As I mentioned in earlier posts, we’ve (NewTunes) have been looking for an advertising agency or some creative talent who can help us with upcoming marketing and promotional efforts.

We’ve spoken to a number of agencies and individuals. There’s probably nothing ground-breaking about our selection criteria – past work, existing and past clients, recent successes and failures, personal and institutional chemistry, etc.

But one thing has shocked me: With all of our interviews/conversations, we’ve only received one thank you note. And it wasn’t just a thank you note. It was a thank you note from all of the people at the meeting plus a CD (that may or may not have been created just for us) of music from 2008 SXSW bands (SXSW = South by Southwest in Austin, TX… just in case you didn’t catch the acronym).

Parents teach us a lot of things growing up, and one of those things I heard over and over is to always send a thank you note – especially when interviewing for a job. It’s something I’ve always done.

A thank you note is a great way to remind the interviewer you exist a few days after the conversation. It shows thought and effort above and beyond the other interviewees. A thank you note, unlike an email, is also a tangible thing that can sit atop a desk or be pinned to a bulletin board, reminding the recipient of you when they may be needing someone who does what you do. Not to mention, it’s polite, as well.

While I’m not going to make a decision solely on this, it certainly helped the already strong standing of the agency who sent it.