In formal business communication, letters are often signed by multiple people to indicate joint authorization or consensus. For instance, an action that requires approval from several decision-makers may necessitate a letter with several signatures. When drafting a letter with more than one signer, follow some important formatting guidelines to clearly convey who is endorsing the message.
When are Multiple Signatures Needed on Letters?
There are a few common scenarios when a business letter will need two or more signatures
- Announcing a major decision or policy change approved by top leadership
- Responding to an inquiry or request that involves several departments/teams
- Making a proposal or request requiring buy-in from multiple stakeholders
- Introducing a new initiative that has collective support from key leaders
- Communicating views representing agreement among a group or committee
Having multiple signatures demonstrates alignment, shared responsibility, compliance protocols, or the need for consensus around a particular matter. It carries more weight than just one signature.
How Should You Format a Letter with Multiple Signers?
When drafting a letter requiring two or more signatures, follow these formatting guidelines:
Use Standard Business Letter Format
The overall letter should adhere to a standard block format:
- Date and company/recipient addresses at the top
- Formal salutation (“Dear Mr. Jones”)
- Body paragraphs flushed left, not indented
- Formal closing (“Sincerely”)
This presents information neatly and professionally.
Briefly State the Purpose of Multiple Signers
In the opening paragraph, briefly explain that the letter will contain multiple signatures. For example
“On behalf of the leadership team at XYZ Company, this letter outlines the new policy we have collectively approved to update our social media guidelines.”
This clarifies upfront why there are several signers.
Determine Order of Signatures
Decide the sequence of signatures in hierarchical order of job title/seniority. The most senior signer typically goes first. This helps convey who holds higher authority.
Leave Adequate Space Between Closing and Signatures
After the final paragraph and closing salutation, skip 2-3 line spaces before the signature fields. This leaves room for handwritten signatures later.
Format Signer Titles Underneath Names
On the left margin, type Signer 1’s full name. Hit enter and type their official title underneath. Repeat this format for each subsequent signer, leaving a blank line between signers.
Having titles underneath names is proper format. It identifies each signer’s role and authority.
Keep Signatures Flush Left
Keep all typed names and titles aligned with the left margin. Do not center or tab in the signatures. They should start flush left directly under each paragraph.
Two Signers
For two signers, skip two lines after the closing and type:
John Smith
CEO
Jane Doe
President
Three Signers
For three signers, skip two lines and align the names:
John Smith Jill Thomas Bob Jones
CEO COO CFO
Four or More Signers
For four or more signers, break into two columns to save space. Skip two lines and type:
John Smith Jill Thomas
CEO COO
Bob Jones Tina Wheeler
CFO Director
Formatting Tips for Multiple Signatures
- Proofread carefully to prevent typos in names or titles
- Use consistent capitalization and punctuation
- Align signatures neatly under each other
- Order signers by organizational hierarchy
- Ensure adequate blank space for signatures
- Keep formatting simple and consistent
Circulate Draft for Review
Before obtaining signatures, email the draft letter to all signers for review. This allows them to suggest edits and provide consensus on the content.
Make any revisions until finalized. Then print the final letter on official letterhead and route for signatures.
Sample Letter with Two Signatures
Here is an example letter with two signers:
October 15, 20XX
Mr. Jack Smith
123 Main St.
Anytown, AZ 12345
Dear Mr. Smith:
On behalf of the management team at ABC Company, this letter is to formally notify you that your employment will be terminated effective October 29, 20XX due to violations of company policy.
As outlined in our employee handbook, theft of company property is grounds for immediate termination. The stolen merchandise documented by our security footage represents substantial financial loss and misconduct.
Please return your employee badge and company equipment by October 29 or we will pursue legal action. Let us know if you have any questions about this termination decision and next steps.
Sincerely,
James Thomas
Regional Manager
Heather Cole
HR Director
Key Takeaways
When drafting business letters needing multiple signatures:
- Adhere to standard block format
- Briefly state why letter has multiple signers
- Put names in hierarchical order
- Leave space for signatures
- List titles below names
- Align all text flush left
- Proofread carefully
- Circulate draft for input before finalizing
Using proper formatting for multi-signature letters adds legitimacy and conveys the joint nature of the communication. With these best practices, you can easily compose clear letters representing agreement from multiple parties.
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To address a professional letter to multiple recipients, start with a salutation beginning with “Dear” followed by their full names. For example, write “Dear Dr. Nora Woods and Dr. Mark Brooks,” and end with a colon instead of a comma. If you’re addressing an entire office or company, you can use a less formal salutation such as “Dear Colleagues” or “Dear Associates.” Keep in mind, however, that such salutations are normally used for very large groups, or informal letters like mass e-mails. For more advice, including how to address multiple recipients in a personal letter, keep reading.
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How to format a letter with two signatures?
When one formal letter is being forwarding by two senders, you need to create two signature blocks. Generally, the best method to formatting a letter with two signatures is to use the traditional full block format with all the lines of the letter starting at the left. The two signatures should be placed on the same page following the closing.
Can you put two signatures on a business letter?
When there are two signatures on the business letter, senders have a choice for formatting the signature line. The signature block on a business letter contains the name, title and office of the signer. Senders can place two signature blocks on a letter side by side or one below the other.
How do you write a letter to a signer?
If you have just two signers, skip down four line spaces which are enough space for a written signature, and type the first signer’s name flush with the left margin. On the line below the signer’s name, type their position or title. Skip another four line spaces for the second signer’s name and position or title.
What is a letter with two signatures?
A letter with two signatures can also help you and your team communicate a task that requires the authorization of more than one person. This letter can express a teams collective approval so that they can send a single letter instead of one document for each team member. The template below shows you how to format a letter with two signatures:
