Expert: Warren D. Miller - 10/8/2008

Question
I need to write a letter, but it needs to be addressed to two different people at two different parties.
What is the proper way, if there is one, to address a business letter to more then one party ???

Answer
Dear Dave--

You've raised an interesting question. My first attempt to answer it took the to the Chicago Manual of Style (www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html); for me, it is the ultimate writing resource. Unfortunately, it does not cover business letters.

I then tried more than a half-dozen combinations of what I call "creative googling." I can usually find what I want that way. It, too, produced no useful hits. In fact, all but one of my attempts produced no hits at all.

My next step was to access some business-letter websites that have samples. Not one had a sample with more than one "inside address" - that is the addressee's (or addressees') address. I am left to infer, through the process of elimination, that there is no "rule" for what you are seeking an answer to.

My first recommendation is to write separate letters with identical text. If the circumstances with which you're dealing mandate that each party sees that the other is getting the same letter, a good way to communicate that is to put a "cc: Ms. Sally Walker, XYZ Corporation" at the end of the first letter. Then in your letter to Ms. Jones, insert "cc: Mr. William Jones, ABC Corporation" at the end. Enclose the copy of Letter #1 with the original of Letter #2, and vice versa.

If the circumstances demand that the two parties' addresses appear simultaneously in the space where one inside address goes--left-justified against the 1" margin--then I would insert the second address to the right of the first one and create a vertical margin about half-way across the page. Or you could indent the first inside address by five spaces or so, but still have that vertical margin for the second one. (In Word or WordPerfect, you can use the "Columns" feature, which will help you avoid having to Tab to the right on each line.)

Which address goes on the left, and which on the right? The most objective way is in alphabetical order according to the surnames of the recipients. In my example above, that would put Mr. Jones on the left, and Ms. Walker on the right. Be sure, in your salutation, to address them in that same sequence (i.e., Dear Mr. Jones and Ms. Walker:).

I think the key here is something that doesn't look goofy. Let your eyes and common sense be your guide. Don't be reluctant to ask someone else what s/he thinks.

I hope this is helpful. I respectfully request that you complete the rate-the-expert email you'll receive on the hills of this reply. Your ratings and comments help me do a better job of helping folks like you who ask such interesting questions.

Take care--

Warren