CC unit 2, enquiries TC

Main message  Asking for catalogues, price lists, etc..  Asking for details  Asking for samples, patterns, and demonstrations  Suggesting terms, methods of payment, and discounts 

Commercial Correspondence

Unit 2 Enquiries and

Replies

Defining terms

Enquiry: British English

Inquiry: American English

Request: an action of asking formally and politely

for something to be done

Enquiry: a request for information about

somebody or something

In business, an enquiry is a letter asking for

business information (also called a request

Reasons to write an enquiry

1. to obtain information (prices, technical

data…)

2. to receive printed matter (booklets,

catalogues, price lists, or reports)

3. to receive sample products,

demonstrations…

4. to seek special favours (permission, advice,

General guidelines in writing enquiries

1. State clearly and concisely what you want

right from the beginning.

2. Keep your enquiry short and to the point,

easy to understand and easy to answer

3. Be reasonable

4. Provide complete and accurate information

Making Enquiries

1. Opening

2. Main message

 Asking for catalogues, price lists, etc.

 Asking for details

 Asking for samples, patterns, and demonstrations

 Suggesting terms, methods of payment, and

discounts

 Asking for goods on approval or on sale or return

First enquiry: Tell your supplier what sort of

organization you are

•We are a co-operative wholesale society based in Zurich

•Our company is a subsidiary of Universal Business Machines and we specialized in …

•We are one of the main producers of industrial

chemicals in Germany, and we are interested in…

•You were recommended to us by Mr John

King, of Lawsom & Davies Merchant Bankers

•We were advised by Spett Marco Gennovisa

of Milan that you are interested in supplying…

First enquiry: Tell your supplier how did you know them

•We were impressed by the selection of

gardening tools displayed on your stand at this

year’s Hamburg Gardening Exhibition

•Our associates in the packaging industry speak

highly of your Zeta packing machines, and we would like to have more information about

them

Give background information/ reason

•We intend to purchase a new laser printer/copier

before the end of the year

• We have recently extended our television department and are thinking of adding new ranges to our present

stocks We are particularly interested in …

Asking for catalogues, price lists, etc.

 Don’t need to give a lot of information about

yourself

 Remember to give your postal address

 Should point out briefly any particular items you are interested in

Asking for catalogues, price lists, etc.

• I have seen one of your safes in the office of a local firm and they passed on your address to

me Please send me a copy of your current

catalogue I am particularly interested in

safes suitable for a small office

• Could you please send your current

catalogue and price list for exhibition stands?

We are particularly interested in stands

suitable for displaying furniture

Asking for details

 Be specific and state exactly what you want

 If replying to an advertisement, mention the

journal or newspaper, and its date

 If referring to a catalogue, brochure, or

prospectus, quote the reference, e.g

Cat no A149; Item no 315

Asking for details

• I am replying to your advertisement in the June

edition of “Tailor and Cutter” I would like to

know more about the steam presses which

you are offering at cost price

• I would appreciate more details about the

‘University Communications System’ which you are currently advertising on your website

Asking for samples, patterns, and

demonstrations

Be specific and state exactly what you want.

• Before selling toys we prefer to test them

for safety Could you therefore send us at

least two examples of the “Sprite” range?

Asking for samples, patterns, and

demonstrations

Suggest when or how you want to see them

• I would like to discuss the problem of

maintenance before deciding which model to

install in my factory Therefore I would be

grateful if you could arrange for one of your

representatives to call on me within the next

two weeks

• I would be obliged if you could …

Suggesting terms, methods of payment,

•As we intend to place a substantial order, we

would like to know what quantity discounts

you allow

•We usually deal on a 30% trade discount basis with an additional quantity discount for orders

Asking for goods on approval, or on sale

or return

• The leaflet advertising your latest hobby

magazines interested us, and we would like to

stock a selection of them However we would

only consider placing an order if it was on the

usual basis of sale or return If this is acceptable,

we will send you a firm order

Asking for goods on approval, or on sale

or return

• In the catalogue we received from you last

week, we saw that you are introducing a new

line in synthetic furs… We would like to try a selection of designs Would it be possible for

you to supply us with a range on an approval

basis to see if we can encourage a demand?

Three months would probably be enough to

establish a market if there is one

 Thank your supplier

• Many thanks (informal)

• Thank you for your help/assistance

Other options:

 Express expectation to get a prompt reply

• I hope to hear from you soon

• I look forward to hearing from you soon

 Indicate certain terms or guarantees

• Finally, we would like to point out that delivery before Christmas is essential, and hope that you can offer us that guarantee

 Express interest in further business

• If the product is satisfactory, we will place

further orders with you in the future

• If the prices quoted are competitive and the

quality is up to standard, we will order on a

Practice 1

international trade bank

 International Merchant Bank

 Commercial International Bank

 Commercial International Bank

You were recommended to us by …

Practice 1

2 Our colleagues in wrapping industry speak highly of

your auto packing machines, we would like to know more informations about them.

Our colleagues in √ wrapping industry speak highly of your a uto packing machines, √ we would like to know

more informations about them

 to have more information about

 to know more about

Practice 2

1 Please send to us your newest catalogues and price lists about fax

machine, with leaflets with images so I can transfer to potential

customer.

Please send to us your newest catalogue s and √ price list s about fax

machine , √ with leaflets with images so I can transfer to √ potential

customer

 so that I can pass them to sb

 in order that I could deliver them to …

 together with illustrated leaflets that I could pass to our

potential/prospective customers

Practice 2

2 I own a substantial/big store at S and are very concern about electric heater which you advertise on W.C Gazette newspaper Please send illustrated catalogue …

I own a substantial/big store at S and are very concern about √

electric heater which you advertise on √ W.C Gazette

newspaper Please send √ illustrated catalogue …

 heaters which you are advertising in the W.C Gazette

 heaters (which are being) advertised in

Practice 3

new electronic household appliance advertised in

your web

√ new electronic household appliance advertised in

your web

 I would appreciate √ if I could have more detail …

 I would appreciate it if you could give me more

Travelling section of your summer prospectus?

 … the tour of “HN-QB in four days”

Practice 4

1 We would appreciate it if you could send us some

samples of the material so that we can examine the texture and quality.

2 We are regular buyers of this range of products, and

should be glad if you would send your latest

samples and let us know your competitive/best prices.

Practice 4

ready-made clothing for immediate shipment

Could you please send us samples of these items and let us know details of your prices and terms

Practice 5

Dear Sirs

Your trade association informed us that you are

manufacturers of polyester cotton bed sheets and pillow

cases.

We are dealers in textiles and believe there is a promising market in our area for moderately priced goods of this kind.

•You manufacture bed sheets …

•We deal in … for this kind of goods with moderate prices.

Practice 5

Please let me have details of your various ranges including sizes,

colours and prices, together with samples of the different qualities of material used.

Please state your terms of payment and discounts allowed on

purchases of quantities of not less than 500 of specific items Prices quoted should include delivery to our address shown above.

(… quantities of 500 pieces or more)

Your prompt reply would be appreciated.

(We look forward to hearing from you soon.)

Yours faithfully