Section 1 General Enquiries and Replies

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Section 1 General Enquiries and Replies
2
Review

• 1        Recite the letters of Chapter 8 section
  3
• 2        Keys to Exercise III on Page 112.
• (1) The new site of our company is conveniently
  located near / close to / in the vicinity of the
  railway station.
• (2) Were pleased to know that your company has
  moved to Singapore, and we will visit you on Oct.
  8.
• (3) Moving is considered as a big event for our
  company. We hope that it will benefit our
  customers.
• (4) We take the pleasure in informing you that
  we are to move our company to 999 Jianguo Road
  W., Beijing on 28th this month.
• (5) We wish for your continuous patronage and
  favors after we move our company.

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Introduction

• An enquiry is usually made to seek a supply
  of products, service or information. In order to
  obtain the needed information, the enquirer
  should state simply, clearly and concisely what
  he wants?general information, a catalogue, a
  price list, a sample or a quotation, etc.
  According to the content, there may be first
  enquiries and specific enquiries.?
• A general enquiry is an enquiry sent to a
  supplier with whom you have not yet done
  business, so it should begin by telling the
  supplier how you obtained his name and address.
  But in a specific enquiry, the enquirer points
  out a certain product or commodity he intends to
  purchase, he may ask the supplier to make an
  offer or a quotation on this product.

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Specimen Letter 1

• Dear Sirs,
• The Overseas Trading Co. Ltd , London informs us
  that you are the most well-known producer of a
  variety of sweaters of sweaters for men and women
  of all three sizes large , medium , and small.
  Would you please send us details of your various
  ranges ,including sizes ,colors and prices, and
  also samples of different materials used ?
• We are one of the leading department stores here
  and believe there is a promising market in our
  area for moderately price goods of the kind
  mentioned . We hope that we will be able to
  conclude some transactions with you
• We are looking forward to hearing from you soon
  .
• Yours faithfully,
• (Signature )

5
Specimen Letter 2

• Dear Sirs,
• Thank you for your enquiry of 11th May , in
  which you expresses your interest in our
  sweaters. We are inclosing our illustrated
  catalogue and price-list giving the details you
  asked for . Also under separate cover we feel
  confident that you will agree that the goods are
  both excellent in quality and reasonable in price
  .
• On regular purchase in quantities of not less
  than five gross o individual items we would allow
  you a trade discount of 30.
• We also export a wide range of hand-made
  blankets in which we think you may be interested
  .They are fully illustrated in the catalogue .
• We hope the samples will reach you in good time
  and look forward to your order.
• Yours sincerely,
• (Signature)

6
Specimen Letter 3

• Dear Sirs,
• We owe your name and address to the Canadian
  Consulate in Shanghai who has informed us that
  you are one of the largest exporters of textiles
  in Shanghai and that you wish to extend export
  business to our market .
• You will be pleased to note that we are
  importers of home textile products , having over
  20 years experience in this particular line of
  business.
• At present ,we are keenly interested in home
  textiles made in China and will be pleased if you
  kindly send us your latest price list and
  catalogue for all kinds of home textiles
  specifying sizes and designs. If possible, please
  also send us your sample book.
• For your information , we would like to state
  that we usually pay for our imports by sight L/C
  which , we feel sure, will be agreeable to you.
• We anticipate your early reply.
• Yours truly,
• (Signature)

7
Specimen Letter 4

• Dear Sirs,
• In response to your letter of 15June enquiring
  for home textiles, we wish to inform you that the
  sample book, price list and catalogue asked for
  in your letter have been airmailed to you
  separately. We believe that these will give you
  all the details you require. Should you need
  anything not mentioned ,we shall do everything
  necessary to procure the needed items for you.
• Your payment terms by L/C at sight are
  acceptable to us . In order to ensure punctual
  shipment of the goods to be ordered ,please see
  that the covering L/C reaches us at least 30 days
  before the stipulated time of shipment .
• By the way , we wish to inform you that
  all-cotton home textiles have become very popular
  on the world market because of their durability
  and reasonable prices and it has been difficult
  for us to meet the increasing demand. However ,
  if you place your orders before the 10th of July,
  we will assure you of our prompt shipment .
• We look forward to receiving your orders soon.
• Yours faithfully,
• (Signature )

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Commonly used sentences

• 1. Seeing your advertisement in., we would ask
  you kindly to send us as soon as possible the
  latest price list with the lowest quotations,
  together with an illustrated catalogue.
• ?????????, ????????????????????????
• 2. We shall be able to place considerable orders
  with you, if the quality of your goods is good
  and the prices are moderate.
• ??????????????, ????, ????????
• 3 We have obtained your name and address from,
  and we are writing to enquire whether you would
  be willing to establish business relations with
  us.
• ????????????, ????, ?????????
• 4. Your firm has been recommended (introduced) to
  us by with whom we done business for many
  years.
• ?????????,???????????????

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Commonly used sentences

• 5. We are in the market forand shall be glad to
  receive your best possible quotation , indicating
  origin, detailed specifications, packing and
  quantity available, etc.
• ????????????????,??????????????????,??????
• 6. Wed like to have your lowest quotations,
  F.O.B. Hongkong.
• ??????????????????
• 7. We would also like to know the minimum export
  quantities per color and per design.
• ???????????????????????
• 8. We have pleasure in enclosing our Enquiry
  No.345-9 against which you are requested to make
  us an offer on FOB basis.
• on FOB basis on the basis of FOB price FOB
  FOBprice
• ???????345-9???,??FOB??

