橘雪子的幸福箴言

Using the Right Title: Business Correspondence

It is important to use the right "title" when addressing someone in writing,
especially if it is the first contact that you have with this potential customer.
Some examples of titles are: Mr., Ms, Mrs., and Miss.
Using the right title is important for three reasons.
First of all, it is respectful to the person you are writing to.

Secondly, it will help to give your company a professional image
which is essential in competing to get the business. And thirdly,
using the right title helps ensure that your fax or e-mail will be read by the right person,
rather than ending up on the wrong person's desk.

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to know what title is correct.
It is easy to be confused about whether the inquiry came from a man or a woman
because you may be unfamiliar with the first name of the person
that has written to you and the writer may not have used a title in their closing.

If you are unclear as to whether the person is a man or a woman,
never address the letter to "Sir or Madam" This is unprofessional and seems
strange since we only use "Sir or Madam" when we don't know the name of the person.
And never assume that the letter must be from a man because it is a business inquiry.

The best way to handle this situation is to simply use 2 titles: "Dear Ms/Mr. Smith".
Then in your final paragraph you should ask what the correct title is: "Please tell me how I should address you,
as Mr., Ms, Mrs. or something else? Thank you."

This will allow you to use an acceptable title from the
very first letter and use the right title for every letter in the future.
Don't be too embarrassed to ask a potential customer for this information.
It is smart and good business to always ask if you are not sure.


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書信中使用正確的頭銜

當回覆客戶的詢問函時，使用對方正確的頭銜是很重要的，特別是在

第一次和潛在客戶連絡時。常使用的頭銜如:MR. , MS, MRS.和MISS。使用正確的頭銜有3個重要的原因。

首先表示你對收信者的尊重。

第二，它會給人專業的印象，而這對爭取生意是非常有幫助的。

第三，用正確的稱呼可以使你的FAX或EAMIL讓真正的收件人收到，而不致於被送到其他人的桌上。

然而，要知道對方正確的頭銜不是很簡單，而且在對外文名字不清楚或對方在信後未提及稱謂時，很容易把性別搞錯。

如果你不清楚對方的性別時，也不要使用 "SIR or MADAM" 的稱呼，

這是不專業且很奇怪，因為我們通常在不知對方姓名時，才用 "SIR or MADAM"。

也不要因為這是一封商業信函就認為對方都是男性。

解決這問題的最好方法就是使用2個稱呼如 "Dear Ms/ Mr. Smith"，

之後在最後一段詢問對方性別

如 "Please tell me how I should address you, as Mr., Ms ,Mrs. or something else, thank you"。

如此一來，會被對方接受且在未來的書信中就知道使用正確的稱呼了。

不要羞於問客戶這些訊息，因為在生意上有不了解的地方總是問清楚才是明智之舉。