Content
ANNOTATION
INTRODUCTION
BUSINESS LETTERS THROUGHT LEXICS
A sampling of contract phrases
Foreign esoteric words
Some words against passive
EXAMINING ENGLISH BUSINESS LETTERS
Example 1.
Example2
Example 3.
Example 4.
Example 5
Example 6.
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ANNOTATION
The subject matter of the course paper is the role of lexics
and semantics
in the case of business letter correspondence. The question of the
history of
official communication, the main stages of business transactions, the
role of
person’s feeling for the proper use of phrases as well as his
knowledge of
grammar are highlighted. Moreover, those phrases which are more often
used in
business letters are examined from the point of view of their
appropriateness
in different situations. The practical part contains several examples
of
business letters; the occasions on which they were written and some of
their
characteristics are observed.
INTRODUCTION
Letter writing - is an essential part of communication, an
intimate part of
experience. Each letter-writer has a characteristic way of writing, his
style
of writing, his way of expressing thoughts, facts, etc. but it must be
emphasised that the routine of the official or semi-official business
letters
requires certain accepted idioms, phrases, patterns, and grammar which
are
found in general use today. Therefore certain skills must be acquired
by
practice, and details of writing must be carefully and thoroughly
learnt.
A cheque, a contract or any other business paper sent by mail
should always
be accompanied by a letter. The letter says what is being sent so that
the
recipient should know exactly what you intended to send. It is a
typical business
letter which some people call "routine". The letter may be short or
long, it may contain some very important and much less important
information -
every letter requires careful planning and thoughtful writing.
In recent years English has become a universal business
language. As such,
it is potentially an instrument of order and clarity. But words and
phrases
have unexpected ways of creating binding commitments.
Letter-writing, certainly, is not the same as casual
conversation, it bears
only the same power of thoughts, reflections, and observations as in
conversational talk, but the form may be quite different. What makes
the letter
so attractive and pleasing is not always the massage of the letter, it
is often
the manner and style in which the massage is written.
E. g.: "I wish to express to you my sincere
appreciation for your
note of congratulation. "
or
"I am sincerely happy that you were elected President of Biological
Society. "
As you see such formulations show the attitude of the writer,
his respect
and sincerity.
The language of business, professional and semi-official
letters is formal,
courteous, tactful, concise, expressive, and to the point. A neatly
arranged
letter will certainly make a better impression on the reader, thus good
letters
make good business partners.
In the case of "scientific correspondence" the majority of
letters
bear mostly a semi-official character and are concerned with different
situations associated with scientific activities concentrated around
the
organisation of scientific meetings (congresses, symposia, workshops,
etc.) ,
the arrangement of visit, invitation, publication, the exchange of
scientific
literature, information, etc. Letters of this kind have a tone of
friendliness,
naturalism. Modern English letters should not be exaggerated,
overburdened,
outmoded with time-worn expressions. The key note is simplicity. Modern
letters
tend towards using the language of conversational style.
Writing is not only a means of communication and contract, but
also a record
of affairs, information, events, etc. So it is necessary to feel the
spirit and
trend of the style in order to write a perfect letter.
Business-letter or contract law is a complex and vastly
documented subject,
only a lawyer can deal with it on a serious level. A number of basic
principles, however, can be outlined sufficiently to mark of encounters
that
require the use of specialised English.
Doing business means working out agreements with other people,
sometimes
through elaborate contracts and sometimes through nothing but little
standard
forms, through exchanges of letters and conversations at lunch.
Nowadays more and more agreements are made in English, for
English is the
nearest thing we have to a universal business language. Joint ventures,
bank loans,
and trademark licenses frequently are spelled out in this language even
though
it is not native to at least one of the contracting parties.
As a beginning I am going to look at the subject of writing of
business
letters generally. In the main there are three stages transactions
involving
business contracts: first, negotiation of terms, second, drafting
documents
reflecting these terms, and third, litigation to enforce or to avoid
executing
of these terms. To my mind, a fourth might be added, the administration
of
contracts.
