1. To follow-up on a salesperson's call
2. To set up an appointment
3. To apologize for something you may have done wrong
4. To compliment someone for something
5. To recognize an anniversary of almost anything
6. To celebrate holidays other than Christmas -- Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, for instance
7. To solidify the telephone contact you've made
8. To solidify the in-person contact you've made
9. To thank someone for seeing your demo or hearing your presentation
10. To thank someone for making a purchase
11. To thank someone for their time even if they said "no" to your offer
12. To thank someone for giving you a referral
13. To welcome someone to anything at which they're new
14. To applaud someone for a job well done
15. To reiterate how much you've enjoyed working with someone
16. To congratulate on a promotion or new job
17. To mention that you saw the person in the news (include the clipping)
18. To congratulation on a special achievement or award
19. To thank a person for doing a favor for you
20. To thank someone for exceptional service
21. To let a person know that you appreciate their product or service
22. To thank a person for their time
23. To express regrets if regrets are merited
24. To thank someone for inviting you to something
25. To tell someone that you hope they get well
26. To express condolences
27. To congratulate someone on a new baby, marriage or new home
28. To recognize a person's birthday
29. To announce a new product or service that you offer
30. To give advance notice of a discount you'll be granting

These letters should be accurate, brief and clear. They should get directly to the point and have an intense personal feeling, which can be conveyed by handwriting. These should never be form letters. The idea is not to impress anyone, but to express an idea.

Each letter should be warm and reflect your personality. For these tips, and for thousands more, I owe my thanks to Rick Crandall's content-rich book, "Marketing Magic," published by Select Press, http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Magic-Proven-Pathways-Success/dp/0964429438/sr=1-18/qid=1166812035/ref=sr_1_18/102-5685533-9335312?ie=UTF8&s=books .