The Inquiry
Most letter inquiry are short and simple, so much so that many firms have adopted the practice of sending printed inquiry forms. As a prospective buyer, the writer of an inquiry states briefly and clearly what he is interested in, and this is receiver of the letter needs to know. An inquiry is sent when a businessman wants some information (an act of asking for information), especially about:
- the supply of goods - delivery times and deadlines
- leaflets or catalogues - method of transport
- quotation or prices - insurance
- samples - terms and discounts
If a prospective costumer approaches suppliers for the first time, it is useful to tell them something about his own business, the kind of goods he needs and for what purpose they are required. In the case of costumers of long standing or repeat orders, the inquiry may be very simple.
A first inquiry- a letter sent to a supplier with whom you have previously done business should include:
• A brief mention of how you obtained your potential supplier’s name. Your source may be an embassy, consulate, or chamber of commerce; you may have seen the goods in question at an exhibition or trade fair, you may be writing as the result of a recommendation from a business associate, or on the basis of an advertisement in the daily, weekly or trade press.
• Some indication of the demand in your area for the goods which the supplier deals in.
• Details of what you would like your prospective supplier to send you. Normally you will be interested in a catalogue, a price list, discount methods of payment, delivery times, and where appropriate samples.
• A closing sentence to round off the inquiry.
Here are some suggestions for sentences which you might include in a routine inquiry:
• Your name has been given us by British Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg …
• The British Embassy in Copenhagen has advised us to get in touch with you concerning
• We are retailers/importers/wholesalers in the …… trade, and would like to get n touch with suppliers/manufactures of ….. (kami adalah pengecer/importir/grosir dalam perdagangan …. Dan ingin berhubungan dengan para pensuplai ……)
• We have heard of your products.
• Please send us prices and sample of ….
• Would you please let us have a firm offer for …./ your current catalogue showing ….(Sudilah menyampaikan pada kami mengenai tawaran untuk …./katalog anda yang berlaku untuk menunjukkan….)
• We read your advertisement.
• We require … for immediate delivery and are interested in buying and would like to have further details and would like to introduce these goods.
(kami memerlukan …. Untuk penyerahan segera dan berminat membeli serta ingin memperoleh keterangan lebih rinci dan informasi mengenai barang-barang itu sendiri)
• Would you like kindly quote your best prices and terms of payment for …..
• What qualities are you able to supply from stock?
• If your prices are competitive/ if the quality of the goods comes up to our expectations/ if the samples meet with our customers approval we can probably let you have regular orders.
• We look forward to receiving your quotation/price/reply/as soon as possible.
• Thank you in advance for any information you can give us.
• An early answer would be appreciated.
• We normally effect payment by letter of credit.
• Payment will be made by cheque/bank transfer.
• Thank you in advance for information you can give us.
• We would appreciate a prompt answer.
• We hope to hear from you shortly.
Replies to inquiries: Offers
A reply to an inquiry from a regular costumer is normally fairly brief, and does not need to be more than polite and direct. Provided the supplier is in a position to meet his correspondent’s requirements, his reply will generally:
• Thank the addresser of the letter of inquiry for the letter in question.
• Supply all the information requested and refer both to enclosure and to samples, catalogues, and other items being sent by separated post.
• Provide additional information, not specially requested by the costumer, so long as it is relevant.
• Conclude with one or two lines encouraging the costumer to place orders and assuring him of good service.
Replies to inquiries may begin in a number of ways. Here are some suggestions:
• Many thanks for your inquiry of 3 April …..
• Thank you for your inquiry about your interest in ….
• We are pleased to submit our lowest prices/to enclose our latest price list/for the goods you inquired about.
• Kindly remember: this offer expires on September 30th.
• We look forward to receiving a trial order from you.
• Please let us have you order as soon as possible, since supplies are limited.
• For a quantity of 60 or more, we can allow you a special discount of 20% on the prices quoted.
• The quantity discounts according to the size of the order.