I am going to look through the first two since the third and
the fourth are
related only to the field of law. A typical first stage of contract is
two or
more people having drink and talking about future dealing. A second
phase might
be letters written in order to work out an agreement.
In these two early stages it will be helpful to know something
about rules
of contract. But what rules? Different nations borrow or create
different legal
systems, and even within a single country the rules may vary according
to
region or the kind of transaction involved.
It is worth knowing that the distinctions in legal system of
England are
mainly historical.
The history of writing business letters is undoubtedly
connected with the
history of development of legal language. English is in fact a
latecomer as a
legal language. Even after the Norman Conquest court pleadings in
England were
in French, and before that lawyers used Latin. Perhaps, some of our
difficulties arise due to the fact that English was unacceptable in its
childhood.
Contract in English suggest Anglo-American contract rules. The
main point is
always to be aware that there are differences: the way they may be
resolved
usually is a problem for lawyers. With contracts the applicable law may
be the
law of the place where the contract is made; in other cases it may be
the law
of the place where the contract is to be performed. It is specified in
preliminary negotiations which system of law is to apply.
Diversity is characteristic feature of English; here is a wide
range of
alternatives to choose from in saying things, although the conciseness
is
sometimes lacking. Consequently, the use of English is a creative
challenge.
Almost too many riches are available for selection, that leads
occasionally to
masterpieces but more frequently to mistakes. English is less refined
in its
distinctions than French, for example, and this makes it harder to be
clear.
That does not mean that English is imprecise for all things
are relative. If
we compare English with Japanese, we will see that the latter possesses
enormous degree of politeness to reflect the respectiveness of speaker
and
listener as well as of addresser and addressee.
Here I cannot help mentioning the fact that as contracts are
so unclear in
what every side intends to do, a contract can sometimes put a company
out of
business.
Thus everybody who is involved in any kind of business should
study
thoroughly the complex science of writing business letters and
contracts.
BUSINESS LETTERS THROUGHT LEXICS
From the lexicological point of view isolated words and
phrases mean very
little. In context they mean a great deal, and in the special context
of
contractual undertakings they mean everything. Contract English is a
prose
organised according to plan.
And it includes, without limitation, the right but not the
obligation to
select words from a wide variety of verbal implements and write
clearly,
accurately, and/or with style.
Two phases of writing contracts exist: in the first, we react
to proposed
contracts drafted by somebody else, and in the second, which presents
greater
challenge, we compose our own.
A good contract reads like a classic story. It narrates, in
orderly
sequence, that one part should do this and another should do that, and
perhaps
if certain events occur, the outcome will be changed. All of the rate
cards
charts, and other reference material ought to be ticked off one after
another
according to the sense of it. Tables and figures, code words and
mystical
references are almost insulting unless organised and defined. Without
organisation they baffle, without definition they entrap.
In strong stance one can send back the offending document and
request a
substitute document in comprehensible English. Otherwise a series of
questions
may be put by letter, and the replies often will have contractual force
if the
document is later contested.
A sampling of contract phrases
My observations about English so far have been general in
nature. Now it
appears logical to examine the examples of favourite contract phrases,
which
will help ease the way to fuller examination of entire negotiations and
contracts. a full glossary is beyond reach but in what follows there is
a
listing of words and phrases that turn up in great many documents, with
comments
on each one. The words and phrases are presented in plausible contract
sequence, not alphabetically.
"Whereas" Everyman's idea of how a contract
begins. Some
lawyers dislike "Whereas" and use recitation clauses so marked to
distinguish them from the text in the contract. There the real issue
lies; one
must be careful about mixing up recitals of history with what is
actually being
agreed on. For example, it would be folly to write: "Whereas A
admits
owing B $10,000... " because the admission may later haunt
one,
especially if drafts are never signed and the debt be disputed. Rather
less
damaging would be:
"Whereas the parties have engaged in a series of
transactions
resulting in dispute over accounting between them... "
On the whole "Whereas" is acceptable, but what follows it
needs
particular care.
