- Addressing a letter to whom it may concern update#
- Addressing a letter to whom it may concern manual#
- Addressing a letter to whom it may concern registration#
- Addressing a letter to whom it may concern professional#
So I sent out the following tweet:Īnyone have a decent alternative to "Dear Sirs" for a letter addressed to an entire organization (e.g., a letter agreement)? 1/2 The problem with that is that Dear Sirs is not only gender-specific but also old-fashioned. For example, Ladies and Gentlemen makes it sound as if one is writing to a group of individuals. (That person’s name would presumably be in the “Attention” line of the recipient’s address see 19.6.) Although it’s best to avoid gender-specific drafting (see 17.10), the gender neutral alternatives to Dear Sirs are too awkward to use in this context. If the recipient is an entity, the simplest salutation would be Dear Sirs, although it’s commonplace to use the name of the chief executive officer. If the recipient is a person, the salutation should refer to that person by name. I expect that this post will allow me to generate the final such rider.Ĭhapter 19 (Letter Agreements) in the third edition contains the following: Besides checking the copy editor’s fixes and doing my own hunting for glitches, I’ve also been adding a few riders relating to stuff I’ve blogged about over the past couple of months.
Addressing a letter to whom it may concern manual#
I’m currently reviewing the first set of page proofs of the fourth edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting. To whom it may concern suggests that you either don’t know to whom you’re sending the letter or don’t care. Dear Sirs and Madams (or Mesdames) and Ladies and Gentlemen exhibit the first two of those problems. If the recipient is an entity, dispense with a salutation-it would be pointless to use a salutation such as Dear Acme Corporation, as we would know from the recipient address stated above the salutation that the recipient is Acme Corporation.Ī traditional choice for a salutation to an entity would be Dear Sirs, but it suggests you’re writing to a group of individuals, it’s old-fashioned, and it’s gender-specific (see 17.10). A salutation is standard in correspondence with an individual, and it would allow you to reflect the nature of the relationship: in a letter to Jane Doe, the salutation would presumably refer to Jane or Ms. If the recipient is an individual, use as a salutation Dear and the individual’s name. Here’s the current version of what I plan on putting in MSCD4: I now happily bow to the logic of those who said I should get rid of the salutation.
Addressing a letter to whom it may concern update#
(I inserted the first update below, in the original post.) In the past 24 hours I’ve considered this issue for the first time, proposed something new, then had readers drag me in another direction.
Parental letter of authorization for travel.Yikes! This is my second update to this post. Letter to confirm that you have given authorization to someone Letter to confirm an authorization given to someone
Addressing a letter to whom it may concern registration#
Letter apologizing for missing the registration deadline Sample letterĬatholic confirmation letter from a sponsorĬharacter reference for a parent seeking child custodyĬharacter reference for an employee you used to manageĬharacter reference for someone you know personallyįollow-up letter after the second round of Follow-upįollow-up letter on receiving no responseįull block style complaint letter. Sample letterĪpology letter on students behalf for noise during classĪuthorization letter for a birth certificate. Sample letterĪnswer to a complaint letter. Sample letterĪ template letter of agreement. However, when this is not possible, you can still use "To whom it may concern".įilter List of articles in category Sample Letters to Whom It May Concern TitleĪ general letter of acknowledgement template.
Addressing a letter to whom it may concern professional#
You can look it up on the recipient's company website, LinkedIn or other professional social sites, or contact the office and ask the assistant for advice. Of course, you should make an effort to find the recipient's name. It is also appropriate to address a letter to whom it may concern if you're making an inquiry but don't know who to address your letter to.Īlthough sending letters to whom it may concern has been a common practice, other options such as, "To hiring manager", "To customer service manager", etc., can be used at the start of a letter. For instance, you may be sending a recommendation letter, cover letter or any other job application material to someone you don't know. This may happen many times during your job search. The term "To whom it may concern" is, basically, a letter salutation that has been used over the years in business correspondence when a sender doesn't have a specific recipient or doesn't know the name of the recipient. Letters to whom it may concern are letters addressed to unknown recipients.