Enquires
In most cases, an enquiry is a request for a quotation for a
product or service.
When writing an enquiry use the letter plan to structure your
letter, fax or e-mail.
Enquiries letter plan:
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Source of address
Describe your company
Ask for quotation and discounts
Ask for sales material and samples
Ask about terms of delivery, payment, delivery date /period
Give references
Polite ending
Text modules (prepared text modules)
You can create text modules in Word 2010 with the key [Alt]
and [F3]
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Text modules Enquires
We have been given your
address by
1. Source of
address
the Chamber of
Commerce in
…(location)
who tell us you
We have obtained your
company s address from
specialise in product/service
…
supply
manufacture
distribute
…we would now like to know more about your company s products
As a
well established
wholesaler of
Our company
leading
iomporter of
Is a
successful
distributor of
We are a
fast-growing
high quality
product,
e.g.wines
and spirits
the embassy
/consulate
We have seen your
Web site on the Internet
company s
Advertisement in the last edition of… publication, e.g. (“Business Weekly”)
Having seen your stand
at
… Fair
the recent
Style Clothes Fair
We saw your company s stand
(in location)
We were most impressed by the products your company demonstrated
2. Description of
your company
…we have
…we also have
3. Ask for
quotation
extansive business
contacts
a well-established
sales network
We are particulary interested … (product/service)
in importing
please send us
As goods of this nature are
we would be grateful if
in demand at present
you
would let us have
all over
Germany
throughout the
EU and beyond
at the moment
a quotation
from suppliers all
over the world
with excellent
business
with many longstanding customers
(for)…(goods/service)
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4. Ask for
discounts
5. Ask for sales
material
6. Ask for
samples
7. Ask about
terms of
delivery and
payment
– delivery
date periode
8. References
Please include
…including details of
…with information on
…indicating
Do you grant a(n)
We would be grateful if you
would provide us with
all discounts granted
initial order discount, quantity discount, trade discount, cash discount, early
payment discount
your latest illustrated colour
catalogue
on your entire range
your latest comprehensive
of products
your latest comprehensive colour
Please also let us have
detailed
sales
literatur
Are you willing to provide us with (a) sample(s)?
Please also let us have details of your temrs of delivery and payment
Please also stat your terms of delivery and payment
…including full details of your terms of delivery and payment
Are you willing to deliver (terms of delivery, e.g. CIF Hamburg)? franco to our premissses?
Details of Information
Information on
References are available
First-class trade and bank references can be supplied
Should you require a reference
If your company s (product/service/goods)
correspond(s) to our customers wishes,
9. Polite ending
your delivery
periods/dates/times
on request
would also be
appreciated
please contact …(name of bank/company)
we will
Place a trial order
we will be willing to
Place a sizeable order
with you
We look forward to hear from you soon
We look forward to your early replay with interest
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An order in tabular form
Specimen Letter
Neutech GmbH
Bahnhofstr. 98
45277 Essen
Germany
Ds/RB
October 21 …
Electronic Equipment Ltd
13 London Road
OXFORD
OX2 7XY
England
Dear Sirs
Your ICUC Videophone
We recently visited your stand at the Hanover Trade Fair and were most impressed
by your new videophone.
As leading importer of electronic equipment with excellent business contacts
throughout Germany, we fell that your product will sell well here.
Please send us an illustrated color brochure, your current export price list and details
of your discounts for quality, cash, early payment and initial orders.
We would also like some information’s on your terms of delivery and payment and
delivery periods.
Should your require a reference, please contact Deutsch Bank Essen
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully
Neutech GmbH
Dagobert Duck
Dagobert Duck
Managing Director
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Work order “Difine an operational procurement situation and write a
work instruction to the vocational students
Define an operational economic situation of a purchasing process. (It
can be procurement process of the company they work or it can be an
invented procurement process).
Write a work instruction to the vocational students. They have to
formulate an “Enquiry to your operational situation.
Describe also possible framework for fulfilling the work order (time for
editing, place the editing, possible aids).
Present your work order for vocational students on the subject of
procurement "write an ”Enquiry” in plenary session.
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Exkurs Business Letter
1. Definition
A business letter is:
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a letter written for formal or professional purposes.
similar to a friendly letter, except for one extra part.
should be short, courteous, and to the point.
2. Parts of a Business Letter
a. Sender's Address
The sender's address usually is included in letterhead. If you are not using
letterhead, include the sender's address at the top of the letter one line above the
date. Do not write the sender's name or title, as it is included in the letter's closing.
Include only the street address, city, and zip code.
b. Date
The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter
is completed over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line.
When writing to companies within the United States, use the American date format.