"It is understood and agreed" On the one
hand, it usually
adds nothing, because every clause in the contract is "understood and
agreed" or it would not be written into it. On the other hand, what it
adds is an implication that other clauses are not backed up by this
phrase: by
including the one you exclude the other. “It is understood
and agreed” ought to
be banished.
"Hereinafter" A decent enough little word
doing the job of
six ("Referred to later in this document") . "Hereinafter"
frequently sets up abbreviated names for the contract parties.
For example:
"Knightsbridge International Drapes and Fishmonger,
Ltd (hereinafter
"Knightsbridge") .
"Including Without Limitation" It is useful
and at times essential
phrase. Earlier I've noted that mentioning certain things may exclude
others by
implication. Thus,
"You may assign your exclusive British and
Commonwealth rights"
suggests that you may not assign other rights assuming you
have any. Such
pitfalls may be avoided by phrasing such as:
"You may assign any and all your rights including
without limitation
your exclusive British and Commonwealth rights".
But why specify any rights if all of them are included?
Psychology is the
main reason; people want specific things underscored in the contracts,
and
"Including Without Limitation" indulges this prediction.
"Assignees and Licensees" These are
important words which
acceptability depends on one's point of view
"Knightsbridge, its assignees and licensees... "
suggests that Knightsbridge may hand you over to somebody else
after
contracts are signed. If you yourself happen to be Knightsbridge, you
will want
that particular right and should use the phrase.
"Without Prejudice" It is a classic. The
British use this
phrase all by itself, leaving the reader intrigued. "Without
Prejudice" to what exactly? Americans spell it out more elaborately,
but
if you stick to American way, remember "Including Without
Limitation", or you may accidentally exclude something by implication.
Legal rights, for example, are not the same thing as remedies the law
offers to
enforce them. Thus the American might write:
"Without prejudice to any of my existing or future
rights or
remedies... "
And this leads to another phrase.
"And/or" It is an essential barbarism. In
the preceding
example I've used the disjunctive "rights or remedies". This is not
always good enough, and one may run into trouble with
"Knightsbridge or Tefal or either of them shall... "
What about both together? "Knightsbridge and Tefal",
perhaps, followed by "or either". Occasionally the
alternatives become overwhelming, thus and/or is convenient and
generally
accepted, although more detail is better.
"Shall" If one says "Knightsbridge
and/or Tefal
shall have... " or "will have...
", legally it
should make no difference in the case you are consent in using one or
the
other. "Shall", however, is stronger than "will".
Going from one to another might suggest that one obligation is stronger
somehow
than another. Perhaps, one's position may determine the choice. "You
shall", however is bad form.
"Understanding" It is a dangerous word. If
you mean
agreement you ought to say so. If you view of affairs that there is no
agreement, "understanding" as a noun suggests the
opposite or
comes close to it.. it stands, in fact, as a monument to unsatisfactory
compromise. The softness of the word conjures up pleasing images. "In
accordance with our understanding... "
can be interpreted in a
number of ways.
"Effect" Here is a little word which uses
are
insufficiently praised. Such a phrase as "We will produce... " is
inaccurate, because the work will be subcontracted and the
promise-maker
technically defaults. Somebody else does the producing. Why not say "We
will produce or cause to be produced... "? This
is in fact
often said, but it jars the ear. Accordingly "We will effect
production...
" highlights the point with greater skill.
"Idea" This word is bad for your own side
but helpful
against others. Ideas as such are not generally protected by law. If
you submit
something to a company with any hope of reward you must find better
phrasing
than "my idea". Perhaps, "my format"
or
possibly "my property" is more
appropriate. Naturally,
if you can develop an idea into a format or protectable property, the
more
ambitious phrasing will be better justified.
"As between us" It is useful, because
people are always
forgetting or neglecting to mention that a great many interests may be
involved
in what appears to be simple dialogue. "I reserve control over...
" and "You have the final power of decision over...
"
sound like division of something into spheres, but frequently "I"
am in turn controlled by my investors and "You" - by
a foreign
parent company, making the language of division inaccurate. Neither of
us
really controls anything, at least ultimately.
