Деловые письма. Учебное пособие

Analyse the letter answering to the questions:

1. What is the style of the letter?

(The letter is friendly, direct, confident and positive in style.)

2.Can you prove that the letter presents the case from the buyers’ point of view?

(There is more “you” than “we” in it.)

3.How does the letter stimulate the interest of the supposed partner? (It stimulates interest by quoting successful sales elsewhere, and gives a reason for placing an immediate order.)

4.What is the main feature of the letter? (Does it read like a personal message or a mass-produced routine reply?)

(It reads like a personal message or a mass-produced routine reply).

4B Activity Section

4.1. REQUESTING ACTION

Here are some ways to ask people to do something for you.

Note: ‘Please could you ...’ is the most direct. You can use this when you are asking for something usual.

►1. These requests are all mixed up. In each sentence put the words and phrases in the correct order:

a)please / arrange / for ten o’clock / could / an appointment / you

b)we / send us / as soon as possible / would / if you / the goods / be grateful / could

c)we / without delay / appreciate it / you could / pay our bill / would / if

d)confirm / please / you / are the same / could / your prices / that

e)we / exactly when / appreciate it / if you / would / could / tell us / you will arrive.

2. What would you write in the following situations?

a)You have seen an advertisement in the newspaper for a post as office manager. You want an application form.

b)The photocopier in your office has broken down. You want to have it repaired quickly.

c)You have moved your office and you want the post office to forward your letters to your new address.

d)You want the telephone company to put another telephone in your office. You need it urgently.

e)You have written to a company and you want them to reply quickly.

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4.2. APOLOGIZING

We must apologise for ...

We apologise for ...

We are extremely sorry for...

Notes:

– Use the ‘-ing’ form after these phrases.

e.g. We are extremely sorry for losing your order.

– You can also say ‘We are extremely sorry that...’ e.g. We are extremely sorry that we lost your order.

Usually, it is polite to give the reason for the problem and then apologise again at the end of a letter.

Please accept our apologies once again.

We hope that this has not caused you any inconvenience. With apologies once again.

►You have been passed these letters. What would you write in reply? (Apologise and give a reason.)

18 North Avenue Elmira

22-10-12 Dear Sir

I am writing in connection with your advertisement in the Daily Observer newspaper for a post as shop assistant.

Please could you send me the application forms. Yours faithfully

Mrs. R. Smith

I found this letter in Peters Browns desk. (He is away il)

It was sent 6 weeks ago! ICM

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c) You want to know about the same businessman’s flight (flight number, date and time of arrival).

5. Fill in the missing words:

We have been your name … our associates … Howard & Co. … Carlisle, who … us that you have been … them with stationery … a number of years.

There is a … demand here … Edinburgh … the qualities you … , and we believe we could … large orders … you if tour … are competitive.

… you please send us your illustrated … , together with your … list and details of your … of business.

We look forward to … … you.

6. Study the following extracts of the letters and put right headings, using the sentences of the table below (6).

1

Dear Sirs,

In the “Austria Export” magazine No. 6, 2008 we noticed an advertisement describing your CONTAX and EXTRA cameras. We are very interested in these and, for that matter, in any other cameras you may manufacture.

We suggest, therefore, that you send us your catalogues and price-lists in triplicate and preferably in English, together with an indication of discount and delivery time.

For your information we may add that our company was established ten years ago and has sales outlets in all main cities of Russia.

We look forward to an early reply.

Yours faithfully.

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2

Gentlemen:

In one of the issues of “Austria Export” we saw an advertisement about an Oxygen Meter.

However, we have not been able to find the advertiser, and therefore we request you kindly to send the enclosed enquiry to him.

We would like to mention that we have sent a similar enquiry to Messrs. JUNKALOR who also advertised an Oxygen Recorder. Nevertheless we are very sure that there was another manufacturer in “Austria Export” offering such a meter.

Yours truly,

1 encl.

3

Gentlemen:

We are in the market for an Indicating Oxygen Meter. As we are particularly interested in maintaining an atmosphere below 0,5 per cent oxygen, this instrument should be furnished with a contrast at the 0,5 % position.

Please quote on the following: One Oxygen Meter without contact; one Oxygen Meter with contact (if available).

The same instrument in lots of ten. Also quote your best delivery ex warehouse.

Very truly yours.

