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
PHAM VAN DONG UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT ASSIGNMENT ON BUSINESS ENGLISH TOPIC: HOW TO MAKE AND RESPOND INQUIRIES IN BUSINESS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CONTENTS .2 2.1 What is Inquiery Letter 2.1.1 Definition 2.1.2 Types 2.1.3 Components 2.1.4 Characteristics 2.2 How to Make Inquieries 2.2.1 Beginning 2.2.2 Examples 2.3 Inquieries Responses .8 2.3.1 What is an inquiry response email and who is receiving it? 2.3.2 The recipient .8 2.3.3 Inquiry response email format with examples 2.3.4 Business inquiry response sample 13 CONSLUSION .15 i 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 this assignment 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 with that information - 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 2.1.4 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 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 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 - 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 can 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” Example 2: Inquiry in Computer 2.3 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 But 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 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 are 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 10 Last 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 o Show readiness to assist: Should there be any further inquiries, please 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 as well 11 d) 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 12 doesn’t have anything That’s why checking the items you send is so, so crucial You need to know not only which information the brochure has, but also which information it doesn’t have If the brochure didn’t mention the data your customer need, you can insert it somewhere If you don’t have the item, be honest, and tell them you will send it later (In this case, set an expected deadline Don’t make them wait.) - Don’t overdo with added data You tend to want to give your customer as much information as possible It’s easy to understand However, the secret that creating an effective inquiry response is nothing more than being right and enough Too much of information will just make them become excessive Most of the time, it will just leave your customer confused as well as irritated If you really want to add more, make sure you really understand the customer’s request Think carefully about what would truly be useful to them, and attach these only Nothing more, nothing less! 2.3.4 Business inquiry response sample Finally, here we have a short inquiry response sample This email is a response to the inquiry email sample earlier You can use these samples to figure out how to reply to an inquiry email properly: Example: Inquiry letter for frozen mango puree product 13 Subject: Re: M Company | Product inquiry: Frozen mango puree Dear Ms Vu, First of all, we would like to express our thanks for your interest in our frozen mango puree product Regarding your inquiry, we are happy to provide you our Frozen mango puree product brochure and our Wholesale price list Please note that the brochure included all the information you asked for Both items are attached at the end of this email In addition to the items above, we have also enclosed a Frozen mango puree catalog (presenting different types of mango available) and our Logistics guidelines for this product We believe that this will be of help to you We hope our response has satisfied your request Should there be any questions, please feel free to contact us We look forward to hearing from you Yours sincerely, Mia Nguyen Sales Department | A Company So that is our guide on how to reply to an inquiry email in the most effective way Hopefully, this article can help you write a better response to an inquiry And furthermore, win greater partnership in your working life! 14 CONSLUSION Exchanging Information in International Trade includes on Making Enquiries, and Answering enquiries Both situations are very common in our lives, so you should undertand some expressions clearly and use them effectively Whether composing a question or answer letter, we need to pay attention to following issues: 1) Always be respectful in all matters: polite title, appropriate address, formal words; 2) The content of the handwritten letter/email must be clear and complete with the necessary ideas; 3) Don't force the sender to re-question the problem, exchange long e-mails and the last, we should not reply to those letters too late With the lack of knowledge, our group's presentation will still have many shortcomings We would like to receive more suggestions and help from lecturer to improve this assignment Thank you very much! 15 REFERENCES [1] María Isabel Castro Cid; Enrique Montes; Helga Schier; Merrick Walter; Suzanne McQuade, Business English, Living Language, 2005 [2] A Guide to Professional English, Email and Commercial Correspondence, AdrianWallwork, Italy, 2014 Link Web: [3] https://pdfroom.com/books/email-and-commercial-correspondence-a- guide-to-professional-english/PXn2GKVl2xV 16