Business English is a very interesting subject that introduces to learners basics of using English in business, especially International trade. Amon all of contents, our team was most impressed with topic of Inquiry Letter
Trang 1PHAM VAN DONG UNIVERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT
ASSIGNMENT ON BUSINESS ENGLISH
TOPIC:
HOW TO MAKE AND RESPOND
INQUIRIES IN BUSINESS
Trang 21 INTRODUCTION 1
2 CONTENTS 2
2.1 What is Inquiery Letter 2
2.1.1 Definition 2
2.1.2 Types 2
2.1.3 Components 2
2.1.4 Characteristics 4
2.2 How to Make Inquieries 4
2.2.1 Beginning 4
2.2.2 Examples 6
2.3 Inquieries Responses 8
2.3.1 What is an inquiry response email and who is receiving it? 8
2.3.2 The recipient 8
2.3.3 Inquiry response email format with examples 9
2.3.4 Business inquiry response sample 13
3 CONSLUSION 15
Trang 31 INTRODUCTION
Business English is a very interesting subject that introduces to learners basics of using English in business, especially International trade Amon all of contents, our team was most impressed with topic of Inquiry Letter Inquiry letter in business is a type of letter used to exchange information about products and services that customers need with suppliers It is not difficult for
us to ask for information about a certain commodity; however, writing a letter with correct format and standards is not easy To know more about steps to make and respond an inquiry, as well as how to ask and answer information in
the inquiry letter, the team choose the topic "How to Make and Respond
Inquiries in Business" to do this assignment.
Trang 42 CONTENTS
2.1 What is Inquiery Letter
2.1.1 Definition:
Inquiry letters are written for the purpose of asking for something from the recipient Inquiries can be sent as a formal business letter (outside of your company) or as an e-mail Before sending your inquiry, you should be certain that the information is not available through other means, such as the company website
2.1.2 Types:
There are three primary categories of inquiry letters:
a) Status inquiries are typically sent to request references or
recommendations
b) Routine inquiries are letters written to an individual or company for
the purpose of gathering specific information
c) Sales-related inquiries are written to a company or individual to obtain
information about a product or service and may be the first step of collecting information for a report
2.1.3 Components:
The structure of an inquiry letter includes the following mandatory contents:
a) Introduction: The purpose of the introduction is to provide your
audience with the basic information of who, what, and why
- Introduce yourself and where you are from
- Provide a statement of purpose
- Include some subtle flattery, but only if the purpose is not sales-related
b) Body: The purpose of the body is to provide the recipient with the
inquiry-what you want from him or her and what you will do with that information
Trang 5- In a sales inquiry, you might include the dimensions of the product, quality, price, availability, discount rates, return rate, service terms, or any other pertinent information
- If you are sending an inquiry for information, you will list no more than five questions
c) Conclusion: The conclusion functions to establish goodwill and
express gratitude
- Thank the recipient for his or her time and consideration You are not thanking him or her in advance; instead, you are thanking him or her for the time he or she has spent reading the letter and considering your inquiry
- Include any permission you may need for quoting him or her in your work (if you are seeking information)
- Provide your contact information: address, e-mail, phone number, etc
Exmple: Inquiery Letter
Trang 62.1.4 Characteristics:
The request for this letter is to be brief, clear, and focused on the key information to be asked Remember to put the company name at the top of the letter (or use a pre-printed letterhead - letterhead - of your company n) followed by the address of the company you want to send the letter to Then you leave 2 lines blank and then write the date This part can also be offset to the right
When making an inquiry, you must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Write clearly and concisely
- Be considerate and provide a sufficient timeline
- Provide a route for a response, such as a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE)
2.2 How to Make Inquieries
2.2.1 Beginning:
a) Prologue:
- In British English, they use Dear Sir or Madam;
- In American EnglishDear, we use To Whom It May Concern – (very formal as you do not know the person to whom you are writing)
After the initial greeting, we can start the letter with the following
sentence patterns:
- We are considering buying / purchasing / installing
- We require firm immediate delivery
- We are (description of your company) and are looking for a supplier of Please could you send us details of as advertised in
- We are (description of your company) and are interested in purchasing /buying Please could you send us your current price list and catalogue
b) Hints for clues: You can use sentence patterns:
- We were given your name by
- You were recommended to us by
Trang 7- Our associates in speak highly of your product/services.
