one for my career transition clients. They frequently get questions out of left field and do the best they can not to face plant. Adding additional thoughts for a curveball question, if it is an important one, can turn off obsessive thinking about bombing and blowing the opportunity.

Cementing relationships

It’s a good practice to send thank-you notes after all conversations. They don’t have to be long. Thank the person for their time, tell them you enjoyed the conversation, and recap anything you committed to with the timeline.

You’ll have this message in your sent folder to refer back to, which is always helpful.

Avoiding embarrassment

I don’t know why this is true, but I can assure you that it is – especially if the stakes are high or if you’re in a hurry – there is a high probability you will send a thank-you note out with a glaring typo or two.

I’ve done it. My clients have done it. We’ve all done it.

It cost me a job once…

There is an easy fix for this though: never send a thank-you note out right away. Save it in your drafts folder and come back with fresh eyes later that day or the following day.

I promise this will save you headaches and heartaches.