Thus it will be useful to say, "As between us, I
control...
" and so on.
"Spanning" Time periods are awkward things:
".. .
for a period commencing August, 1 and expiring
November, 15...
" is clumsy; ".. . from August, 1 to
November, 15...
" is skeletal when informing how long a contract obligation endures.
But during particular time periods one may be reporting for
work, for
example, three days out of every five, or doing something else that is
within
but not completely parallel to the entire time period involved.
A happy solution is the word "Spanning". It
goes this way:
"Throughout the period spanning August, 1 - November,
15 inclusive
you will render services as a consultant three days out of every five. "
It will be useful to put "inclusive" at the
end for without
it you may lose the date, concluding the period being spanned.
"Negotiate in Good Faith" The negotiators
have worked until
late at night, all points but one have been worked out, the contract
will never
be signed without resolution of some particular impasse. What is there
to do?
Agree to "Negotiate in Good Faith" on the
disputed point at
later time. This is done frequently, but make no mistake about the
outcome. The
open point remains open. If it happens to be vital you may have no
contract at
all. "Negotiate in Good Faith" is one of those
evasions that
must be used sparingly. At the right time it prevents collapse, at the
wrong
time it promotes it.
"Confirm" It suggests, of course, that
something has been
agreed upon before. You are writing now only to make a record of it. "I
write to confirm that you admit substantial default
in delivery"
Frequently we encounter it in ordinary correspondence: "Confirming
your
order", "Confirming the main points of our agreement",
and so on.
"Furnish" It is a handy word which
usefulness lies in the
avoidance of worse alternatives. Suppose you transact to deliver a
variety of
elements as a package.
"Deliver" leaves out, even though it may
well be implied,
the preliminary purchase or engagement of these elements, and at the
other end
it goes very far in suggesting responsibility for getting the package
unscathed
to where it belongs.
Alternatives also may go wrong, slightly, each with its own
implications.
"Assign" involves legal title; "give"
is
lame and probably untrue; "transmit" means send.
Thus each word misses some important - detail or implies
unnecessary things.
"Furnish" is sometimes useful when more popular words fall
short
or go too far. It has a good professional ring to it as well: "I
agree
to furnish all of the elements listed on Exhibit A annexed hereto and
made part
hereof by incorporation. "
Who is responsible for non-delivery and related questions can
be dealt with
in separate clauses.
"Furnish" avoids jumping the gun. It keeps away from what
ought to
be treated independently but fills up enough space to stand firm.
The word is good value.
"Right but Not Obligation" One of the most
splendid phrases
available. Sometimes the grant of particular rights carries with it by
implication a duty to exploit them. Authors, for example, often feel
betrayed
by their publishes, who have various rights "but do nothing about them.
" Royalties decrease as a result; and this situation, whether or not it
reflects real criminality, is repeated in variety of industries and
court
cases. Accordingly it well suits the grantee of rights to make clear at
the
very beginning that he may abandon them. This possibility is more
appropriately
dealt with in separate clauses reciting the consequences. Still,
contracts have
been known to contain inconsistent provisions, and preliminary
correspondence
may not even reach the subject of rights. A quick phrase helps keep you
out of
trouble: "The Right but Not Obligation". Thus, "We shall have
the Right but Not Obligation to grant sublicenses in Austria"("But if
we fail, we fail") .
Even this magic phrase has its limitations because good faith
may require
having a real go to exploiting the rights in question. Nevertheless
"Right
but Not Obligation" is useful, so much so as to become incantation and
be
said whenever circumstances allow it. I the other side challenges these
words,
it will be better to know this at once and work out alternatives or
finish up
the negotiations completely.
"Exclusive" It’s importance in
contract English is vast,
and its omission creates difficulties in good many informal drafts.
Exclusivity
as a contract term means that somebody is -barred from dealing with
others in a
specified area. Typically an employment may be exclusive in that the
employee
may not work for any one else, or a license may be exclusive in the
sense that
no competing licenses will be issued.