- Your firm has been recommended to us by
- We understand from that you can supply
- We saw your stand at the Fair/Exhibition
- We have seen your advertisement in
- Please forward details of as advertised in
- With reference to your advertisement (ad) in…
- Regarding your advertisement (ad) in …
- I have seen one of your safes in the office of a local firm and they passed on your address to me
- Your advertisement (Your article in the paper ) on… has come to our attention
c) Request catalogs, brochures, etc.:
After the clue, you use a comma and write:
- , would (Could) you please send me…
- Will you please send me a copy of your catalog and price list of , together with copies of any desscriptive leaflets that I could pass to
prospective customers
- Please send me a copy of your current catalog I am particularly
interested in safes suitable for a small office
If we need more information, we can write:
- Will you please let us know your prices for / whether you could supply
- Give us a quotation for
- Please send us further details of
your current price-list
your export catalogue
details of goods which delivered immediately
Trang 8can be shipped immediately.
supplied from stock
- Could you let us know what you allow for cash or trade discounts
- We should appreciate it if you could let us know what discounts you offer for large orders
- Would you also forward details of packing and delivery charges as well
as terms of payment and discounts
- Prompt delivery is essential and we would need your assurance that you could meet all delivery dates
- We should be grateful if you would forward any further information you may be able to give us about
- We can supply the usual trade references
d) End of inquiry letter
Unlike regular letters, inquiry letters always require formality, so the expressions we use must also show this formality Here are a few sentences:
- We look forward to hearing from you as we should like to make a decision as soon as possible
- We should like to make a decision on this soon, so we should
appreciate an early reply
- If the prices quoted are competitive, we shall be able to place regular and substantial orders
2.2.2 Examples:
Example 1: Inquiry in a textbook “The Effective Writer”
Trang 9Example 2: Inquiry in Computer
Trang 102.3 Inquieries Responses
Nowadays, business collaboration is becoming more and more important However, the product’s quality or the terms of the sales are not the only things you should pay attention to Beside them, the way you respond to your partner’s request also plays a big role in making a successful deal
2.3.1 What is an inquiry response email and who is receiving it?
Inquiry emails are emails used to ask for information We often use a business inquiry email to ask a company to give more details about their
product or service In case you need to know more, we also have a guide on
inquiry email.
So, an inquiry response is simply the email you write in response to an inquiry you received earlier Your main goal while writing them is to meet the sender’s request They may need you to provide information, set up a call or send a sample product
2.3.2 The recipient
The one you send your inquiry response to is surely the same person who contacted you earlier They are very likely to be your company’s future customer or client
The fact that they sent you an inquiry shown their interest in your product or service Hence, this is their first stage: get more information to consider doing business with you
When a company puts an inquiry into your mailbox, it means that you are given a promising, valuable business opportunity As they said, you never know what the future may bring This one single inquiry email can be the way for your company to a new level of success
So, you get it now A poorly written inquiry response would be a terrible threat It can leave a bad impression and cause you to lose the chance That’s why you should treat each and every inquiry with care and respect
Trang 11But you haven’t know how to write it yet? Follow our guide below on how to reply to an inquiry email for the best response It also comes with plenty of useful phrases, examples, and notes!