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PracticeHow to Write an Inquiry Letter

•   ??????????????????,??????????????,??????????,??
  ?????????,???????????
• A Letter of Enquiry (???)
• ??????????
• 1) Source of information
• 2) Reason for Enquiry
• 3) Asking for price, list, and catalogue
• 4) Giving references
• 5) Further Business

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Consolidation

• Exercise I and II on Page 121 and 122.

• Keys to the exercises
• ??B ?A ?C ?C ?C ?D ?A ?D ?A ?A
• ??We have learned that you are in a position to
  export TV sets of the latest model. We are
  therefore writing to you and hope that you will
  send us a copy of the catalogue. In the meantime,
  please let us know the lowest price so that we
  can approach our clients for sales.
• ?We are one of the largest importers of silk in
  the world. We have been importing this item from
  Japan and now intend to extend our business to
  import the same from China.
• ?If you are in a position to supply the goods as
  per the attached enquiry at very competitive
  prices, we trust large orders will be obtained.
• ?Please quote as requested in our inquiry your
  lowest prices and state the earliest delivery
  date.
• ?If you are interested in our electronic
  products, please let us know with a specific
  inquiry.

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Summary

• In this lesson, we are mainly talking about the
  general enquiry. We have also learnt the writing
  method. We should recite some useful sentences
  and make use of them to finish the exercises
  correctly and make them be your own knowledge
  which you can make use of them at any time and in
  any where.

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Homework

• 1.Review the useful sentences and expressions
  and recite the letters.
• 2.Finish Exercise III on Page 122 in the book.
• 3.Write a general enquiry letter according to
  the indication given in the class.
• 4.Preview the next lesson.

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The end
15
Opening Sentences

• We were given your name by....
• You have been recommended to us by....
• Your articles have been recommended to us by....
• As we have learned from...,you are manufactures
  of ....
• We saw your ad in the current issue of....
• We have heard that you have put a new ...on the
  market.
• We visited your stand at the ...exhibition.
• We have seen your ad in ...and we are interested
  in....
• Your firm has been recommended to us by ....,
  with whom we have done business for many years.

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Reasons for Enquiry

• We are a ...company based in....
• We are interested in....
• We need /are in the market for....
• We have received many enquiries from our
  customers for....
• Our stocks of ...are running low.
• We would like to expand our range of....
• We have a considerable demand here for....

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Asking for Price

• I should be grateful if you send me....
• Please send your current/latest catalogue/price
  list/brochure.
• We would like you to send us some
  samples/patterns.
• Please send us full details about your products.
• Please quote your prices for these
  articles/goods/products.
• Kindly quote us your lowest prices for....
• Please quote your best/most competitive/lowest
  price.
• Please quote your price gross/net/FOB(???).
• We would like to know if you are prepared to
  grant discounts.

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Asking for Price

• We are desirous of having your lowest price
  for...
• Please let us know the minimum quantity for a
  trial/order.
• We should appreciate further details/information
  about youre....
• We shall be glad to receive an offer from you
  on....
• Please send further details/information abut
  youre....
• Please include information about packing and
  shipping.
• We should like to know your earliest date of
  delivery.
• What would be your earliest delivery date?
• Please let us know on what term you can give us
  some discount.
• Will you let us know what discount you give for
  large quantities?

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Giving References

• Information about our company can be got from...
• For information about our company please refer
  to/contact....
• Should you wish to make any enquiries about us,
  please write to.
• We shall be pleased to provide the usual trade
  references.
• Please let us know your terms of business.
• Please let us know if you can supply from stack.
• Please offer quantities which can be supplied
  from stock.
• Will you please let us have a list of items
  imported by you?
• In order to make us familiarized with your
  products, we shall appreciate your giving us the
  technical details of them.

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Further Business

• If the goods come up to our expectations, we
  would expect to be place regular order. If the
  samples meet with our approval we intend to place
  substantial orders. 
• If your priced are competitive and your goods up
  to standard, we shall order on a regular basis.
• If you can let us have a competitive quotation,
  we trust business will result in a large
  business.

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Notes

• The Overseas Trading Co. Ltd., London informs us
  that
• you are the most well-know producer of a
  variety of
• sweaters for men and women of all three
  sizes large,
• medium, and small. ????????????,?
• ??????????????????????
• ??????
• inform sb. that??(??)
• a variety of?????
• of various ranges?????
• range n.(?????)??,??,??
• leading????????,???
• a promising market?????
• promising adj.?????,?????

22
Notes

• We are enclosing our illustrated catalogue and
  price-list giving the details you asked for.
• ?????????????????????????
• enclose????
• enclose????
• We enclose a copy of our pricelist.
• Enclosed are two copies of our pricelist.
• Enclosed please find a copy of our pricelist.
• under separate cover??,??
• under the same cover enclose(??)?enclose
• excellent in quality and very reasonable in
  price????,????

23
Notes

• We owe your name and address to the Canadian
  Consulate in Shanghai.????????????????????????
• having over 20 years experience in this
  particular line of business.?????20????
• We would like to state that we usually pay for
  our imports by sight L/C which, we feel sure,
  will be agreeable to you.???????,?????????????????
  ??????????
• agreeable adj.?????,???(????to)

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Notes

• in response to ???
• ?????????????,????????????,?????????
• In answer to your letter of
• We have received your letter of
• Referring to your letter of
• Thank you for your letter of