商务英语书信讲稿.doc

“All of us tell something to somebody. We need to be sure we get through. Once were through, we need to know that somebody understands. Once he understands, we need to know that he reacts. To the degree we achieve this, humanity succeeds in politics and love, in business and war, in peace and happiness. Communicators in all fields face the same problem.” From Dateline, 1962 Annual of the Overseas Press Club of America.Communication objectivesEverybody communicates for a purpose, and our basic objectives in business communication are generally as follows:1. To be understood exactly as we intended;2. To secure a desired response to what we communicate;3. To build up and develop goodwill between the sender and the receiver of the message.Business Letters : Style and FormatIntroductionLetter StylesIntroductionFull Block StyleThe full block style (Fig.2.1) begins each line at the left.Modified Block StyleThe modified block style is currently one of the most popular styles. To most readers, this style is appealing because it achieves the best visual balance on the page. As Fig.2.2 shows, the date, complimentary close, and signature section are just to the right of center.Modified Style with Indented ParagraphsMany business letters use this style(Fig.2.3). Although the full block style is widely used, the indented style is also popular, probably because its paragraphs are indented in the same way as those of books, newspapers, and magazines.Fig.2.1: Full block style(LETTERHEAD)May 21, 20-Mr. Paul A .Smith, PresidentSmith and Sons, Inc.3107 Western AvenueNew London, Connecticut 06320Dear Mr. Smith :-.-.-.Sincerely,(signed)Li MingSales Manager Fig.2.2: Modified block style(LETTERHEAD)May 21, 20-Mr. Paul A .Smith, PresidentSmith and Sons, Inc.3107 Western AvenueNew London, Connecticut 06320Dear Mr. Smith :-.-.-.Sincerely,(signed)Li MingSales ManagerFig.2.3: modified style with indented paragraphs(LETTERHEAD)May 21, 20-Mr. Paul A .Smith, PresidentSmith and Sons, Inc.3107 Western AvenueNew London, Connecticut 06320Dear Mr. Smith :-.-.-.Sincerely,(signed)Li MingSales ManagerEnvelope B/D Corp.123 Third Avenue (stamp) New York, NY10017RegisteredU.S.A. Mr.G. Well c/o the Sales Manager Percy Astins & Co Ltd 12 Kings Avenue RICHMOND Surrey TW6 ISJ BritainConfidential 1. the return address: is printed in the upper left hand corner or printed on the back of the envelope2. the receivers name and address: regardless of the size of the envelope, one may start the address halfway between the top and bottom.3. special mailing notations:(1) .SPECIAL DELIVERY, REGISTERED MAIL, VIA AIRMAIL may be placed a double space below the stamp position.(2) . other notations such as HOLD FOR ARRIVAL, PLEASE FORWARD, ACCOUNT NUMBER are a triple space below the return address near the left edge of the envelope.(3) The notation PERSONAL, PRIVATE or CONFIDENTIAL is used only when you intend your letter for your reader and no one else. It should be placed in the bottom left-hand corner.The Format of the Business Letter A business letter is made up of many parts. The following figure shows and labels nearly all of the parts of a business letter.GUIDANCE ASSOCIATES1695 Avenue of the Americas (Letterhead)New York .N .Y. 10023 May 21, 20- (Date)The Jones corporation1234 Seventh Avenue N.W. (Inside Address0Tanpza, Florida 33606Attention: Mr. James Johnson , Personnel Director (Attention Line)Gentlemen (Salutation)Subject: The Business Letter (Subject Line)This letter is an example of modified block style. All of the parts of the letter are included and labeled.Although this example shows the date to the right, it could be centered as well. The complimentary close and signature are typed to the right. The writers business title may be typed on the same line as the name; or if the title is a long one, it may be typed on the line below the writers name.This letter uses open punctuation, which has no colon after the salutation and no comma after the complimentary close. Sincerely yours (complimentary close) (signed) David H. Walker (Signature Section) Sales ManagerDHW: feh (Identification Initials)Enclosure (Enclosure Notation)cc Mr. Robert Martin (Carbon Copy Notation)P. S. (Postscript) Standard Parts of the Business letterLetterhead: the name and address of a company, city (state or province), and ZIP codeDate: 10(th) March, 20- March 10(th), 20-Inside address: the inside address should duplicate the address on the envelope. It is conventional to set it in the left-hand margin, about two or three spaces below the level of the date and above the salutation, though a newer trend is to place it in the bottom left-hand corner.Salutation : it is your friendly greeting to the reader. It agrees with the inside address. The salutation is usually followed by a comma by English custom or a