What are the Necessary Elements of a Thank You Note to Someone You Have a Business Relationship With?

This is a great question. Not everyone considers a thank you note as something essential in business, when in fact, it’s one of the most important relationship-building steps you can take! And guess what—not everyone does it. So, when you follow through, you’re separating yourself from the pack and highlighting how much you understand what goes into creating the foundation for meaningful connections.

There are many great reasons to write a thank you note. No matter why you’re sending one, it needs to be personalized and authentic. Here’s a few tips to consider:

· Be specific: Don’t just say, “Thank you for your time” or “I learned a lot”. Express your appreciation and specifically emphasize the advice they gave or the person they offered to introduce you to who can help with your project. Then tell them how you implemented their tips and guidance or that you followed up and met with that person—and the outcome.

· Keep it short: Be brief and get right to the point. It’s not necessary to go into every detail about what was discussed, just cover the highlights as a reminder (believe me, people do forget!)

· Offer something worthy: Determine the value you can provide to them and turn the exchange into a mutual benefit, which is the basis for a significant relationship, and the basics of networking in general.

· Include contact details: Make it easy for them to get back in touch with you by including your email address and phone number.

I dive even further into the importance of writing thank you notes in some of my online training courses including Get NetWorkWise Certified and Conference/Event Playbook: Maximize a Networking Event Like a Pro where you’ll be provided with a guide to writing your notes along with templates you can customize and use, I’m sure you’ll find this useful!

Make it a great day and remember to always NetWorkWise!

This article was originally published on Quora.