2.3.3 Inquiry response email format with examples
a) Opening
Firstly, open your inquiry response with appreciation You must always remember this rule
Show the potential partner your gratitude and thank them for their interest in your product or service There was this saying: Well begun is half done Likewise, giving your customer a pleasant feeling at first can help the business go smoothly
After that, mention their inquiry in the former email so that they know the matter you discuss here
So, here are some phrases you can use in the opening:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding our product or service
Thank you for your interest in our product or service
We would like to thank you for your letter inquiring about our
product
We truly appreciate your letter asking for information about our service
It was a pleasure to receive your inquiry about the product of our company
b) Body
Secondly, create a fairly useful body for your inquiry response Remember that the most important thing you need to do here is to provide the information needed
Don’t be complicated Don’t make your customer wait Go straight to the main points You should clarify the name and amount of information you
Trang 12are sending according to their request Tell them how you send it as well: attached in the mail, synthesized in a link below, etc
Besides, you can give additional details if suitable However, you need
to explain how it may be of use to them Never send extra items for nothing
You can find below some simple yet effective sentences to use in the body part:
To provide requested items:
o According to your inquiry, we have enclosed
o In response to your inquiry, please find attached in this email
o To answer your question, here are
o To address your request, here are
o We are pleased to satisfy your demand with the attached information To give additional stuff: o In addition to the information above, we also attached
o Besides the given information, we also enclosed
o In order to fully answer your request, we would like to give you some further details
o There is some other information we believe may be useful to you
o You can find some relevant items below
c) Closing
Finally, end your inquiry response in an open manner
After providing the requested stuff, you should save some spaces for future contact Use a warm, fairly enthusiastic tone in this closing part It helps make the customer feel your hospitality while still remain comfortable
Kindly suggest a call or a meeting if needed Let them know you welcome any request Show them you are always ready to help in case they have any problem Don’t forget to mention your contact details as well, so that they know where to find you
Trang 13Last but not least, express your sincere hope for further discussion as well as a partnership between the two companies This will complete your effective inquiry response
Here are some classic, polite closures you can use for a response to an inquiry:
Suggest a call/meeting:
o I hope you are satisfied with the information above
o Hopefully, the information attached is sufficient for you
o We hope that the details mentioned were useful to you
o In case you would like to have more information, we are happy to arrange a call and a meeting for our further discussion on this matter
o If necessary, we always welcome a call or a meeting at a convenient time for you to understand more about our product/service
o We also look forward to welcoming you to our office for a better
understanding between us
Show readiness to assist:
o Should there be any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us
o If you require further information, feel free to contact me
o If you have any questions or need more details, we are always ready to help
o It would be my pleasure to know how more can we assist you
o Thank you for your time and consideration I look forward to hearing from you soon
o We look forward to doing business with you in the future
Besides the content, the way you present your email is also an important factor Focus on the etiquette to make sure you have a nicely written email It will show your professionalism and create a credible image
Trang 14d) Useful notes while writing an inquiry response
Besides the basic format, there are some crucial notes you should remember while replying to an inquiry email:
- Understand the request precisely
After all, it doesn’t really matter what you write in your inquiry response The most important thing is that you are able to provide your customer with the information they need
That is the first and most vital priority for this email type You must send them the exact information Wrong, insufficient, and useless data will completely shut down your chance of doing business with them
So, whenever you receive an inquiry, take your time and read it thoroughly After that, respond with the same carefulness Understand what they want, how they want it and send it to them
You can also make a checklist of the requested items It will help you prepare the stuff as well as check the accuracy of your response later
- Reply as soon as possible
Nobody wants to be kept waiting Your customer, likewise, doesn’t You should give proper priority to your customer’s inquiry If possible, try to reply to them right after you read their email The sooner you respond, the more professional and the better impression they have for you
Furthermore, this action also saves time for both you and your customer You can quickly get rid of another to-do task, while they don’t have
to wait too long!
- Know what you are sending
While replying to an inquiry, make sure you know first-hand what information is in there If the customer explained in detail the thing they want, your response should assure to satisfy all their requests
Many people tend to just attach the company’s brochure to the email and then click ‘Send’ However, that is so careless The brochure simply