Terms of Payment
• Cash in advance (tunai di muka)
• Cash with order (c.w.o) (tunai beserta pesanan) (t.b.p)
• Cash on delivery (c.o.d) (tunai waktu terima) (t.w.t)
• Payment quarterly/monthly/at sight (pembayaran suku tahunan/bulanan)
• Our usual terms are cash against documents (c.a.d) (syarat berdasarkan dokumen/faktur)
• We can allow you three months credit (pemberian kredit 3 bulan)
• c.i.f (cost, insurance, freight) (harga, asuransi, angkutan)
• c & f (cost and freight) (harga dan angkutan)
• f.o.b (free on board)(penyerahan diatas kapal)
• f.a.s (free alongside ship)(penyerhan disisi kapal)
• f.o.r (free on rail)(penyerhan di gerbong)
• These prices are ex warehouse (harga gudang)
• Freight and insurance to be paid by buyer/by you (angkutan dan asuransi dibayar oleh pembeli/anda)
• Delivery will be made within two months of receipt of your order (pengiriman akan dilakukan dalam masa dua bulan sesudah diterima pesanan anda)
Worldwide Dealers Ltd.
4 Mugadishu St. Hadda Road
PO BOX: 340 Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
The Victoria Cycle Works
PO BOX: 9271
Melbourne
June 14, 1999
Dear Sirs,
Our business agent in India has asked us for quotation for 10.000 brand new computers to be exported to Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
Please let us to know what quantities you are able to deliver at regular intervals, quoting your best terms f.o.b Brisbane.
We shall handle export formalities, but would ask you to calculate container transport to Brisbane for onward
shipment.
Yours faithfully,
P. King
Ass. Export Manager
Question on the letter 1:
• Who is the addresser?
• Who is the addressee?
• Who is P. King?
• Why do the Worldwide Dealers approach the Victoria Cycle Works?
• What do they ask for apart from prices?
• How should the brand new computers be transported?
13 Garstone Road
Bournemouth, Hants
2nd April, 2005
Mr. S. Hampshire
Hampshire’s Hardware Store
312 High Street
Bournemouth, Hants.
Dear Mr. Hampshire,
When I was in your shop this morning I looked in vain for a STIRTIP electric driver, similar to the one
I bought from you two years ago. I am so delighted with my own that I would have liked to buy another one for my nephew. However, your assistant told me that you do not stock this make anymore.
Would you please inquiry if the STIRTIP driver is still obtainable from the manufactures. I should be obliged to you for your assistance in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. H. Marks
Question on the letter 2:
• Who is the addresser?
• Who is the addresse?
• Who is Mrs. H. Marks?
• Why is Mrs. Marks writing to Mr. Hampshire?
• What was Mrs. Marks told by Mr. Hampshire’ assistant?
• Who may be able to supply the driver?
• What is the different between letter number 1 and 2?
Rabu, 29 April 2009
Writing a Business Letter
Writing a Business Letter
The term "business letter" makes people nervous. Many people with English as a second language worry that their writing is not advanced enough for business writing. This is not the case. An effective letter in business uses short, simple sentences and straightforward vocabulary. The easier a letter is to read, the better. You will need to use smooth transitions so that your sentences do not appear too choppy.
The date:
July 13 1978 (Americans put the name of the month first)
13th July 1978, and
July 13th 1978
Salutation
First and foremost, make sure that you spell the recipient's name correctly. You should also confirm the gender and proper title. Use Ms. for women and Mr. for men. Use Mrs. if you are 100% sure that a woman is married. Under less formal circumstances or after a long period of correspondence it may be acceptable to address a person by his or her first name. When you don't know the name of a person and cannot find this information out you may write, "To Whom It May Concern". It is standard to use a comma (colon in North America) after the salutation.
It is also possible to use no punctuation mark at all. Here are some common ways to address the recipient:
Dear Personnel Director,
Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to)
Dear Dr, Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs. or Miss)
Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend)
Dear Mr. Powell,
Dear Ms/Mrs. Mackenzie,
Dear Frederick Hanson:
Dear Editor-in-Chief:
Dear Valued Customer
Dear Sir or Madam:
Dear Madam
Dear Sir,
Dear Sirs
Gentlemen:
First paragraph
in most types of business letter it is common to use a friendly greeting in the first sentence of the letter. Here are some examples:
I hope you are enjoying a fine summer.
Thank you for your kind letter of January 5th.
I came across an ad for your company in The Star today.
It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference this month.
I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response.
After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two sentences:
I'm writing to enquire about...
I'm interested in the job opening posted on your company website.
We'd like to invite you to a member’s only luncheon on April 5th.
