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I need to write a letter to a specific person, who I only know by title. I do not know their name or gender.
I can think of a couple ways to greet this individual in a letter, however I can not decide which greeting is most preferable.
Should I start my letter with:
Dear Sir or Madam,
...or
Dear Manager of Standards,
...or some other greeting.
I would put the title as the first line of the address.
But if I don't know their name I would always start a letter with the standard Dear Sir or Madam. (If you know their name, use Dear Mr. Smith.)
I think either would be acceptable, but addressing the person by his/her title is a little more specific and evidence that you've put some thought into it. If you have any way to find out the specific name -- for example, by exploring the company's website or calling and talking to the receptionist -- it would probably earn you a few points by making your letter look less generic. Receptionists are used to answering questions like that. Good luck!
I came across this page while searching for a gender-neutral salutation. The problem with Dear Sir or Madam is that it is gender binary and excludes anyone who may not identify as specifically male or female.
Some websites that address this question are: http://practicalandrogyny.com/category/language/salutations/
While I was looking for something that would replace "Dear Sir or Madam", I thought that this page was interesting.
Having found nothing to answer my question, I have decided to go with: Dear (job title); i.e. Dear Manager or Dear Admissions Officer or Dear Reader (if I don't know what the title is).
You can always write, "Dear Reader".
