Sending a thank you letter is as important as
interview preparation. But they’re tough to
write, so people either tell themselves that
not sending one doesn’t matter, or they
procrastinate until it’s too late and almost
pointless anyway. But anyone who tells
themselves that foregoing a fundamental
rule of etiquette doesn’t matter, not only
taints themselves in the mind of the
interviewer, but misses two additional
opportunities to sell.

A thank you letter is an additional sales
piece. As I’ve said before, you’re selling a
product and the product is you. So beyond
the reason of etiquette, the letter sells you
as a polite person who recognizes that the
interviewer gave them something valuable:
time and consideration.
A fundamental rule of sales is to keep the
product in front of the buyer and reinforce
its benefits. So beyond the etiquette, the
letter gives you ample space to comment on
what you liked about the company, why your
skills are of benefit to them, and how much
you’re interested. If something wasn’t tied
up, or was left unsatisfactorily, you should
use the space to further address the issue.
When you miss the opportunity to reinforce
your skills and tie them to the job
requirements, you miss a chance to sell.
When you fail to address a concern or
answer a question and leave it to fester in
the mind of the interviewer, you’ve failed to
overcome an objection. And if a buyer has
an objection to the product, if it isn’t
addressed, the likelihood of the sale is slim.
The third opportunity missed by skipping the
thank you letter is the chance to keep your
name in front of the buyer. Read
newspapers? Watch TV? See the same ads
over and over and over again? It’s somewhat
the same principle – if you keep your name
in front of the hiring authority, they’re more
likely to remember you.
Thank you letters are one of the reasons it’s
important to take notes during an interview.
Not only does it show good attention to
detail, it saves you from having to scrunch
your face up trying to remember some of the
information you learned about the company
and position during the interview. Because if
you met with three separate people during
one visit to the company, that’s three thank
you letters….three different thank you
letters.
So let’s look at how to create one of these
so that it becomes a less odious task.

*First paragraph
Open with the obligatory thank you and
include how you enjoyed the meeting. Say
why. Maybe the people you met were
exceptional. Perhaps their company
philosophy was exactly what you had hoped
for. Or they need to overhaul a department
and you can’t wait to sink your teeth into it
because that’s what you’ve got a stellar
track record of doing. It doesn’t matter. Pick
something out, and put it down. But make it
real.

*Second paragraph
What took place during your interview? Pull
out a piece of information that pleased you,
say what it was, and tell them why. For
instance: I was particularly pleased to find
that X company/the opportunity/your
management style has/was/is/does
whatever. This is exciting because…… . You
can expand on whatever it is for a few
sentences by elaborating: how it relates to
something you’ve experienced and liked — or
didn’t like. Discuss a particular aspect of the
job you find appealing and reiterate why
you’d be successful at it or how long you’ve
been performing it or how similar it is to
something you’ve done in the past.

*Third paragraph
You can add a similar paragraph if the
second was fairly short. Or you can wind it
up if it was a bit lengthy. If there was
something that came up that needed
clarification or about which they were
dubious, address it and clear it up here.

*Fourth paragraph
Wind it up. Re-iterate your interest. Be
enthusiastic! Leave the job speak behind. If
you really want to be hired, let your interest
shine through. There’s nothing wrong with
coming right out and saying, “I’d love to
work with X company!”

Caution: Don’t start every sentence with “I”.
It may be the easiest way to write the letter
but it’s not only repetitive, it’s a turn off and
egotistical. This process is about you getting
a job, but it’s about what they get out of it if
they hire you.

If you really want the job, the letter will be
easy to write because it will contain genuine
impressions and sentiments. If you choose
to skip the letter, perhaps you don’t care if
you’re hired or not. But make that decision
yours and withdraw from the process
instead of letting the decision be made for
you.

Source:
areaofentrepreneurs.com/?p=10244

Hmmm Corporate @ss kissing