Antitrust problems cluster around exclusive arrangements but
they are not
all automatically outlawed.
It follows that one ought to specify whether or not
exclusivity is part of
many transactions. If not, the phrase "nonexclusive" does well
enough. On the other hand, if a consultant is to be engaged solely by
one
company, or a distributorship awarded to nobody else except X, then
"exclusive" is a word that deserves recitation. "Exclusive Right
but Not Obligation" is an example that combines two phrases discussed
here.
The linking of concepts is a step in building a vocabulary of
contract English.
"Solely on condition that" One of the few
phrases that can
be considered better than its short counterparts. Why not just "if"?
Because "if" by itself leaves open the possibility of open
contingencies: "If Baker delivers 1,000 barrels I will buy them"
is unclear if you will buy them only from Baker. Therefore what about
"only if"? Sometimes this works out, but not always.
"I will buy 1,000 barrels only if Baker delivers them" is an
example of "only if" going fuzzy. One possible meaning is "not
more than 1,000 barrels" with "only" assimilated with the wrong
word. Here then a more elaborate phrase is justified.
"I will buy 1,000 barrels solely on condition that
Baker delivers
them" makes everything clear.
"Subject to" Few contracts can do without
this phrase. Many
promises can be made good only if certain things occur. The right
procedure is
to spell out these plausible impediments to the degree that you can
reasonably
foresee them.
"We will deliver these subject to our receiving
adequate
supplies"; "Our agreement is subject to the laws of
Connecticut"; "Subject to circumstances beyond our control ".
Foreign esoteric words
Every now and then a scholarly phrase becomes accepted in
business usage.
"Pro rate" and "pari passu" are
Latin
expressions but concern money. "Pro rata" proves
helpful when
payments are to be in a proportion reflecting earlier formulas in a
contract.
"Pari passu" is used when several people are paid at
the same
level or time out of a common fund. Latin, however, is not the only
source of
foreign phrases in business letters.
"Force majeure" is a French phrase meaning
circumstances
beyond one's control.
English itself has plenty of rare words. One example is "eschew";
how many times we see people struggling with negatives such as "and we
agree not to produce (whatever it is) for a period of X". The more
appropriate phrase would be "we will eschew production".
But here it should be mentioned that not everyone can
understand such
phrases. Therefore rare words should be used only once in a long while.
Those
who uses them sparingly appears to be reliable.
Some words against passive
Until now the study of writing business letters has
consisted largely
of contract phrases accompanied by brief essays evaluating their
usefulness.
The words are only samplings and are presented mainly to conduce
writing
business letters in a proper way. It will be wrong, however, to bring
this list
to an end without mention of a more general problem that arises in
connection
with no fixed word pattern at all. It arises, rather from using too
many
passives. Such phrases as "The material will
be delivered";
"The start date is to be decided"; "The figures must be
approved" are obscure ones leaving unsettled who it is that
delivers,
who decides, and who does the approving. Which side it is to be?
Lawsuits are
the plausible outcome of leaving it all unsettled. Passives used in
contracts
can destroy the whole negotiations. "You will deliver" is better for
it identifies the one who will do delivering. Certainly, "must be
approved
by us" violates other canons. "We shall have the right but not the
obligation to approve" is less unfortunate. There is no doubt that
passives do not suit business letters, and if they go all the way
through
without adding something like "by you" or "by us" they are
intolerable. Once in a long while one may find passives used purposely
to leave
something unresolved. In those circumstances they will be in class with
"negotiate in good faith", which I've examined earlier.
EXAMINING ENGLISH BUSINESS LETTERS
Now let's turn to the practical point of writing business
letters. They may
be divided into official and semi-official. The first kind of letters
is
characteristic of those people working in business: an executive, a
department
manager, a salesman, a secretary or a specialist in business and
technology.