(The United States-based convention for formatting a date places the month before
the day. For example: June 11, 2001. ) Write out the month, day and year two inches
from the top of the page. Depending which format you are using for your letter, either
left justify the date or tab to the center point and type the date.
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c. Inside Address
The inside address is the recipient's address. It is always best to write to a specific
individual at the firm to which you are writing. If you do not have the person's name,
do some research by calling the company or speaking with employees from the
company. Include a personal title such as Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr. Follow a woman's
preference in being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms. If you are unsure of a woman's
preference in being addressed, use Ms. If there is a possibility that the person to
whom you are writing is a Dr. or has some other title, use that title. Usually, people
will not mind being addressed by a higher title than they actually possess. To write
the address, use the U.S. Post Office Format. For international addresses, type the
name of the country in all-capital letters on the last line. The inside address begins
one line below the sender's address or one inch below the date. It should be left
justified, no matter which format you are using.
d. Salutation
Use the same name as the inside address, including the personal title. If you know
the person and typically address them by their first name, it is acceptable to use only
the first name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). In all other cases, however,
use the personal title and last/family name followed by a colon. Leave one line blank
after the salutation.
If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as their job title
followed by the receiver's name. It is also acceptable to use the full name in a
salutation if you cannot determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris
Harmon: if you were unsure of Chris's gender.
e. Body
For block and modified block formats, single space and left justify each paragraph
within the body of the letter. Leave a blank line between each paragraph. When
writing a business letter, be careful to remember that conciseness is very important.
In the first paragraph, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main
point. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In
the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and
supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter
and, in some cases, request some type of action.
f. Complimentary Close
The closing begins at the same vertical point as your date and one line after the last
body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave
four lines between the closing and the sender's name for a signature. If a colon
follows the salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no
punctuation after the closing.
g. Enclosures
If you have enclosed any documents along with the letter, such as a resume, you
indicate this simply by typing Enclosures one line below the closing. As an option,
you may list the name of each document you are including in the envelope. For
instance, if you have included many documents and need to ensure that the recipient
is aware of each document, it may be a good idea to list the names.
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h. Typist initials
Typist initials are used to indicate the person who typed the letter. If you typed the
letter yourself, omit the typist initials.
3. A Note About Format and Font
a. Block Format
When writing business letters, you must pay special attention to the format and font
used. The most common layout of a business letter is known as block format. Using
this format, the entire letter is left justified and single spaced except for a double
space between paragraphs.
b. Modified Block
Another widely utilized format is known as modified block format. In this type, the
body of the letter and the sender's and recipient's addresses are left justified and
single-spaced. However, for the date and closing, tab to the center point and begin to
type.
c. Semi-Block
The final, and least used, style is semi-block. It is much like the modified block style
except that each paragraph is indented instead of left justified.
Keep in mind that different organizations have different format requirements for their
professional communication. While the examples provided by the OWL contain
common elements for the basic business letter (genre expectations), the format of
your business letter may need to be flexible to reflect variables like letterheads and
templates. Our examples are merely guides.
Another important factor in the readability of a letter is the font. The generally
accepted font is Times New Roman, size 12, although other fonts such as Arial may
be used. When choosing a font, always consider your audience. If you are writing to
a conservative company, you may want to use Times New Roman. However, if you
are writing to a more liberal company, you have a little more freedom when choosing
fonts.
Punctuation
Punctuation after the salutation and closing - use a colon (:) after the salutation
(never a comma) and a comma (,) after the closing. In some circumstances, you may
also use a less common format, known as open punctuation. For this style,
punctuation is excluded after the salutation and the closing.
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4. Format
a. Block Format
Return Address Line 1 1
Return Address Line 2
Date (Month Day, Year) 2
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3
Title/Position of Recipient.
Company Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4
Subject: Title of Subject 5
Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.............................................................
.............................................
Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.............................................................
.............................................
Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.............................................................
.............................................6
Complimentary Close (Sincerely...), 7
Signature 8
Your Name (Printed) 9
Your Title
Enclosures (2) 10
Typist Initials.11
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The block format is the simplest format; all of the writing is flush against the left
margin.
Your Address 1
The return address of the sender so the recipient can easily find out where to send a
reply to. Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not needed if the letter is
printed on paper with the company letterhead already on it.)
Date 2
Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August
30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the inside address (some people skip 3 or
4 lines after the date).
Inside Address 3
The address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient,
their title and company name, if you are not sure who the letter should be addressed
to either leave it blank, but try to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources".
Skip a line between the date and the salutation.
Salutation 4
Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It
May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown. Note that there is a colon after the
salutation. Skip a line between the salutation and the subject line or body.
Subject Line (optional) 5
Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the letter is about. Skip a line
between the subject line and the body.
Body 6
The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single
spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of
the body and the closing.
Complimentary Close 7
Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with
Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after
the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4
lines between the closing and the printed name, so that there is room for the
signature.
Signature 8
Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen.
Printed Name 9
The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or position on
the line underneath it. Skip a line between the printed name and the enclosure.
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Enclosure 10
If letter contains other document other than the letter itself your letter will include the
word "Enclosure." If there is more than one you would type, "Enclosures (#)" with the
# being the number of other documents enclosed, not including the letter itself.
Reference Initials 11
If someone other than yourself typed the letter you will include your initials in capital
letters followed by the typist's initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or
AG:gs.
b. Modified Block Format
1. Return Address
If your stationery has a letterhead, skip this. Otherwise, type your name, address and
optionally, phone number, five spaces to the right of center or flush with the right
margin. Five spaces to the right of center is common. These days, it's also common
to include an email address.
2. Date
Type the date five spaces to the right of center or flush with the right margin, two to
six lines below the letterhead. Five spaces to the right of center and three lines below
the letterhead are common. If there is no letterhead, type it where shown.
3. Reference Line
If the recipient specifically requests information, such as a job reference or invoice
number, type it on one or two lines, immediately below and aligned with the Date (2).
If you're replying to a letter, refer to it here. For examples:
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Re: Job # 625-01
Re: Your letter dated 1/1/200x.
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4. Special Mailing Notations
Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. Examples include:
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SPECIAL DELIVERY
CERTIFIED MAIL
AIRMAIL
5. On-Arrival Notations
Type in all uppercase characters, if appropriate. You might want to include a notation
on private correspondence, such as a resignation letter. Include the same on the
envelope. Examples are:
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PERSONAL
CONFIDENTIAL
6. Inside Address
Type the name and address of the person and/or company to whom you're sending
the letter, three to eight lines below the last component you typed. Four lines are
standard. If you type an Attention Line (7), skip the person's name here. Do the
same on the envelope.
7. Attention Line
Type the name of the person to whom you're sending the letter. If you type the
person's name in the Inside Address (6), skip this. Do the same on the envelope.
8. Salutation
Type the recipient's name here. Type Mr. or Ms. [Last Name] to show respect, but
don't guess spelling or gender. Some common salutations are:
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Ladies:
Gentlemen:
Dear Sir:
Dear Sir or Madam:
Dear [Full Name]:
To Whom it May Concern:
9. Subject Line
Type the gist of your letter in all uppercase characters. Be concise on one line. If you
type a Reference Line (3), consider if you really need this line. While it's not really
necessary for most employment-related letters, examples are below.
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SUBJECT: RESIGNATION
LETTER OF REFERENCE
JOB INQUIRY
10. Body
Type two spaces between sentences. Keep it brief and to the point.
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11. Complimentary Close
Type this aligned with the Date (2). What you type here depends on the tone and
degree of formality. For example,
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Respectfully yours (very formal)
Sincerely (typical, less formal)
Very truly yours (polite, neutral)
Cordially yours (friendly, informal)
12. Signature Block
Align this with the Complimentary Close (11). Leave four blank lines to sign your
name. Sign it exactly the same as you typed it below your signature. Title is optional
depending on relevancy and degree of formality. Examples are
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John Doe, Manager
R. T. Jones - Sr. Field Engineer
13. Identification Initials
If someone typed the letter for you, he or she would typically include three of your
initials in all uppercase characters, then two of his or hers in all lowercase characters.
If you typed your own letter, just skip it since your name is already in the Signature
Block (12). Common styles are below.
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JAD/cm
JAD:cm
Clm
14. Enclosure Notation
This line tells the reader to look in the envelope for more. Type the singular for only
one enclosure, plural for more. If you don't enclose anything, skip it. Common styles
are below.
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Enclosure
Enclosures: 3
Enclosures (3)
15. Cc
Stands for courtesy copies (formerly carbon copies). List the names of people to
whom you distribute copies, in alphabetical order. If addresses would be useful to the
recipient of the letter, include them. If you don't copy your letter to anyone, skip it.
c. Semi-block format
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The semi-block letter is a more traditional letter format than the full-block or block.
The identifying features of the semi-block style letter is the left justification of the
inside address (3) and salutation(4) and the indentation (five to ten spaces) of the
first line of each paragraph (5). The dateline (2) is placed to the right or to harmonize
with the letterhead. . The complimentary close (6) and the signature line (8) are typed
to the right of the horizontal center of the page.
5. Uses
Business letters are written for the following reasons:
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order a product.
make a request.
complain about a product or service.
cover letter-request that the writer be considered for a job.
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