I been writing business letters for thirty years, but here lately with everyone all cris-crossed up over gender and such, I don't know how to address my letters. Unless I know someone personally, I don't feel like I can begin a letter Mr. Bob Smith or Ms. Mary Smith.... If I don't know them, they may find offense with my letter being formally addressed like that..... So what has the politically correct crowd come up with for us to address this conundrum?
I say F'em if they get offended. You cannot fix "chemically challenged," emotional control freaks. The only opening I would not use is DEAR QUEER,
I suppose you could address the letter, "To whom this concerns . . . " Then again, if it prefers a plural pronoun, such as we, us, they or them, you might preface the letter with, "To those concerned about everything that should not concern them . . . " Really . . . this silliness must come to an end.
Continue with proper etiquette. If someone is offended, do you really want to do business with them? At this point in my life I don’t need the headache that will ensue from the woke crowd. I promise you, even if you happen to address them correctly, they will find something else to bitch about. Remember, these are the people that are looking to be offended or wronged.
Well… Sitting where I am I have to view everyone a potential customer. Years ago China Construction a subsidiary of The People’s Republic of China opened an office in my town as a home base to build resort properties off the coast. They secured some local work to stay viable. I am in as conservative an area as there is so most all my competitors shunned them. I didn’t. I took the company president to BBQ, bought him rebel flag shirts and the like (they weren’t offensive at the time)…. I probably did 3-4mm in business with them while they had an office nearby. Their checks came in with all those Chinese characters on them, but they converted to US dollars just fine in our corporate account.
You just gotta be nice and try your best to be respectful. For 99.9% of people, getting it wrong once isn't offensive. They'll correct you, you apologize and move on, no harm done. Where people become offended is when you repeatedly or purposefully get it wrong. It's just basic respect, which I don't doubt for a minute you already have in your business dealings.
