A fax cover sheet is not just for decoration. It’s one of the first steps you can take to ensure your documents arrive safely and securely at their destination. The fax cover sheet is often the first impression that you get to give out when sending a document. It should be professional, concise, and informative. There are some key pieces of information that should always be included on fax cover sheets.
This article will provide an overview of the essential information that needs to be included on a fax cover sheet so you can send it successfully.
What is a Fax Cover Sheet?
A fax cover sheet is the first page of any faxed document that comes before any actual fax message. It provides information about who sent the fax, what it’s about, and other relevant details. It is important to have a fax cover sheet because it allows whoever receives the document to validate its contents before they read through it.
Elements of a Successful Fax Cover Sheet
There are many elements of a successful fax cover sheet, but some are more important than others. What information is included will depend on the purpose of the document being sent.
Essential Fax Cover Letter Elements are:
- Include your name and contact information
- Include your fax number
- State the purpose of the fax
- Include the intended recipient’s contact info
- Date and time sent
- Number of pages in the document
To explore what is needed in more detail, below is a breakdown of the most common and helpful elements in a fax cover letter.
Purpose Statement
Some companies have a standard fax cover page that they require their employees to use when sending a document by fax machine. Other businesses, however, may want to give their employees a little more freedom as to what information should be included on a fax cover sheet. With this in mind, you should always include some sort of purpose statement that explains why you are sending this particular fax at this time.
To and From Information
The sender’s name and contact information is one thing that should always be included on a fax cover sheet as it allows the person receiving the document to confirm who sent it if there is ever any confusion or questions about authenticity. It also helps if someone other than the intended recipient has received your document by mistake. This can be rectified without too much difficulty if the “To” and “From” have been included on the fax cover sheet.
Company Name and Address
There should always be some type of identifier regarding what company or organization sent it at the top of a fax cover sheet after your To/From information. Even though the purpose statement will explain why this specific document was sent, your company name and address will provide information about who you are.
Fax Number
Fax numbers should also be included on cover sheets so that the other party knows how they can best get in touch if there are any questions or problems with the document after it has been received. This is very helpful for business associates or clients, especially if someone else has mistakenly received this particular fax and it hasn’t gone to the right person.
Phone Number and Email Address
Many cover sheets also include a phone number and email address. It’s helpful for them to be able to contact you through different means should there be a problem.
Date and Time Sent
The date and time when a fax was sent may not seem like an important detail, but when preparing a fax cover sheet, you should always include the date and time when it was sent. This assists in keeping track of which documents have been delivered or received properly by the other person. While Fax machines usually include this information on the top of the fax cover letter, sometimes it is not set correctly, so it’s best to include the date and time of the fax transmission as well.
Number of Pages
The number of pages included in the document can also be helpful when it comes to identifying what is on each page. This will let the person who received the fax know if there is anything important missing so they can take appropriate action.
Reference Number
It can also be helpful to include a reference number on a fax cover sheet. This allows the intended recipient to reference the document quickly. This is useful for important documents such as contracts, invoices, and purchase orders.
Confidentiality Statement
A confidentiality statement is not always necessary for fax cover sheets, but in some cases, it can be helpful if your document contains confidential information that could potentially be viewed by people who are unauthorized to do so. Sometimes these statements are included on an additional page rather than the cover sheet itself. It may not be appropriate for this type of information to accompany every fax sent.
Other Relevant Information That May Be Useful
Fax cover sheets are often short and to the point. There are not always a lot of elements that need to be included, but in some cases, there may be additional information that you think your recipient will benefit from. For example, some people include a list of any attached documents on the fax cover sheet so they won’t have to flip through them while trying to figure out what was sent. Some people like to include their logo to add a professional touch.
While most companies do not include every single element listed above for their business communication, each is unique and has different needs based on what is important in their industry. Following this general outline when creating your next fax cover sheet should make sending any documents by fax much easier.
Cover Sheet Templates
We have included some free templates for you to download or print in our cover sheet directory to make things easier when faxing your documents. They are available in both PDF and Word format.
In Summary
By following what some consider the basics for successful fax cover sheets, you will ensure that your fax messages arrive safely at their destination. It can also prevent any delays in processing that might occur. Our final tip is to double-check that all information is accurate before sending off your fax; this will help avoid any confusion down the line.
If you haven’t got a fax machine and want to get a fax number toll-free to send or receive faxes online wherever you are, we offer both free and competitively priced options at Faxburner.