colon by American custom. The punctuation mark can also be omitted. The selection of salutations should be based on your familiarity with the reader and the formality of the situation. Gentlemen and Dear Sirs They are customary salutations to a firm. You may use “Ladies and gentlemen.”Dear (Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Miss )Dear (first name )This salutation is addressed to an individual you know very well.Dear Sir and Dear MadamThe two salutations are used in formal and impersonal situations, or when you do not know the readers name.Dear Director, Dear Manager, Dear Supervisor, Dear Owner, and Dear Department Head Today, in an effort not to use one sex designation over another, a neutral title like the above is suggested by many office managers.Dear CustomerThis salutation is used for messages that omit an inside address-as in sales letters , announcements, and identical letters to more than one person.Body:Complimentary Close: Placed a double space below the body of the letter, it is a polite way of closing the letter. It must agree with the salutation in the degree of formality. That is to say, the close should best reflect the tone of your message or your relationship with the reader. Because business relationships today are less formal, the trend is toward an informal close.Respectfully yours (Very respectfully yours, Yours respectfully, or Respectfully) is a very formal close. It was used at one time in letters to high officials or to highly respected persons, but now it is considered obsolete.Very truly yours (Yyours very truly, or Yours truly) is a less formal close but has lost popularity. It is occasionally used between solicitors and clients, bankers and customers, and doctors and patients.Sincerely (Sincerely yours, or Yours sincerely) is an informal close and is one of the most popular methods of ending a letter. It is often used between businessmen who have already established a business contact with each other.Yours faithfully ( Faithfully yours ) is commonly used in Britain, Europe and Asia, in the U.S.A. it has just about dropped out of use.Cordially (Cordially yours, or Yours cordially ) is also an informal close. It is used when you may or may not know the reader well, but wish the reader to feel the relationship is friendly.Signature:Generally, the signature section contains three or four parts: the name of the company, the signature of the writer, the typed name, and the business title.The company name is omitted if you use company stationery. The appearance of the company name in the signature indicates strict legal responsibility, that is, you are acting on behalf of the company and not yourself.Always sign your letter by hand two to four lines under the complimentary close or the company name . To “sign” with a rubber stamp as is practiced in China is considered a form of discourtesy in many other countries. The personal touch of an original signature is highly appreciated in many other countries. The signature section should include the typed name of the writer directly below the hand written signature in order to ensure accuracy. Optional Parts of the Business LetterIn addition to the standard parts of the business letter, there are some parts used less frequently. Each has a specific purpose. Some are used so frequently that they might be considered standard parts, yet because of their situational usefulness and limited importance, they remain in the optional category.Reference SectionThey may identify the department from which the letter is sent, or indicate the filing system of the letter.Eg. Our ref: Dep B/4 Our ref: LW/PB523Attention Line It directs a letter to a particular person or department when the company name is used in the addressee line.Different ways of writing it are as follows:ATTENTION: SALES MANAGERAttention Marketing DirectorAttention to Advertising Manager ATTN: -Subject LineIt is a device to tell at a glance what the letter is about. The following examples show the possible typing styles .LATE DELIVERY UNDER CONTRACT CT1096RE: BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR COMMUNICATIONSubject: Replacement of Order No.0065Chinese Pure Silk Product #1023Enclosure NotationIt merely tells the receiver that something is included in the envelope along with the letter. It may also serve to remind the sender of checking for enclosures. Some people prefer merely to refer to the fact that the enclosures are included. Others prefer to indicate the number of the enclosures. Still others like to make a list of enclosures. Some commonly accepted methods for indicating enclosures are listed below:Enclosure: Sales AccountEnc. (4) or Encl. (4)Enclosures (4):Packing List Commodity Inspection CertificateSales ConfirmationInsurance CertificateCopy Notation It indicates a copy of the letter is being sent to some other business people.Examples: cc Mr. Taylor Mrs. Carla ThayeCopies to Mr. TaylorPostscriptWhen you finish the letter and happen to think of something else, you may add it at the end of the letter. The notation “P. S.”