Writing a thank you letter may seem antiquated or even unnecessary in today's fast-paced world, with modern communication tools such as email and instant messaging just a click away.

But embracing the "lost art" of the thank-you letter can strengthen friendships, get results and even boost your career.

While some people truly intend to put their thanks down in writing, some procrastinate because the task seems daunting, or they don't know where to start. Fortunately, most thank you letters follow a fairly predictable pattern, which makes them easy to write once you know how to put the pieces together.

Just because thank you letters generally have a formula to them doesn't mean they can't be heartfelt. In fact, knowing the components of a thank you letter gives the writer the structure needed to easily communicate his or her genuine gratitude.

In many cases, it's fine to send a thank you note via e-mail. But rather than just dashing off a "Hey, thanks," it means much more if you put a bit of thought into the construction of the letter.

There are many situations in which a thank you letter is appropriate. In personal settings, a thank you note would be a nice gesture after a favor, after receiving a gift or after being treated especially kindly.

In professional life, a thank you letter can make the difference between getting the job, raise or contract. With fewer people taking the time or effort to write a well-constructed, meaningful thank you letter (or any thanks at all), those who do so really make a lasting impression.

When you sit down to write a thank you note or letter, first consider your goal. Do you want to express gratitude for a specific kindness, such as being comforted during a time of loss? Are you hoping to reinforce earlier communication, such as a follow-up to an interview for a job or a scholarship application? Do you want to make sure your child's teacher knows of the impact he or she has had? Once you know what you're hoping to achieve, and have the basic structure of the letter laid out, the rest of the words will come, almost automatically.

Write the letter with as few distractions as possible. Open the letter or note with a salutation. If the recipient is a personal friend or it otherwise seems appropriate, address the person by his or her first name. Then, get right to the point and say thank you, however seems appropriate. Then, follow up with a specific observation. If you love the gift and use it every day because it matches your dcor, say that. If someone's offhanded compliment turned around a really bad day, let them know that. Just say what you feel, within the context of a well-structured letter.

Finally, proofread your thank you letter for spelling and grammatical errors and send it off, knowing that the recipient will appreciate the gesture.

Copyright 2008 by Kevin Savetz

Kevin Savetz is creator of a web site offering more than 100 sample thank you letters http://www.thankyouletter.ws/ to download, customize and print for free. His other sites offer thousands of other free printables, letters, and templates. http://www.freeprintable.net/