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4

Dear Sirs,

Re: Vertical Milling Machine FS 400 × 1650

Referring to your letter of the 26 May, 2008 we inform you that now we have a customer for the above-mentioned machine. As you know we also hold an import license.

We should be glad if you would let us have the basic price for the machine if it has altered in any way since your letter of the 26 May. We should also like to know the extra cost for equipping the machine with an electrical supply of 400/400 volts. Perhaps you will be good enough to send us a detailed quotation. We presume it will include the time of delivery which we should like to be as short as possible.

Yours faithfully.

5

Dear Sirs,

We have a general interest in buying various items of machine tools from you, and we should be glad to receive brief details of the range of equipment which you can export.

In particular we are contemplating the purchase of a test lathe or hard metal and ceramic tools. We believe that you call this type of machine a “Versuchsdrehmaschine”.

The machine we require should have roughly the following main characteristics:

Min. top spindle speed – 4,000 r.p.m. Power of main motor – 30 h.p.

We should be glad to receive your detailed offer for this lathe in quintuplicate together with three sets of specification sheets. If possible, the latter should be in German, but failing this English would be satisfactory.

Yours faithfully.

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6

Enquiry concerning a machine tool

Enquiry concerning a test lathe

Enquiry for cameras

Request to forward enquiry to supplier

Request to forward enquiry to supplier

7. Put the words and words combinations giving below into the gaps.

OGGI

1900 South Batavia Ave, Geneva, IL 60134 - USA

Fax: 630-208-5886

10/1 Shabolovskaya Street

Moscow

Russia

12 October 2012

Dear Sirs

We have heard from the British Embassy in Paris that you are producing for export ____________ in natural materials.

There is a steady _______ in Russia for high-quality goods of this type. Sales are not high, but a good price can be obtained for ________.

Will you please send us your _________ and full details of your export prices and _______________, together with samples of leathers used in your articles and, if possible, specimens of some of the articles themselves.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Masha Petrova

Masha Petrova

Managing Director

fashionable designs, hand-made shoes and gloves, demand, terms of payment catalogue.

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8. Replace Russian words and words combinations into English.

Egor Belkin

15 Stepnaya

Tambov

Russia

24 April 2012

Dear Sirs

We have been given your name by our associates J.J. Mueller of Basle, who___________ (информирует нас) that they have been doing business with you for some fifteen years. We asked them if they knew of a manufacturer who might be able _____________ (снабжать) at very short notice the articles specified on the enclosed list, and they advised us to contact you.

We can explain in confidence that our normal supplier has rather let us down on ___________ (сроки доставки) dates this year, and we are in danger of getting into arrears with some of our overseas contracts.

If you can supply ____________ (товары) we require, please accept this as our order. Payment will be made in accordance with your usual terms of business.

We hope you will be able to help us in this instance, and can add that if your products and terms are as ______________ (конкурентоспособные) as we have been led to believe, we will be interested in a long-term contract with you.

We would appreciate a reply by telex.

Yours faithfully

Egor Belkin

Egor Belkin Export Manager 1 Enclosure

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9. Put the sentences in order to make an enquiry from an import/export agent on behalf of a client.

Directors: A.B. White, T.D. Pearson

Dear Sirs

1.We will also be glad to have an estimate for the number of containers required and the approximate cost of packing

2.We have just received an enquiry from a multi-national organisation owning several luxury hotels in East Africa. They are opening a new hotel next spring, and have asked us to submit quotations for furniture and fittings in accordance with the attached list.

3.The articles in question must be hard-wearing and up-to-date in design, and delivery by February of next year is essential. Will you please let us know, therefore, whether you will be able to complete an order for the quantities required within the time at your disposal.

4.Please let us have your quotation as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

A.B. WHITE AND CO. LTD.

Jennifer Ring

Jennifer Ring (Miss)

Overseas Dept.

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4C Letter practice

Reply to the letter, which was an enquiry made through a buying agent.

We thank you for your enquiry of 31 January, and can confirm our telephone conversation of yesterday, in which we informed you that we can deliver part of the goods required from stock, in accordance with the enclosed detailed offer. For the balance we would require approximately three weeks from the date of receiving your confirmation that this arrangement is acceptable.

Prices as quoted are f.o.b. London.

Packing in wooden cases

Delivery as specified above

Payment against documents, by banker’s draft.

We hope your client will find our terms and delivery dates satisfactory, and we can assure you that you may count on our full co-operation and attention in this matter.

Yours faithfully

Suman Jaiws

S. James

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