(“p.s.” or “PS”) should be used to precede the final note. INQUIRIES AND REQUESTSIntroductionThe general structure below can be your guide: 1. Request Briefly, in one or two sentences, present what your requirement is;2. Problem Clearly and precisely state the problem that needs answering. The clearer the statement of the problem, the better your chances are of obtaining and accurate answer;3. Close Friendly close the letter by making your request again politely.Specimen Letters1. An Inquiry for a Meeting BrochureDear sirs May we have a copy of your brochures concerning the meeting, which was held on July 10, 2003, for announcing projects on industrial development in the Northwest China.(Present the request directly)Yesterdays China Daily included an article about the meeting. Some thoughts and plans were presented on the electronic and water-treatment fields. We would appreciate more details than those printed in the paper.(State the source of information)it would be most helpful if you could send us all the necessary information. We are sure it will be beneficial to both of us in the near future.(State what is needed again in a friendly tone)Yours faithfully2. Request for cataloguesDear MrYour firm has been recommended to us by the James Oliver & Co. of Coventry, with whom we have done business for many years.We are interested in your electric heaters, particularly Model F, for use in offices and shall be glad if you will send us a copy of your illustrated catalogue and current price list.Yours sincerely3. A Form Letter for Routine InquirySometimes a more efficient form letter is used instead of writing a detailed letter on a routine business basis.Dear SirsWe would like to consider your product for inclusion in ourline. May we have a copy of your catalog and price list ?Thank you very much.Truly your4. Enquiry Using a Printed Form INQUIRYIn reply please quoteour reference No. Imp-c7/98Dear sirs Please send us your quotation by fax for the following commodities together with your latest catalogue:Item No.CommoditiesQuality Price Remarks REPLIESI. Neutral Replies to Routine RequestsIntroduction Specimen letters1. Routine Response to an Inquiry for a BrochureDear SirWith reference to your inquiry of March 10, enclosed is the brochure on the current electronic organs in which you expressed an interest.(Begin the letter immediately with the information the reader needs) should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to write or call. We are always at your service.(Offer possible things you are willing to do)we thank you again for your interest in our products and look forward to your further orders.(Close the letter politely and show confidence in your reader)Truly yours2. Routine Reply to an Inquiry for Product InformationDear Mr. BaconIn regard to your letter of April 25, enclosed please find a report from one of our users on Coal Cleaning Equipment.(Use direct language to show the positive information)we hope that the report will offer you the necessary information. If there are any questions concerning the operation and service of the equipment, just let us know. We await your response with keen interest.(Remind the reader of the benefits associated with the positive information)Yours faithfully II. Letters saying Yes to InquiriesIntroductionSpecimen Letters1. A Positive Reply to an Inquiry for Reports about a ProductDear Dr. SmatherThe enclosed reports from two of our customers will give you requested in your letter dated November 23. They not only describe our latest versatile machine models, but also present how effectively they operated. From the reports, you may easily see how much our customers enjoy using the models.(Answer the request immediately and then show the reader benefits associated with the products. The tone is direct and pleasant.) If you send us the relevant details, we will be happy to suggest what specific model you need. We are also enclosing a copy of our current catalog in which Page 12 provides you with information about installation and technical training services. With thirty years of manufacturing and marketing in this field, we are sure that the designing and building of such equipment will offer you the most convenience and efficiency in your medical work.(State the positive features of the equipment and offer something favorable to your reader.)If you have any further questions, just let us know. We are always ready at your service.(Close the letter in a friendly fashion.)sincerely yours 2. A Positive Reply to a New Inquiry for a Commodity Cataloga) A Form Letter