Second and third paragraphs
Use a few short paragraphs to go into greater detail about your main point. If one paragraph is all you need, don't write an extra paragraph just to make your letter look longer. If you are including sensitive material, such as rejecting an offer or informing an employee of a layoff period, embed this sentence in the second paragraph rather than opening with it. Here are some common ways to express unpleasant facts:
We regret to inform you...
It is with great sadness those we...
After careful consideration we have decided...
I am writing to inquire about
apologize for
confirm
Could you possibly?
I would be grateful if you could
I would be delighted to
Unfortunately
I am afraid that
Final paragraph
Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on enclosures. If necessary, your contact information should also be in this paragraph. Here are some common phrases used when closing a business letter:
I look forward to...
Please respond at your earliest convenience.
I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.
For further details...
If you require more information...
Thank you for taking this into consideration.
I appreciate any feedback you may have.
Enclosed you will find...
Feel free to contact me by phone or email.
Closing/Complementary Close
Here are some common ways to close a letter. Use a comma between the closing and your handwritten name (or typed in an email). If you do not use a comma or colon in your salutation, leave out the comma after the closing phrase:
Yours truly,
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely,
Sincerely yours
Thank you,
Best wishes
All the best,
Best of luck
Warm regards
Writing Tips
Use a conversational tone.
Ask direct questions.
Double-check gender and spelling of names.
Use active voice whenever possible.
Use polite modals (would in favor of will).
Always refer to yourself as "I".
Don't use "we" unless it is clear exactly who the pronoun refers to.
Rewrite any sentence or request that sounds vague.
Don't forget to include the date. Day-Month-Year is conventional in many countries; however, to avoid confusion, write out the month instead of using numbers (e.g. April 25th, 2009).
FORMAT LETTER
Block Format
When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.
March 16, 2001
Ernie English
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English,
The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go into detail until the next paragraph.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.
Sincerely,
Lucy Letter
123 Winner's Road
New Employee Town, PA 12345
Modified Block
Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type, the body of the letter is left justified and single-spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type
Ernie English
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English,
The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.
Semi-Block
The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.
Ernie English
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English:
(Indent) The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.
(Indent) Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts.
A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
(Indent) Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.
Enclosing Documents
I am enclosing
Please find enclosed
Enclose you will find
Closing Remarks
Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
there are any problems.
you have any questions.
Reference to Future Contact
I look forward to ...
hearing from you soon.
meeting you next Tuesday.
seeing you next Thursday.
The term "business letter" makes people nervous. Many people with English as a second language worry that their writing is not advanced enough for business writing. This is not the case. An effective letter in business uses short, simple sentences and straightforward vocabulary. The easier a letter is to read, the better. You will need to use smooth transitions so that your sentences do not appear too choppy.
The date:
July 13 1978 (Americans put the name of the month first)
13th July 1978, and
July 13th 1978
Salutation
First and foremost, make sure that you spell the recipient's name correctly. You should also confirm the gender and proper title. Use Ms. for women and Mr. for men. Use Mrs. if you are 100% sure that a woman is married. Under less formal circumstances or after a long period of correspondence it may be acceptable to address a person by his or her first name. When you don't know the name of a person and cannot find this information out you may write, "To Whom It May Concern". It is standard to use a comma (colon in North America) after the salutation.
It is also possible to use no punctuation mark at all. Here are some common ways to address the recipient:
Dear Personnel Director,
Dear Sir or Madam: (use if you don't know who you are writing to)
Dear Dr, Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms Smith: (use if you know who you are writing to, and have a formal relationship with - VERY IMPORTANT use Ms for women unless asked to use Mrs. or Miss)
Dear Frank: (use if the person is a close business contact or friend)
Dear Mr. Powell,
Dear Ms/Mrs. Mackenzie,
Dear Frederick Hanson:
Dear Editor-in-Chief:
Dear Valued Customer
Dear Sir or Madam:
Dear Madam
Dear Sir,
Dear Sirs
Gentlemen:
First paragraph
in most types of business letter it is common to use a friendly greeting in the first sentence of the letter. Here are some examples:
I hope you are enjoying a fine summer.
Thank you for your kind letter of January 5th.
I came across an ad for your company in The Star today.
It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference this month.
I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response.
After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two sentences:
I'm writing to enquire about...
I'm interested in the job opening posted on your company website.
We'd like to invite you to a member’s only luncheon on April 5th.
