04-07-2009, 06:38 AM
Is there a way to unobtrusively determine the person's gender identity? Using a resource other than Google...Call their office, find out through a third party, something...do a bit more research? If it's not practical, and the letter is purely formal and impersonal, then Sir/Madame is acceptable.
If you don't want to risk being totally impersonal and uninformed, going to the trouble to find out a tiny bit more about the person you're addressing seems like a worthwhile effort.
If you don't want to risk being totally impersonal and uninformed, going to the trouble to find out a tiny bit more about the person you're addressing seems like a worthwhile effort.