The other day we received a note from someone who had recently taken a workshop at SVC. Her point we simply to say thanks for what she thought was a great, valuable experience. What senders of notes may never realize is how much some real words put on an actual sheet of paper with a U.S. Postage stamp on the envelope mean to us — and to most people, we suspect.

Should you find yourself in the position of having attended something you liked, gone on a job or informational interview, received an introduction to a possible new client or colleague, or any of a hundred other human interactions, please write a note.

And here’s what makes the handwritten note such a mountain-mover: no one else is sending them.

By taking the three or four minutes to pen a sincere thought and drop it in the mail, you automatically move yourself to the front of the thoughtful, classy, cool people list.

Whether you’re looking for a job, a client, a helping hand, or just trying to stay a member of the human race in good standing, you can’t go wrong with pen and paper. An e-mail’s nice (and far, far greater than doing absolutely nothing), but a note’s the nicest.