Just the other day I observed my son diligently scribbling on a yellow piece of construction paper. It was a thank-you note to the family that gave our family our newest member: Sebastian (of Guinea Pig decent).

Our “fridge” is covered with unsolicited pieces of paper with heart-felt gratitude from our kids to my wife and I. Sometimes for something as little as allowing them to stay up past their bedtime to watch a Disney movie on TV.

My in-laws Leo and Betty never miss an opportunity to send a thank-you note. They’ll drop a thank-you note for having a bite to eat with them, sharing a special occasion, or for just taking the time to hang with them.

When I was with the Nike Golf Learning Centers, it was mandatory that every instructor sent a personal handwritten thank-you note to their students. I can not count the number of times students would come up to me afterwards and thank me for the thank-you note!

My wife Lisa shares the story of a time when we lived in Los Angeles. She and the kids were at a park hanging with her friend, a famous celebrity’s wife (I mention she was a celebrity’s wife only to show that it doesn’t matter who you are…people like thank-you notes). While the kids were playing, Lisa’s friend was going through her mail when she let out, "Wow!" She had just opened a handwritten thank-you note from the saleslady at Nordstrom’s who assisted her with the purchase of several pairs of shoes. Wow.

Tom Peters in his timeless book, The Pursuit of WOW!: Every Person’s Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times (Vintage Books) writes:

“Don’t forget your thank-you notes! You just read the most important piece of “advice” in this book. If you take it to heart, you can throw this little volume in the nearest trash can and still have gotten ten times your money’s worth (make that ten thousand times). The power of a thank-you (note or otherwise) is hard – make that impossible – to beat.”

But YOU already know this. I mean who doesn’t enjoy receiving a thank-you for a job well done, or a service performed, or better yet, for just being you.

YET! I just read a survey that claims 82% of people who went on job interviews DIDN’T follow up with a thank-you note. Surely the survey meant “DID.” Right? Nope. According to Quintessential Careers, only 5% send Thank-You notes! That’s 5%!!... FIVE PERCENT!! More research revealed the disturbing truth that rarely anyone sends thank-you notes to interviewers. The very people that do the hiring!!

Here’s the point: SEND THANK-YOU NOTES! By the truck loads! For everything! To the golf pro that helped you get your swing back in time for the weekend. To your accountant that found LEGAL ways to get you more on your tax return. To the mechanic that fixed your car in time to save the family vacation. To the person that just interviewed you!

“How?” you ask. “How” isn’t as important as just “DO!” Personally, I like handwritten scribbles over e-mails. Shows effort. But again, “how” is not as important as “send”… within 24-48 hours… to everyone involved in the interview. Do this simple, yet profound best practice and separate yourself from the 95% that don't!

THANK YOU!

Ted Eleftheriou