Business communication

At the beginning of a business relationship, prospective customers will want to find out more about products or services offered, they will write an enquiry. When a company receives an enquiry, this should be answered immediately, if it is already clear what exactly the customer wants, a quotation stating the terms of delivery and payment can be sent. For orders it is very common to use order forms (or to order via the internet), order forms may be accompanied by a cover letter. The receipt of an order is usually also confirmed in order to tell the customer that the order is being dealt with.

Study the typical phrases used for enquiries, quotations/offers and orders. Then do the exercise below.

Match the phrases with the type of letter.

Offer Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to receiving your order in the near future. We look forward to receiving your order in due course. All your orders will be carried out promptly and carefully. We should like to draw your attention to the excellent quality of our products. Please note that the prices include VAT. Thank you very much for your interest in our products. We refer to your enquiry of 2 April. We are sure you will be satisfied with our products. All our goods can be delivered from stock. We can offer you a discount of 5% for orders over 100 units and above. We can grant a discount of 4 % for orders that reach us before 2 March. We shall be pleased to receive your trial order. Should you need further information, please let us know.

Order Please supply as specified below. Delivery has to be made by 30 June. We would like to order the products listed below. Please remember that the quality of the goods must come up to the samples. Please note that careful packing is essential. We look forward to receiving the consignment in due course. We look forward to a prompt and careful execution of this order.

Enquiry We are a growing company selling... We saw your advertisement on the internet Your products have been recommended to us by business partners. We are looking for a supplier of.... We are especially interested in buying... Please send us information about your latest products. Please quote prices ex works. Kindly enclose an illustrated catalogue of your range of products. If your prices are competitive, we shall place substantial orders with you. If your goods meet our requirements, we will let you have a trial order. We need an offer for the following articles: We are looking forward to receiving your offer.

Complete the phrases with the words given below.

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