Case study in the use of Thank You which has fondly become known as 'Thanking Them to Death!'

BM was a very bright young research scientist with a federal research council.  He had been warned that he was being let go along with 250 other scientists in those purges which seem to run through governments from time to time, when looking for numbers in their cut-backs.  BM had been to see a number of major research organizations during the start of his search. Among other efforts, he applied to an international competition held by W.R Grace in Washington

BM was informed that he had made it onto a list where his qualifications would be considered in detail.  He

received a communication from the company informing him that an official would be coming into town (800 miles away) to interview him in his own environment. BM went through  that interview. He thanked the person with a follow-up thank you card.

There was a communication from the official's secretary. BM confimed his response in a thank you card. He was then asked to come to Washington DC for an interview where he went in front of a panel of seven scientists. He sent them all a thank you card. He met the secretary and two other executives in the company - they also received thank you cards. BM was asked for some papers he'd written - they were sent, with a ... you guessed it - thank you card to the requesting secretary. He was then invited a second time to come to Washington for interviews -

where he faced a panel of six scientists. 

And all received thank you cards. Subsequent to the interview, when a VP asked him some questions he then confirmed with a thank you card.

The lesson to be learned from BM, who took our advice much more literally that I had intended, was that by the time he had secured his job, he had sent 27 thank you cards.  If you count the postage, at it was approximately $15.  If you count the thank you cards at their very most expensive as $1 each it was $27 in stationery.  All that for a doubling of his salary, several months of start-up housing expenses on his arrival, assistance with securing schools and fees for his children in excellent educational institutions. They couldn't wait to have him there?  Who wouldn't?