How to and When to Use the Salutation ‘To Whom It May Concern’

To Whom It May Concern is a commonly used salutation in formal letters. It is used when you don’t know or have a specific person to whom you are writing a letter. Sometimes, finding the contact name of the person is not possible. It can also be utilized when you don’t know the name of the person to whom you are writing the letter.

You can also write a message or letter without a salutation. In this case, just begin your letter with its paragraph and mention the concerned topic. In this article, we will tell you how to use the salutation “to whom it may concern” effectively.

How to use “to whom it may concern”?

You must try to find the contact and name of the person to whom you are writing the letter. However, if you are writing for a job interview and you do not know the name of the recruiter. Here you can use this salutation. It is also recommended to use “To Whom It May Concern” when you are writing a letter to make an inquiry.

How to write to whom it may concern

“To Whom It May Concern” is a broad and better way to approach a formal, professional correspondence, official or job application letters. Usually, this salutation is written with proper spacing and capitalization. When you are addressing a letter by using this phrase, the entire phrase is capitalized and then followed by a colon. However, this salutation is considered outdated.

If you are writing for a job application then you can use other salutations like “Dear Sir” and “Dear Madam”.

An Example:

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to file a complaint about my electricity bill.

Alternatives Options to USE:

Some other alternatives of salutations are:

• Dear Hiring Manager
• Dear Recruiter
• Dear Hiring Committee
• Dear Department Manager
• Dear Recruiting Manager
• Dear HR Manager
• Dear Customer Service Manager.
• Dear Search Committee
• Dear Personnel Manager
• Hello
• Greetings
• Good day
• Good Morning

You can also leave off the salutation and start the letter with the topic name and paragraph.

Why not use “To whom it may Concern”?

 In some cases, this salutation shows the laziness of the sender. We must try our best to find the person’s name and contact details to whom we are writing an email or a letter. It is considered a lazy and outdated way to approach a correspondence. "To Whom It May Concern" can demonstrate a lack of effort in a correspondence that doesn’t set a positive tone for the rest of your business relationship.

Cases where it is okay to use “to whom it may concern”

Cases where the use of salutation “to whom it may concern” is appropriate are:

• Letter of recommendations

To Whom It May Concern:

Dev was an intelligent employee during his two years at Dhyan Kapoor. He always took his work very seriously, volunteered for activities that were even outside his regular duties and working hours. He is a sincere employee. He was one of the best salespersons in all three years he worked here. I would highly recommend him for the concerned position.

Regards,

Meera Singh

• When you are approaching a large company or a new department

To Whom It May Concern:

I heard that your company announced the opening of three new vacant working spaces on the east side of Delhi. I work with Dhyan Singh. He owns an office of a furniture company in the South Delhi area.

We are thinking of coming out with new ideas and opportunities. I would like to contact the team that is in charge of your new working locations. I would like to discuss the possibility of working together.

Regards,

Jia

• Complaints or Inquiry letters

To Whom It May Concern:

I am very disappointed with the photo frame that I ordered from your shop. It has only black color frame instead of white color as it was depicted on your shop’s website. I would like to get a full refund or the correct photo frame as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Angel

• Introduction letters:

To Whom It May Concern:

I got your request for a price tag on 20 reams of thread from Dhyan Singh. I am always ready to answer all of your questions. I would love to know your name, contact details, and a little more about your work!

Kind Regards,

John Paul 

• Prospecting letters:

To Whom It May Concern:

I heard that your company recently lost its yarn supplier. I work with Dhyan Singh who is a local yarn supplier. I would like to speak with the person in charge of yarn order at your company.

We assure ourselves of the best customer service and a perfect delivery process. I would like to talk with your officials if we’re the right choice for you.

Best,

John Paul

These are some ways in which you can use and not use the salutation “to whom it may concern”. We hope that we have cleared all your doubts regarding this salutation through this article.