Second and third paragraphs
Use a few short paragraphs to go into greater detail about your main point. If one paragraph is all you need, don't write an extra paragraph just to make your letter look longer. If you are including sensitive material, such as rejecting an offer or informing an employee of a layoff period, embed this sentence in the second paragraph rather than opening with it. Here are some common ways to express unpleasant facts:
We regret to inform you...
It is with great sadness those we...
After careful consideration we have decided...
I am writing to inquire about
apologize for
confirm
Could you possibly?
I would be grateful if you could
I would be delighted to
Unfortunately
I am afraid that
Final paragraph
Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on enclosures. If necessary, your contact information should also be in this paragraph. Here are some common phrases used when closing a business letter:
I look forward to...
Please respond at your earliest convenience.
I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.
For further details...
If you require more information...
Thank you for taking this into consideration.
I appreciate any feedback you may have.
Enclosed you will find...
Feel free to contact me by phone or email.
Closing/Complementary Close
Here are some common ways to close a letter. Use a comma between the closing and your handwritten name (or typed in an email). If you do not use a comma or colon in your salutation, leave out the comma after the closing phrase:
Yours truly,
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely,
Sincerely yours
Thank you,
Best wishes
All the best,
Best of luck
Warm regards
Writing Tips
Use a conversational tone.
Ask direct questions.
Double-check gender and spelling of names.
Use active voice whenever possible.
Use polite modals (would in favor of will).
Always refer to yourself as "I".
Don't use "we" unless it is clear exactly who the pronoun refers to.
Rewrite any sentence or request that sounds vague.
Don't forget to include the date. Day-Month-Year is conventional in many countries; however, to avoid confusion, write out the month instead of using numbers (e.g. April 25th, 2009).
FORMAT LETTER
Block Format
When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double space between paragraphs.
March 16, 2001
Ernie English
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English,
The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go into detail until the next paragraph.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.
Sincerely,
Lucy Letter
123 Winner's Road
New Employee Town, PA 12345
Modified Block
Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type, the body of the letter is left justified and single-spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to type
March 16, 2001
Ernie English
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English,
The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.
Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.
Sincerely,
Lucy Letter
Lucy Letter
Semi-Block
The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.
March 16, 2001
Ernie English
1234 Writing Lab Lane
Write City, IN 12345
Dear Mr. English:
(Indent) The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.
(Indent) Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts.
A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning.
(Indent) Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time.
Sincerely,
Lucy Letter
Lucy Letter
Enclosing Documents
I am enclosing
Please find enclosed
Enclose you will find
Closing Remarks
Thank you for your help Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
there are any problems.
you have any questions.
Reference to Future Contact
I look forward to ...
hearing from you soon.
meeting you next Tuesday.
seeing you next Thursday.
The Finish
Yours faithfully, (If you don't know the name of the person you're writing to)
Yours sincerely, (If you know the name of the person you're writing to)
Best wishes,
Best regards, (If the person is a close business contact or friend)
SAMPLE LETTER
Ken's Cheese House
34 Chatley Avenue
Seattle, WA 98765
Tel:
Fax:
Email: kenny@cheese.com
October 23, 2006
Fred Flintstone
Sales Manager
Cheese Specialists Inc.
456 Rubble Road
Rockville, IL
Dear Mr. Flintstone,
With reference to our telephone conversation today, I am writing to confirm your order for: 120 x Cheddar Deluxe Ref. No. 856
The order will be shipped within three days via UPS and should arrive at your store in about 10 days.
Please contact us again if we can help in any way.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Beare
Director of Ken's Cheese House
Exercises:
- Design a letter for a company manufacturing washing machines, refrigerators and other household equipment. Include all the information about your company which is normally shown in modern letter heading.
- Write out the following date in three or four different ways in which it might appear at the top of a business letter: the fourteenth of April nineteen-seventy-eight.
- Make a business letter from an Australian engineering (The Jameson Construction CO.PTY Harbour Road Melbourne, Australia) to British supplier (The Aluminum Alloy Co, Ltd. 79 Prince Albert St. Birmingham B21 8 DJ Great Britain). The Australian engineering informs that this company has already seen British advertisement in The Metal worker and would kindly send the Australian engineering about the details aluminum fitting includes the price also indicate delivery times, terms of payment, and details of discount for regular and large orders. The buyer of Australian engineering is H. Smithers.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)
Postingan
