Nearly one-quarter of all mail that goes through the United States Postal Service (USPS) has an error in the address that can make it difficult to deliver, cause delays and cost the post office time and money, according to the USPS.com PostalExplorer online tool. Letter writers often misunderstand the proper order of the address lines, including the USPS attention line, where the business department should be written. Hint: It's not on the envelope's bottom left corner. Show
Place Addresses in Proper PositionIn the upper left corner of the envelope, write your return address: name, your company's name, street address or P.O. Box, and city, state and ZIP code. Now find the midpoint of the envelope and move one space to the right; this is where the first line of the recipient's address goes. Be sure to write the address parallel to the envelope's longest side. The first line of the address is called the name or attention line. If you're sending it to a particular department instead of a specific person, put the department on the first line. You can write "Attention" or its abbreviation "ATTN," but it isn't necessary. The USPS automated mail-reading machines read addresses from the bottom up, starting with the city, state and ZIP code. Next, the machines look for the street address or P.O. Box number, then the company's name, and lastly, its final recipient, whether that is a person or department. When postal clerks used to sort the mail, it didn't matter so much if you wrote "ATTN: M. Murdock" in the bottom left corner, but doing so today confuses the machines, or they don't see it because it's out of their scanning area. An example of the proper standard address that is easily read by automated machines is:
Writing to a Person, Department or BothIf you want to address a person, do so instead of the department and add the person's title if you know it. For example: MS ANNA DREW MARKETING DIRECTOR. If it doesn't fit on one line, move the title to the second line. Adding MARKETING DEPARTMENT is redundant in this case, so leave that out. If you don't know the person's title, you can write MS ANNA DREW on line one and MARKETING DEPARTMENT on line two if the company is large enough that you don't think the letter will get to the addressee without naming the department. Use All Caps and Drop PunctuationThe USPS automated machines can read fast and easily if you use ALL CAPS and no punctuation at all. Like most people, you were probably trained to write an address as "City, State, (two spaces) and then ZIP code." However, the correct way for accurate machine reading is "City (one space, no comma) State (two spaces) ZIP code." Use the two-letter abbreviation that USPS designates for each state, as shown in Your Dictionary. Note that these differ from the traditional state abbreviations that are still used in newspaper articles and formal writing. For example:
Follow Additional Rules for Accurate DeliveryThe USPS.com PostalExplorer gives additional guidelines to help make sure your mail gets where you want it to go: At times, you may need to communicate with someone from an organization but don’t know their name. For example, you may need to discuss your new product range with the purchase head of a company. But, how can you write a letter to them without knowing their name? In such cases, an attention letter may be the solution to your dilemma!  An attention letter is a type of business letter with an attention line. In simple terms, you add an extra line to your letter stating who the letter is for. It can help you get the attention of the intended person and convince them to respond. You can use attention letters for many purposes like:
There are many more use cases of an attention line in letters which we will talk about ahead. Also, we are going to discuss how to write an attention letter with a template. For your reference, there are also some attention letter samples that can help you get a better idea. Is an Attention Line the Same as a Subject Line?An attn line on business letters directs the letter to the intended reader. However, it does not convey the purpose of your letter. You can either use the person’s full name or job title to write this line. But, it makes more sense to use an attention line in a letter only when you don’t know the recipient’s name. On the other hand, a subject line summarizes your letter. It demonstrates your intent and paves the way for the rest of your letter. So begin your line with the word ‘Subject.’ For example, ‘Subject: Sponsorship request for the upcoming Nashville Marathon.’ PostGrid for powerful features, minimum effortsSend direct mail and reach out to the right audience at the right time without delays. SIGN UPWhen Should I Use an Attention Line in Business Letters?You don’t need to use ‘to the attention of’ letters all the time. You may or may not add an attention line always, but it is mandatory sometimes. Attention letters are ideal when you want to assure that the letter reaches the correct person. Sometimes, you don’t need to connect with a specific person from a company. Hence, you can address letters to the company at large or a particular department. But, if not, it is best to use a cover letter with an attention line. Another occasion when you should use an attention line is when you are unsure of the recipient’s name but know their job title—for example, the vice president of the marketing department or the general manager. Also, addressing a letter with an attn line is advisable when mailing a company with several departments. It can help avoid confusion and get your letter in the hands of the concerned person. Such letters also help you get faster responses as an attention line makes the letter look significant and urgent. Typically, you should always write attn lines professionally, especially while making a format request. Some examples are:
How to Write a Letter With Attention to SomeoneBelow are some steps you can take to write an attention letter the right way: Research About the Intended RecipientBefore writing a letter and sending it off, research whether you have the correct company address. Also, try finding the person’s name to whom you intend to write the letter. Some companies list their employees’ names on their website, like their marketing head, HR head, etc. You can visit the company’s website, and social media handles to find the person you want to connect with. Or at least have a clear stand as to which department you wish to mail. It is excellent if you find a name. Otherwise, the attention line on the envelope can help you connect with the correct person. Follow the Attention Letter FormatYou can use your standard business letter format as an attention letter format as well. The only difference would be the addition of an attention line. Here’s a list of things you can follow to make your letter look professional:
Add Your Contact DetailsWhile using a business letter format with an attention line, don’t forget to add your contact information. These details should come before you write the body of the letter. Make sure to add your full name, company name, job title, email address, and contact number. Place them on the top-left side of the letter with the date. Then, add the recipient’s mailing address. It comes between the attention line and salutation. Write the Attention LineHow to address a letter’s attention to the recipient? Where does the attention line go on a business letter? The answers to these questions can help you write the attention line correctly. The attention line typically appears between the date and the recipient’s postal address. However, some companies also insert it after writing both mailing addresses. You can write the recipient’s name in the attention line but mention the correct spelling. If not, write their job title— For example, ‘ATTENTION: President, Department of Sales and Marketing.’ Add a Salutation and Write the BodyIn situations where you don’t know the reader’s name, add a simple salutation like ‘Hello.’ If you do know the name, try using titles like ‘Mr.,’ ‘Ms.,’ ‘Dr.,’ etc. Your first paragraph should explain the letter’s purpose and the reason why you want to connect with the person mentioned in the attention line. In the second paragraph, provide additional information regarding your request. But, again, keep it short, clear, and to the point. You can add a third paragraph to summarize everything and express your gratitude. End the letter with a formal closing, like:
Add your signature at the end and finish off. Proofread and SendAfter following the above steps and the letter format attention line, it’s time to proofread your entire letter. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. If possible, run a grammar check on a word-processing program to help you spot any errors and fix them. Read your letter aloud to check if the contents are in the proper flow. Sending an error-free application letter with an attention line can motivate your recipient to read the letter and reply. Print and mail documents onlineOur intuitive, collaborative tools allow you to focus on your email campaigns and our deliverability tools help ensure that they reach your customers’ inboxes. REQUEST A DEMOAttention Letter TemplateBelow is a template to help you understand how to write attn on a letter: [Your name] Example of Attention Line in Business LettersHere’s a letter with attention line example you can refer to: Landon Campbell November 20, 2021 Lorenzo Wood Ltd. ATTN: Marketing Director Hello, Hope you are doing well today! I am the Vice President of the marketing department at Helping Hands Foundation. Today, I am writing this letter to request a sponsorship for our upcoming charity event. It is an auction, scheduled to be held on the 27th of next month. We have been organizing this auction every year after Christmas for the last ten years. Our aim is to collect funds and help at least 500 children by New Year’s Eve. There are many sponsorship levels for you to choose from and help us meet our goal of raising $100,000. We add all our sponsors’ details to the welcome packets that guests receive at the auction. Also, we put up offline and online banners with their names as a part of our event marketing strategies. I have attached some documents and materials with this letter to help you get information about our auction. If you want to discuss the sponsorship in-depth, feel free to call or email me at [email protected] We can also meet up at your office location sometime if possible. Thank you for your time, and I am looking forward to connecting with you soon. Sincerely, How to Address An Envelope With ATTN Line?To send an attention letter, you may ask questions like- where to put attention in address? What is the proper way to address a letter with attention? It is crucial to address your letters properly so that the mail reaches the correct recipient. Therefore, not only should you know how to address a letter with attention lines, but also you should understand what to write on the envelope. You can follow the steps below: Write Attn On the TopWrite the word ‘Attention’ or ‘ATTN’ on the first line of your delivery address. Then, add a colon and the recipient’s name or title. This line should always appear at the top of your mailing address. It denotes whom the letter is meant for. Hence, the USPS can deliver the letter to the company, from where it reaches the recipient. Mention the Organization NameThe name of the recipient’s company should form the following line. Please remember to write the organization’s name even if you know the person’s full name. It will help the postal workers deliver your letter accurately. If the company you are mailing the letter to is large, it is better to write the department name. You can add the department name to the second line and write the company name on the third line. Add the Correct Street AddressOn the following line, add the recipient’s street address. Take care to write the complete street address on the same line. It is also called the delivery address line by the USPS. Add the correct street directions, unit number, suite number, etc. Including such secondary address details is especially important while mailing to a company located inside multi-story buildings. Fill in the Other Address DetailsMention the city, state, and ZIP code on the last line. It is not mandatory but advisable to add ZIP+4 codes to assure deliverability. After completing these steps, cross-verify the address and affix the postage on the top-right corner of your envelope. Your attention to detail cover letter is now ready to mail. Cut through the noise with PostGridPrint and Ship documents online to connect with your audience with postgrid With PostGrid SIGN UPWrapping UpAttention letters are a great way to mail someone without knowing their name. It can mark the start of a long-term business relationship. After connecting with someone through an attention letter, you can take your conversation ahead on call or email. We hope this blog helped you understand how to type a business letter with an attention line. PostGrid’s direct mail API can help you write, print, and send attention letters to your intended recipients. Plus, it can do it in less than half the time you would take. Wish to explore more of PostGrid’s features? Sign up now to see how we can make the process of printing and mailing attention letters convenient and affordable for you! |
How to address an envelope with attn
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