But also many people may want to buy something, to accept an invitation
or to
congratulate somebody - this is a kind of semi-official letters. The
first kind
of letters may in turn be subdivided into such groups as: inquiries,
offers,
orders, and so on. I am going to examine this group more carefully
looking at
the correspondence of Chicago businessmen and English manufactures.
.
Example 1.
MATTHEWS & WILSON Ladies' Clothing 421 Michigan Avenue
Chicago, III.
60602 Messrs GRANT & CLARKSON 148 Mortimer Street London WIC
37D England
October 21,1993 Gentlemen: We saw your women's dresses and
suits at the
London Fashion Show held in New York on October 17. The lines you
showed for
teenagers, the "Swinger" dresses and trouser suits would be most
suitable for our market.
Would you kindly send us your quotation for spring and summer
clothing that
you could supply to us by the end of January next. We would require
2,000
dresses and suits in each of the sizes 10-14, and 500 in sizes 8 and
16. Please
quote c. i. f. Chicago prices. Payment is normally made by letter of
credit.
Thank you for an early reply.
Very truly yours, P. Wilson. Jr Buyer.
This is undoubtedly an import inquiry letter. In the first
part of a letter
there is a kind of introduction as a prospective customer approaches
supplier
for the first time, and it is from this part that we found out that the
correspondents are engaged in textile industry.
The second part expresses request for detailed information
about the goods
in question, their prices and terms of possible transaction.
In this example we come across the abbreviation concerning the
terms of
delivery, that is commonly accepted in the business world. It is
interesting to
know what this kind of abbreviations means:
c. i. f. - cost, insurance, freight.
If consignment is to be delivered according to c. i. f., then
the supplier
insures the goods and pays for the whole delivery.
f. o. b. - free on board.
If consignment is to be delivered according to f. o. b., then
the supplier
pays for transportation to port, steamer or air shipment and dispatch;
and the
customer pays for onward transportation and insurance.
f. o. r. - free on rail.
It is the same as f. o. b., but for railway transportation.
c & f - cost and freight.
If consignment is to be delivered according to c & f,
then the supplier
pays for the whole delivery and the customer - for insurance.
It is worth mentioning here that the whole letter is written
in a highly
polite way, nevertheless it is quite precise and sticks to the point.
.
Example2
GRANT &CLARKSON 148 Mortimer Street London W1C 37D
MATTHEWS & WILSON
Ladies' Clothing 421 Michigan Avenue Chicago, III. 60602 30th
October, 1996 Dear Sirs, We are pleased to make you an offer regarding
our
‘Swinger’ dresses and trouser suits in the size you
require. Nearly all the
models you saw at our fashion show are obtainable, except trouser suits
in
pink, of which the smaller sizes have been sold out. This line is being
manufactured continuously, but will only be available again in
February, so
could be delivered to you in March.
All other models can be supplied by the middle of January
1997, subject to
our receiving your form order by 15th of
November. Our c. i. f. prices
are understood to be for sea\land transport to Chicago. If you would
prefer the
goods to be sent by air freight, this will be charged extra at cost
Trouser
suits sizes 8-16 in white, yellow, red, turquoise, navy blue, black
Sizes 12,14
also in pink per 100 $2,650.00 Swinger dresses sizes 8-16 in white,
yellow,
red, turquoise, black per 100 $1,845.00 You will be receiving
price-list,
cutting of our materials and a colour chart. These were airmailed to
you this
morning.
Yours faithfully, F. T. Burke Export Department As you can
clearly see it we
face the second phase of business correspondence - the answering
letter. It is
very important, because it adjusts the relationships between two
partners. It
does not only characterise the company, but also advertises it. The
purpose of
the letter is to persuade the partner that you are the best in
business.
This letter contains the quotation in reply to an inquiry. In
lots of
similar letters the quotations are simply prices and another
information asked
for. But this sample is quite the opposite: it shows the customer that
he met
the sales-cautious businessman, who uses every opportunity to stimulate
his
correspondents interest in his goods by including the sales message.
