Say Thank You: Relearn the two-word marketing trick your mother taught you when you were six.

About 20 years ago, a sales trainer named Tom Hopkins changed my life. He had written a book, How to Master the Art of Selling, that was so powerful, I read it often, listened to his tapes repeatedly, and went to all his classes. His information revolutionized my business, and I still use and teach his techniques today. One of the most important lessons he taught me was saying thank you.

At the time, I was practicing law in a town of 3,000 people (and 12,000 deer) in western Wisconsin. No law firm would hire me, even though I had been a successful prosecutor, an assistant dean of a law school, and even law review. Apparently pregnant lawyers didn't fit into the old boys' club there. Needing to work, I had one choiceto open up my own law practice. I was determined to build it up, using Hopkins' techniques.

I was particularly impressed with his thoughts on thank-you notes. He is a big advocate and writes about 10 notes each day. Did they work for him? So much so, by his third year as a Realtor, his business was 100% referrals. I decided if it worked for him, then it could work for me.

So I sent thank-you notes to everyone in town, including the shoe salesman who was nice to me when I brought in three rambunctious kids. I would send notes to other attorneys in town. I even sent notes to the physician's assistant in my …