Addressing Concerns

How do you address an e-mail to a company when you have no specific person's name? Many years ago, before e-mail was invented, it was proper to use the salutation "Gentlemen". That seems archaic now, especially since the addressee may turn out to be feminine gender. "To Whom It May Concern" seems better suited to a legal document than to correspondence.

First off, I always recommend you find out the specific person's name. Perusing their site may give you the specific contact information you seek and is better than a generic greeting where one would know no effort was made to determine their name.

When I get addressed as "Gentlemen" through any of my sites I know the person didn't even take the 5 minutes necessary to find out my company is me. As far as "To Whom It May Concern" that isn't very impressive is it? Generic greetings are just that and will never lend to standing out from the crowd or the other sales pitches sent with the same.

What to do? If you cannot find a specific contact name on the site, pick up the old fashioned telephone and ask who to address your e-mail to. Simple! ;-)