UNIT 7

(extra material)
PART I: SAMPLE
Read the following letter and decide which kind of letter it is.

Artemis Batteries
33 Princess Flavia Square, Zendu
Telephone: 98 45 8 Fax: 448908
Mr Fred North
Purchasing Manager
Broadway Autos
Hentzau, Ruritania
9 November 20---
Dear Mr. North,
Thank you very much for your enquiry. We are of course very familiar with your range of
vehicles and are pleased to inform you that we have a new line of batteries that fit your
specifications exactly.
The most suitable of our products for your requirements is the Artemis 66A Plus. This
product combines economy with high power output. It is available now from stock.
I enclose a detailed quotation with prices, specifications and delivery terms. As you will
see from this, our prices are very competitive.
I have instructed our agent Mr. Martin of Fillmore S.A. to deliver five of these batteries to
you next week, so that you can carry out the laboratory tests. Our own laboratory reports,
enclosed with this letter, show that our new Artemis 66A Plus performs as well as any of
competitors’ products and, in some respects, out-performs them.
If you would like further information, please telephone or fax me: my extension number is
776. Or you may prefer to contact Mr. John Martin of Fillmore S.A. in Hentzau: his
telephone number is 01 77 99 02.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,

PART II: SOME GUIDELINES FOR REPLIES TO ENQUIRIES

2.1. Opening

Mention your prospective customer’s name. If the customer signs the letter Mr. B. Green, then begin
with “Dear Mr. Green,”, not “Dear Sir,”, which indicates that you have not bothered to remember the
enquirer’s name.
Thank the writer for his/her enquiry. Mention the date of his/her letter and quote any other reference
that appears.
Thank you for your enquiry of June 6th 1984 in which you asked about …
I would like to thank you for enquiry of May 10 and am pleased to tell you that we would be able to
supply you with the …
We were pleased to hear from your letter of 10 December that you were impressed with our selection
of …

2.2. Confirming that you can help

Let the writer know as soon as possible if you have the product or can provide the service he / she is
enquiring about. It is irritating to read a long letter only to find that the firm cannot help.
We have a wide selection of sweaters that will appeal to all ages and in particular the teenage market
which you specify.
Our factory would have no problem turning out the 6000 units you asked for in your enquiry.
We can supply from stock and will have no trouble in meeting your delivery date.
I am pleased to say that we will be able to deliver the transport facilities you require.
2.3. “Selling” your product
Encourage or persuade your prospective customer to do business with you. A simple answer that you
have the goods in stock is not enough. Your customer might have made ten other enquiries. So
remember it is not only in sales letters that you have to persuade. Mention one or two selling points
of your products, including any guarantee you offer.
We think you have made an excellent choice in selecting this line, and once you have seen the samples
we are sure you will agree that this is unique both in texture and color.
Once you have seen the Delta 800 in operation we know you will be impressed by its trouble-free
performance.
We can assure you that the Omega 2000 is one of the most outstanding machines on the market today,
and our confidence in it is supported by our five-year guarantee.
2.4. Suggesting alternatives
If you do not have what the enquirer has asked for, but have an alternative, offer it to him. But do not
criticize the product he originally asked for.
The model has now been improved, its steel casing has been replaced by plastic which is lighter,
more durable and stronger.
Of course leather is an excellent material to work with the upholstering of furniture, but escalating
costs persuaded customers to look for something more competitive in price. Fortunately, Tareton
Plastics have produced an amazing substitute, “Letherine”, which has the same texture, strength and
quality of leather, but is less than a quarter of the cost. The samples enclosed will convince you …
2.5. Referring the customer elsewhere
It is possible, of course, that you may not be able to handle the order or answer the enquiry. Your
correspondent may be asking about a product you do not make or a service you do not give. If this is
so, tell him and if possible refer him elsewhere.
I regret to tell you that we no longer produce the type of stapler you refer to, since we find there is
no longer sufficient demand for it. I am sorry we can not be of help to you.
The book you mentioned is not published by us, but by Greenhill Education Ltd. If you would care to
write to them, their address is …
Even if the product is yours, you may still have to refer the enquirer elsewhere.
I confirm that the product you require is one of ours, but since we are only able to deal with
wholesalers, not retailers, may I refer you to R.L Depre SA, rue Montpellier 28, Paris … ?
Our agents in Italy are Intal S.p.A, Via Alberto Poerio 79, and they carry full stocks of our goods.
2.6. Catalogues, price-lists, prospectuses, samples
Make sure that you enclose current catalogue and price-list if you are sending them. And if prices are
subject to change, then let your customer know. It is a bad policy to suddenly send a letter telling him
that prices have been increased by 10% after you have quoted a firm price. And if you are sending
samples, let your customer know they will follow the letter immediately by separate post.
Please find enclosed our current catalogues and price-lists quoting CIF prices Kobe. The units you
referred to in your letter are featured on pp. 31-34 under catalogue numbers Y32-Y37.
… and 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.
2.7. Demonstrations, representatives, show room visits.
Certain products, eg. heavy equipment, machinery, installations, may need demonstrating. In these
cases the company might send a representative, or adviser if the equipment is to be installed. They
could, however, suggest that the customer visits their agent in his own country, or a stockist with a
showroom.
We have enclosed all the details about the Laren welder, but feel that a demonstration will give you
more of an idea of its capabilities. We would therefore like to invite you to our center in Birmingham
where the equipment is set up so that you can see the machine in action.
We will be able to install the equipment within three months, but would like to send Mr. Griffith, our
chief engineer, to look over your plant and prepare a report on the installations, taking into account
your particular requirements.
2.8. Closing
Always thank the customers for writing to you. If you have not done so at the beginning of the letter,
you can do so at the end. You should also encourage further enquiries.
Once again, we would like to thank you for writing to us and would welcome any further points you
would like us to answer.
Please write to us again if you have any questions, or call us at the above telephone number.
We hope to hear from you once again, soon, and can assure you that your order will be dealt with
promptly.

PART III: PRODUCTION

You are working for Purchasing Department of Sai Gon Co-op. At present, you are in charge of
seeking for a new supplier of fresh vegetables for a new branch which is opening soon in Tien Giang.
Write an enquiry to Bac Ba Phi Farming House asking for this range of products.