Hi? Dear? A guide to e-mail salutation

With ubiquity of e-mail communication we quite often come across situations where we have to write to persons whom we know only through email address. Generic email addresses such as info@office.com makes it even more confusing. One of the trickiest things in such scenarios is deciding on the salutation of your message, i.e. whether to write 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam'. Many skip this dilemma by opting 'Dear Sir/Madam' but we know this is an easy way out (an escape route if I may say) and more importantly doesn't show proper respect to the recipient.

Then there are situations when we only know the surname of the recipient (email IDs like rahman@marketing.com are the most likely source). But point of fact is, surnames by nature are supposed to be nonspecific i.e. equally applicable to both genders, examples – Rahman, Chowdhury, Obama etc. Hence, identifying someone's gender based only on surname can only be compared with walking blindfolded through a minefield; you may end up addressing someone as Mr. Karim whereas the recipient is actually Ms. Karim. Such mistakes aren't too rare and more often than not result in your message getting immediately thrown to 'Deleted Items' and worse, having long-term grudge against you and your organisation.

This doubt becomes even more complicated in the case of names and/or cultures we aren't familiar with. In such cases sometimes even having the full name doesn't help much. Names like Lisar, Schacke, Yingxin, Lowe (these are real people, full names are intentionally avoided in this article to maintain their privacy) are almost as alien to us as rugby or lacrosse. Be that as it may, using the correct salutation is of the utmost importance and just a bit of effort can help us get rid of confusion. Following are some of the ways you can accomplish just that.

CALL THE PERSON

This might require a bit of information digging or snowballing for the recipient's phone number but this method is effective in many ways. Not only can you determine which salutation you're going to use the moment you hear voice from the other end but the call also gives you the opportunity to create closer relationship that email or letter cannot do exclusively. Chances are, you might strike up a friendship and any sort of written communication will become redundant – any professional's dream come true.

TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE

If the person you're calling is too busy to receive or return your phone calls, then opt for the next best alternative. The person's colleagues are a good source of information. If you can't reach the colleagues either, call the reception and ask for the full name of your recipient. Talking to a common friend outside the organisation can also help.

IMAGE SEARCH

Another quick fix to this problem is to conduct a Google image search with the name. Let's say you're confused with the name "Aly". The image results will speak for themselves. However, you can rely on this method only if you have the first name. Even then you should check the website the image is from for details so that you can verify this is the person you're looking.

PROFILE SEARCH

In a way, recipients themselves are helping you find them. Now everybody maintains profile on one or more social networking sites (in fact it's rare to find anyone who doesn't). A bit of investigation in some of the popular sites like LinkedIn and Facebook can give you the answer you're looking for. For the inquisitive types, these sites are buzzing with information. Along with basic profile you also have access to schools, universities one's been to, achievements, hobbies and more.

Salutations are among the first read things in written communication. An appropriate salutation can trigger the desired reaction from the recipient. Mistakes in salutation use is seen along the lines of insincerity and carelessness. None of us want these negative tags attached to our work and career. A bit of effort and you can avoid stepping on these landmines.

The writer works for the Supply Chain Dept. of Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd. He can be reached at ibrahim.rizwan@gmail.com