September 3rd, 2021
0 min read
Have you noticed that communications from organizations that should know better often comes with an opening “Dear Colleague”?
What’s up with that?
According to Merriam-Webster, a colleague is: “an associate or coworker typically in a profession or in a civil or ecclesiastical office and often of similar rank or status; a fellow worker or professional.”
Sure, this is probably just a pet peeve of mine. I get that.
When I see an email that starts out that way my brain turns off. I just delete the damn thing.
I often get “Dear Colleague” emails from trade organization pitching something such as a call for nominations for the annual awards.
If I am on your list, you should know my name. It’s better to either say “Dear David” or just leave the salutation out completely.
David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to emerging companies, and international bestselling author of a dozen books including Fanocracy and The New Rules of Marketing & PR. His books are published in 30 languages from Arabic to Vietnamese and have sold nearly a million copies.
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