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| Image by Markuso |
Two very interesting questions I was asked the other day were "how does one address a client in writing if I do not know the sex of the person?", and secondly what if other cultures differ to our own and the person's first name is, in fact, stated as their last name? Feeling confused? I don't blame you! Let's discuss.
Firstly, if one does not know the sex of the client as their name might be a little unusual, write the salutation to them, leaving out the title. So, instead of writing "Dear Mr. Po Wi" (please forgive my totally random example here), rather write "Dear Po Wi". That will also rescue you from any potential embarrassment regarding professional title and marital status.
And now for the issue of different cultures. You are going to have to do your homework here and make sure you are certain of the nationality of the person in question. The cultures that traditionally place the person's first name last - which is known as the 'Eastern Order' - are China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Hungary, Romania and even some African countries. In some Indian states, the same rule would also apply.
This makes addressing Indian people confusing for some of us. It would be best to use caution and ask politely if the last name is the first name or family name if you are in doubt before writing any official correspondence.
Please note that Japanese names are often observed to be followed by "-san", "-kun", or "-chan" and these words do not form part of the name, but are titles that you may drop when addressing people in written correspondence.
For more information contact us on www.minutetakersclinic.co.za
Image by Markuso http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1913
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