Commercial Correspondence

Unit 2

Enquiries and Replies

 Replies to Enquiries
1. Opening
2. Confirming that you can help
3. ‘Selling’ your product
4. Suggesting alternatives
5. Referring the customer to another place
6. Sending catalogues, price lists, prospectuses,
and samples
7. Arranging demonstrations and visits
8. Closing
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 Opening

Mention your prospective customer’s name in

the salutation
Dear Mr Green, NOT Dear Sir
Thank the writer for his/her enquiry
Mention the date of his/her letter and quote any
other references.
✔Thank you for your enquiry of 6 June 20__ in
which you asked about/for (asking about/for) …

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 Opening

✔ We were pleased to learn from your letter of

10 December that you are impressed with our
selection of …
✔ Thank you for your letter, NJ 1691, which we
received this morning.
✔ I would like to thank you for your enquiry of 10
May 20__, and am pleased to tell you that we
would be able to supply you with the …

4
 Confirming that you can help

Let the enquirer know early that you can help

with what he/she is asking about.
✔We have a wide selection of sweaters that will
appeal to the market you specified.
✔Our factory would have no problem in producing
the 6,000 units you asked for in your enquiry.
✔I am pleased to say that we will be able to
supply the transport facilities you require.
khi viết thư ... cần phải nói ngày nào, về nội dung gì, có thể đáp ứng được mặt hàng của người ta, nếu không thì có mawjtn
hàng gì, giới thiệu 1 chỗ khác đây không phải là chỗ chỉ reply mà có thể sử dụng để PR sản phầm

5
 ‘Selling’ your product

Aim: to encourage or persuade your prospective

customer to do business with you.
Mention 1 or 2 selling points, including any
guarantees, special offers, and discounts.
✔We can assure you that the Alpha 2000 is one of
the most outstanding machines on the market,
and our confidence in it is supported by our
five-year guarantee.

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 ‘Selling’ your product

✔ When you have had the opportunity to see the

samples for yourself, we feel sure that you will
agree that they are of the highest quality; and
to see a wide selection online, go to
www.bettaware.co.uk.

7
 Suggesting alternatives

Reason: you do not have what the enquirer has

asked for, but have an alternative.
Do not criticize the product he/she originally
asked for.
✔The model has now been improved. Its steel
casing has been replaced by strong plastic which
makes the machine much lighter and easier to
handle.

8
 Referring the customer to another place

You may not be able to handle the enquiry.

✔ The book you mention is not published by us,
but by Greenhill Education Ltd. Their address
is …
✔ We manufacture the product you require, but
we only deal with wholesalers, not retailers.
Therefore, I suggest you contact our agent,
R.L. Depre SA, rue Montpellier 28, Paris.

9
 Sending catalogues, price lists,
prospectuses, and samples

Remember to enclose the current catalogue and

price list with your reply.
Take this opportunity to ‘sell’ your product.
✔We enclose our booklet on the Omega 2000 and
are sure you will agree that it is one of the finest
machines of its kind.

10
 Sending catalogues, price lists,
prospectuses, and samples

If prices are subject to change, let your customer

know.
✔We have enclosed our price list, but should point
out that prices are subject to change as the
market for raw materials is very unstable at
present.

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 Sending catalogues, price lists,
prospectuses, and samples

Also let your customer know if you are sending

samples under separate cover.
✔Please find enclosed our current catalogue. The
samples you asked for will follow under separate
cover.
✔… by separate post
✔… by parcel post

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 Arranging demonstrations and visits

✔ As the enclosed booklet cannot really show the

efficiency of this system, we would be happy to
arrange for our representative to visit you and
give a demonstration. If you are interested in a
visit, please fill in the enclosed pre-paid card
and return it to us.

13
 Closing

Thank your customer.

Should also encourage further enquiries.
✔ Once again we would like to thank you for
writing. We would welcome any further
questions you might have.
✔ Please contact us again if you have any
questions/ if we can be of any help.
✔ We would be pleased to supply any further
information you require.
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 Practice 2

1. We are pleased to inform you that we have

today sent you by parcel post the following
samples.
2. We are very pleased to enclose a fairly full
collection of our latest and best selling
designs/patterns.
3. We are sure that you will find it sells very well
indeed.

15
 Practice 2

4. We are sorry (We regret) to inform you that

we are unable (not in a position) to meet
your requirements for the time being.
5. We regret to inform you that we are unable
(not in a position) to offer you any tea for
immediate shipment.

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Practice 3

Dear Mr Johnson
Thank you for your enquiry of 15 August and I am
pleased to enclose our illustrated catalogue and
price list (as requested/ giving the details
requested).

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Practice 3
A full range of samples has also been sent by
separate post. When you have had an
opportunity to examine them (see them for
yourself) , I feel confident that you will agree
(find) that the goods are excellent in quality and
very reasonably priced.
(and very reasonable in price)
(are of high quality and at a reasonable price)

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 Practice 3
On regular purchases of quantities of not less than 500
items (of 500 items or more), we would allow a trade
discount of 33%. For payment within 10 days from
receipt of invoice, an extra discount of 5% off net price
would be allowed.
I am sure you will also be interested to see information
on our other products which are shown in our
catalogue. If you need further details on any of these
please contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
19
 Practice 4
Thưa các ngài,
Chúng tôi xin các ơn thư của các ngài đề ngày 4 tháng
4 hỏi về các loại thảm của chúng tôi và điều kiện cho
một đơn đặt hàng mua số lượng lớn. Chúng tôi đã gửi
bằng bưu kiện hàng loạt mẫu thảm thuộc các đề tài và
bằng các nguyên liệu khác nhau kể cả bằng sợi tổng
hợp.
Chúng tôi xin gửi kèm đây bảng giá, cùng với chi tiết
các điều kiện cho một đơn mua hàng mua số lượng lớn.
Chúng tôi mong được tin và ý kiến của các ngài về
thảm của chúng tôi.
Kính chào,
20
 Practice 4
Dear Mr Smith,
Thank you for your enquiry of 4 April (asking) for our
carpets and the terms for a large quantity order.
We have sent by parcel post a selection/range of
samples of carpets of various topics and types of
material including synthetic fibre.
We are enclosing our price list, including details of the
terms and conditions for a large quantity order.
We look forward to receiving your comments (about our
carpets).
Yours sincerely,

Enc. Price list 21

 Practice 5
Thưa ngài Brown,
Chúng tôi xin cám ơn thư của ngài đề ngày 20 tháng 12
trong đó ngài hỏi mua xi măng nhãn hiệu Con Rồng Đỏ
của chúng tôi.
Chúng tôi rất tiếc báo cho các ngài rõ là mặt hàng này
hiện nay đã hết nhưng chúng tôi có thể bán cho các
ngài loại xi măng nhãn hiệu Con Rồng Xanh chất lượng
tương tự và cùng giá như loại các ngài hỏi mua. Loại xi
măng này được nhiều khách hàng ưa chuộng nên bán
rất chạy.
Chúng tôi xin gửi kèm thư này bảng giá theo điều kiện
FOB Hải Phòng và hy vọng các ngài sẽ đặt hàng sớm.
Kính chào,
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 Practice 5
Dear Mr Brown,
Thank you for your enquiry of 20 December in which
you asked for our Red Dragon cement.
We are very sorry to inform you that this range has run
out of stock. However we would offer you our Blue
Dragon cement of similar quality and at the same price
as the range you asked for. This range is very popular
with customers here and sells very well.
We (are pleased to) enclose our price list, quoting FOB
Haiphong prices, and hope to receive your order soon.
Yours sincerely,

Enc. Price list 23