E-mail Etiquette: Business Titles

[yongyi]

Hi All,

 

I'm writing e-mails now and trying to figure out appropriate titles. Would be grateful if you could help clarify a few questions:

 

What does 总 cover? For example, could someone who is a Director or a Project Coordinator be called 总? 

 

Can I just use the formula of someone's last name and title? For example, if someone's card says that they are 总监／项目经理, can I write 王经理?

 

谢谢！

 

Yongyi

[Kenny同志]

Can I just use the formula of someone's last name and title? For example, if someone's card says that they are 总监／项目经理, can I write 王经理?

 

Yes, you can.

 

What does 总 cover? For example, could someone who is a Director or a Project Coordinator be called 总? 

 

On formal occasions, I reserve 總 for the company owner/co-owners, CEOs, and chairmen of the board only.

 

PS: To be honest, I don't like the title (personal preference). Whenever possible, I use 先生 or 小姐.

[yongyi]

Can 先生 be considered offensive if, say it is used for the head of a major department of a very large company? He may not be as important as CEO, but clearly, he is still a person of significant seniority and, I think, should be addressed in a way to reflect that. 

[Lu]

Isn't 总 mainly for spoken situations, and when you're on fairly familiar terms with the person in question? If I were emailing the head of some company, I'd probably use 总裁 or some other title. If we went to KTV together, I'd use 总 if I talked to him, and if I emailed him after that I'd probably leave out the salutation altogether. Or have I got it wrong?