Here is a good article discussing the importance of a thank you note. For either your business or your personal network. The value of a personal touch thank you note to your network can be immeasurable. Please leave your comments about thank you notes at the end of the following article.

Thank You Cards: What Do I Say?

Sending a thank you card is a great way to build and maintain a business or personal relationship. It can be simple and to the point, yet still pack a punch with the receiver in demonstrating that you are a sharing and
caring person. In our impersonal world, the simple act of saying “thank you” is very powerful.
When is a Thank You card appropriate to send? Certainly after any business meeting where you have been introduced to ore met someone for the first time is very appropriate. If someone has gone out of there way to give you a “random act of kindness” this certainly warrants a Thank You card as well.

More importantly, there are many people in our lives that we take for granted that never hear the word “thank you” from anyone. Who do you come in contact with that deserves a heartfelt “thank you”. Could it be a teacher, family member who lives far away, a retired coach, a bank teller, or hairdresser?
Thank You cards are appropriate for anytime you want to let someone know they are special and you appreciate the contribution they make to your life. When should Thank You cards be sent? A Thank You card should be sent out no later than 24 hours after a business meeting. Especially if you are going for an interview, follow-up with a card the minute you return home.

In a random act of kindness, Thank You cards can be sent out at anytime. In fact, Thank You cards can be a way for you to start focusing on the positive things in your life and turn your attention away from yourself and start thinking of others. For example, if you have had a bad day, take a moment to write down five people who are always there for you and send them a Thank You card. Let them know how important they are to you and that it doesn’t have to be a holiday to get a card from you. What do you say in a Thank You card?

Since Thank You cards are usually only about 3-4 sentences, you have to get to the point quickly. If you are like me, the first sentence is the most difficult to write, so I developed a formula for writing Thank You cards that works. Here is my formula for writing Thank You cards after a business meeting or interview.

1. Start all Thank You cards with this phrase:
“It was a pleasure to meet and visit with you today.”
2. Remind them what your meeting was about:
” Thank you for taking time to tell me more about the XYZ company.”
3. Give them some feedback on your experience:
“I enjoyed meeting the team members and getting a sense of what XYZ is all about.
4. Close with:
“Thank you, Mr. Jones. I look forward to hearing from you soon.” Sincerely, Jack Smith
So let’s look at the final Thank You letter:

Dear
Mr. Jones,
It was a pleasure to meet and visit with you today. Thank you for taking time to tell me more about the XYZ company.I enjoyed meeting the team members and getting a sense of what XYZ is all about. Thank you, Mr. Jones. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Jack Smith

What about e-cards Thank You notes?? My advice is to always send a REAL card. An e-Card is very impersonal and may get lost in the spam filter. Stand out in the crowd. Your potential employer deserves a real card. Now, if you were asked to provide additional information via email, go ahead and send it but send a real Thank You card too. Now let’s examine a sample for a simple random act of kindness Thank You card:

Dear Sue,
Thank you for taking the time to visit with me today. Your words of encouragment lifted my spirits and I have a much better perspective on “the big picture”. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Thank you,
Valerie

The Thank You card may be a simple little card, but it can open doors to new business opportunities or mend a friendship. Make it a habit to send out cards on a daily basis to friends and business associates to build and grow relationships. I hope this article was useful and that you will print and save it for future.

About the Author:

Karen Miller makes it a habit to send at least five cards to friends and family every day. Learn more about how to use greeting cards to connect to one another and enrich lives with positive messages. My Heartfelt Cards

Technorati Tags: Relationships, Thank You Cards, Heartfelt Cards, Writing Cards, Sending Cards, Send Out Cards

Perhaps after reading about the benefits of some of these alternative ways to
communicate with your employees. Please leave your thoughts about other forms of
communication at the end with a comment or two.

The Secret to Business Communication on a Budget

Can you remember what we ever did before the internet? As a communication
tool the internet certainly takes some beating. Yes, the internet is open to
abuse and contains millions and millions of pages that can really only be
described as rubbish. However, as a way in which to communicate, source products
and services and make purchases, organise you finances and stay in touch with
family and friends, the internet has certainly seen the way in which we
communicate changed beyond belief.
However, for businesses, the internet
also brings with it its own problems with staff using work time in which to surf
the net. So whilst the internet is great for many things it is not necessarily
the best way for businesses to communicate.
There are however a couple of
alternatives for communication that many modern businesses are now embracing to
stay in touch with staff and get around the issue of lack of
communication.
The first of these are modern intranet sites which can provide
an extremely useful communication tool. Traditionally these have been pretty
boring sites which were usually controlled exclusively by management with no
real input from staff. This perception of the intranet site is now changing with
content often updated and managed by the workforce themselves. This allows for
an honest and frank exchange of views and news which many forward thinking
companies are encouraging.
From information about staff, about the company,
product and service updates to general information about team night outs and
social activities the intranet site is a highly effective and successful way to
communicate with staff.
Another way in which companies are embracing
communication is by providing staff and particularly those who work on a large
site with two way radios. Two Way Radio is a system that benefits from instant
communication over a wide area without the call charges and network coverage
problems that are often associated with cell phone technology.
2 Way Radios
mean lone workers have a friendly voice at the end of the handset and therefore
safety as well as communication is enhanced.
For businesses ranging from
schools and college to factories and sports stadiums, two way radios are a great
way for workers to stay in touch for a fraction of the cost of other forms of
mobile communication.
Modern two way radios are also robust, portable and
give companies a fail safe way for workers to communicate either at their
premises or even when employees are working offsite. An example of this is how
schools are using handheld radios not only on campus but also when taking
students on field trips. This means their children are kept safe and secure at
all times for minimal amounts. At a time where the safety and welfare of our
children is never far from the news, this is great news for schools, nurseries
and colleges.
Communication tools like intranet sites and 2 way radio do not
have to cost the earth and yet the benefits they can bring to a business are
substantial. If you want your business to be the best it can be, investing in
technology could be just what you need so to avoid that dreaded communication
breakdown.

About the Author:

Apex Radio Systems Ltd are the Motorola XTN446 Two Way Radio Communication
Experts and details of the Motorola XTN446 2 Way Radio can be found at their
Two Way
Radio Online Shop. For all your 2 Way Radio needs contact Apex Radio Systems Ltd
now and start paying less for your radio communications and two way radios.

Technorati Tags: Business, Communication, Internet, School, Radio, Safety, Tools, Staff, Two Way Radio, Intranet