Substance & Style
| Publication year | 2017 |
| Pages | 52 |
Thank You Notes
I'm a big proponent of writing thank you notes. Much to my son's chagrin, I make him write thank you notes after every gift-receiving occasion (which has an added positive side-effect of causing him to rethink how many kids he wants to invite to his birthday parties). Channeling my mother, I'm going to take the opportunity for this month's Substance and Style column to step on my soapbox and encourage you to write notes of appreciation as well.
I admit, it's not exactly "legal writing,"ﾝ but beyond birthdays and holidays, thank you notes can serve an important role in professional writing. They are appropriate, for example, following a job interview or an externship experience. They can be sent after someone offers much needed assistance on a legal project or in appreciation for a client referral. Thank you notes are appropriate whenever someone takes time out of their schedule to help or inform or encourage you. I actually just sent a dozen thank you notes myself after attending a conference at which I heard some really outstanding presentations.
Closely related, and equally beneficial, are notes praising another lawyer's team member. Everyone likes compliments, and the feeling is even stronger when a boss or colleague gets to hear the kind words. Occasionally, I write notes of appreciation for a thoughtful presentation or helpful act, and I will send the note to the presenter's dean as a way to more publicly express my gratitude.
Additionally, although not technically a thank you note, I would include in this same category of professional writing notes to tell someone you enjoyed meeting them. In this way, notes can be effective networking tools following any kind of professional interaction.
By way of refresher, let me offer some general guidelines for thank you (and other) note writing. Send the note as soon as possible after the event. I prefer hand-written notes, but I acknowledge that in today's professional world, email notes are easier and in fact perhaps better for facilitating an on-going conversation or relationship.
In terms of the content of the note, try to include the following parts:
First, express your gratitude. Although it may go without saying, it's often easy to forget to mention the purpose of the note.
. Thank you for the..... I appreciated your..
. In case you hadn't heard, Jane...
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