And the
assurance that the customer will receive personal attention is read
between the
lines. In order to draw the attention of the customer to the products
in
question the supplier offers "cuttings of our materials and a colour
chart". On the whole a firm offer is subject to certain conditions, a
deadline for the receipt of orders, or a special price for certain
quantities.
Example 3.
A business transaction often starts with an inquiry which may
later be
followed by an order.
Both inquiry and order are meant to arose and stimulate
business activity on
the part of recipient. They are typically asking letters. Orders convey
the
writer's intention to do business with his correspondent, usually to
buy some
goods from them.
MATTHEWS & WILSON Ladies' Clothing 421 Michigan Avenue
Chicago, III. 60602
GRANT &CLARKSON 148 Mortimer Street London W1C 37D November
4,1996
Gentlemen: Thank you for your quotation of October 30. We have pleasure
in
placing an order with you for 1,900 ‘Swinger’
dresses at Price: $38,745 in the
colours and sizes specified below:
Quantity |
Size |
Colour |
50 |
8,16 |
white |
100 |
10,12,14 |
white |
50 |
8,16 |
turquoise |
100 |
10,12,14 |
turquoise |
50 |
8,16 |
red |
100 |
10,12,14 |
red |
50 |
16 |
yellow |
100 |
10,12,14 |
yellow |
50 |
16 |
black |
100 |
10,12,14 |
black |
Delivery: air freight, c. i. f., Chicago We shall open a
letter of credit
with your bank as soon as we receive your order acknowledgement. Please
arrange
for immediate collection and transport since we need the dresses for
Christmas.
Very truly yours, Wilson
Buyer It is indisputably an import order, and as we can notice
placing
orders is simple from the point of view of letter writing. The fact is
that
usually the purchasing department or the buyer fills in an order form.
But in
this case the correspondent prefers to write a letter in order to make
certain
points quite clear. There are special import regulations which are
touched upon
in the last paragraph: it is necessary to complete formalities and to
stress
delivery instructions.
It should be mentioned here that the supplier must send order
acknowledgement
as an answer to order promptly to thank his customer for the order and
to
confirm it.
If some conditions have changed, the customer must be
notified. In the case
the goods ordered are no longer available, a substitute may be offered.
Example 4.
What follows the order acknowledgement is the advice of
dispatch.
GRANT &CLARKSON 148 Mortimer Street London W1C 37D
MATTHEWS & WILSON
Ladies' Clothing 421 Michigan Avenue Chicago, III. 60602 20thNovember,
1996
Dear Sirs: We have pleasure in notifying you that your credit was
confirmed by
our bank yesterday, 19th November. We have had
the 1900 ‘Swinger’
dresses collected today for transport by British Airways to Chicago on
25th
November.
Enclosed is our invoice for the goods in question plus the
extra charges for
air freight, packing list to facilitate customs clearance at your end,
certificate of origin, air waybill and insurance policy.
Hoping that this initial order will lead to further business,
we are Yours
faithfully F. T. Burke Export department The first thing to be done
before
writing such a letter is to examine carefully whether the partners
account is
valid or not. So in the first paragraph we come across phrase "your
credit
was confirmed by our bank yesterday". Air shipment for "Swinger"
dresses is also mentioned here.
The next paragraph deals with the documents which are
necessary while
importing goods: Invoice packing lists, certificate of origin, air
waybill and
insurance policy. As it is the initial order by MATTHEWS &
WILSON, the
GRANT & CLARKSON hopes to encourage them to place further
orders, so their
last phrase sounds very polite.
Example 5
No matter how efficient a business firm tries to be, mistakes
will happen.
There might be a misunderstanding about the goods to be supplied;
sometimes the
consignment is dispatched too late or delays are caused in transit;
defect is
discovered when the equipment is put into operation and so on.
Therefore a letter with the complaint expressed is sent.
MATTHEWS & WILSON Ladies' Clothing 421
Michigan Avenue Chicago,
III. 60602 November 22,1996 GRANT &CLARKSON 148 Mortimer Street
London W1C
37D Gentlemen: Thank you for your delivery of
‘Swinger’ dresses which were
ordered on November 4. However we wish to draw your attention to two
matters.
Of the red dresses supplied one lot of 100(size 12) included
clothes of a
lighter red than the other sizes. Since we deliver a collection of
various
sizes to each store, it would be obvious to customers that the clothes
are
dissimilar. In addition the red belt supplied does not match these
dresses. We
are returning two of these by separate mail, and would ask you to
replace the
whole lot by 100 dresses size 12 in the correct colour.
As far as your charges for air freight are concerned, we agree
to pay the
extra costs which you invoiced. However your costs for packing and
insurance
must have been lower for air cargo, and we request you to take this
fact into
consideration and to make an adjustment to the invoice amount. Would
you please
send us a rectified invoice, reduced accordingly.
We look forward to your dealing with these questions without
delay.
Very truly yours.
Wilson.
If this kind of letter is sent the customer is understandably
annoyed,
nevertheless there is no reason to write an angry letter of complaint.
In the
EXAMPLE 5 there are two complaints: the first is about the "Swinger"
dresses colour and the second - about the fact that air freight seems
too
expensive to MATTHEW & WILSON.
From this letter we see that the results are better for the
correspondent takes
the trouble to explain his complaint clearly and proposes ways in which
matters
can be put right.
Example 6.
Letters that are written in response to claims may be called
adjustments.
These letters are among the most difficult to write as they require
under all
circumstances patience, tact, and diplomacy. You will not lose your
customer if
you react at his claim promptly.
GRANT &CLARKSON 148 Mortimer Street London W1C 37D
MATTHEWS & WILSON
Ladies' Clothing 421 Michigan Avenue Chicago, III. 60602 2nd
December, 1996 Dear Sirs: The colour of the dresses about which you
complain is
indeed lighter than it should be. Apparently this was overlooked by
controller
responsible. Please accept our apologies for the oversight.
We are sending you a new lot by air this week, and would ask
you to return
the faulty clothes at your convenience, carriage forward. Alternatively
you may
keep this lot for sale as seconds at a reduced price of &1,120.
You are perfectly correct in saying that packing and insurance
costs are
normally less for cargo sent by air. May we remind you, however, in
this case
your request to send the goods by air was made at very short notice. It
was not
possible for us to use the lighter air freight packing materials, as
most of
the dresses were ready for shipment by sea freight (please see our
letter of 9th
November) . Furthermore, our insurance is on an open policy at a flat
rate, and
depends on the value of the goods, not the method of transport. For
these
reasons our invoice No. 14596 dated 15th
November 1996 is still
valid, and we look forward to receiving your remittance when due.
Yours faithfully Burke. The suppliers show their understanding
of situation
and express their willingness to adjust it. They say exactly what steps
they
are going to take, because a disappointed customer cannot be put off
with mere
apologies - he is entitled to know how the mistake will be remedied.
The
supplies convince their partners that they are really interested in
maintaining
good will. They try to avoid negative statements, and what even worse,
accusations; they never forget that it is their customer who keeps them
in
business.
Even when they write their customers about rejecting their
claim on air
freight, they try to give logical reasons for the refusal.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion that therefore suggests itself is that writing
of business
letters is highly complicated science. It is not enough for a good
business
letter writing to know lexics and grammar, but you should comprehend
the whole
range of such things as: occasions on which the particular letter is
written,
the style of letter, useful expressions, and accepted idioms.
There are certain rules which not everybody could learn since
they have to
be felt by correspondents. Letter writing requires long practice and
experience. Those who write letters should always remember, that what
makes the
letter attractive and therefore promotes one's business is not always
the
message of the letter, but it is the manner and style in which the
message is
written.
The "golden rule" that must be followed by every business
correspondent is that the official letter should be formal, courteous,
tactful,
concise, expressive, and to the point.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. WINCOR, RICHARD Contracts in plain English
2. БАСС Э. М. Научная и деловая корреспонденция
3. GOWERS, ERNEST The complete plain words
4. Громова Н. М. Основы деловой переписки
5. Naterop Business Letters for All.
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