對外貿(mào)易相關函電.ppt

1、Business Letter,Unit 1 Business Letter-writing,1.1 An introduction to the course 1.2 The structure and layout of a business letter 1.3 Superscription,1.1 An introduction to the course,The business letter is the principal means used by a business firm to keep in touch with its customers; often enough

2、 it is the only one and the customers form their impression of the firm from the tone and quality of the letters it sends out.,1.1 An introduction to the course,Business requires us to express ourselves accurately in plain language that is clear and readily understood.,1.1 An introduction to the cou

3、rse,On how to write good business letters: First, you need to have a good command of English. Then, pay attention to the special terms in this course. The best way to learn it is to read more and write more. In this way you will have a better understanding of what you have learned and be able to use

4、 them. It is a good idea to recite some letters. It will help you a lot when you write business letters yourself.,1.1 An introduction to the course,1.1.1 Steps for business writing: Letter-writing is very similar to e-mail sending Know your purpose Understand readers Gather data Process the informat

5、ion Choose the method of communicating,6) Draft the writing 7) Revise and proofreading the writing,1.1 An introduction to the course,1.1.2 Rules for business writing: Completeness A business communication should include all the necessary information . It is essential to check the message carefully b

6、efore it is sent out.,2) Concreteness Make the message specific, definite and vivid. We wish to confirm our order dispatched yesterday. Various aspects of this equipment make it a good choice.,3) Clearness In order to achieve that you should not convey more than one idea in a sentence. You should no

7、t introduce more than one topic in a paragraph. You should not deal with more than one matter in a letter.,The L/C must reach us for arranging shipment not later than 8 October. The L/C must reach us not later than 8 October for arranging shipment . As to the steamers sailing from Hong Kong to San F

8、rancisco, we have bi-monthly direct service. We have two direct sailings every month from H.K. to San Francisco. We have a direct sailing from H.K. to San Francisco every two months. Only we can supply this kind of product. We only can supply this kind of product.,4) Conciseness Try to make your mes

9、sage brief and to the point. Avoid using long words and sentences. Use daily expressions to replace jargons. Express yourself in an orderly and logical way. A good business letter should be natural, human and easy to read. Here are some examples: Instead of saying: We should be obliged if you could

10、contact Mr. Smith at an early date. You say: Please contact Mr. Smith soon.,Instead of saying: With reference to your Order 319, the goods were dispatched on the 13 of this month. You say: We sent your Order 319 on 13 April. Instead of saying: We have begun to export our machines to countries abroad

11、. You say: We have begun to export our machines. Instead of saying: We intend to purchase new office furniture and shall buy it before the end of the financial year. You say: We intend to buy some new office furniture before the end of the financial year.,5) Courtesy,Courtesy is not mere politeness.

12、 It stems from a sincere Youattitude. The courteous writer should be sincere and tactful, thoughtful and appreciative. Avoid irritating, offensive or belittling statements; if an apology is in order, make it graciously. For best results, and also as a matter of courtesy, answer letters promptly.,Com

13、manding We deny your claim- We cannot understand- We insist- You neglected/failed to/forgot/misunderstood- You ignored/your lack of communication- You must/should know-,Courteous We find it difficult to accept your claim- If we understand correctly- We are used to- As I mentioned in my letter of Jun

14、e 5- Id like to mention/stress- Perhaps you could-,Instead of saying: I am in receipt of your order for 1,000 tons of Black Tea. You say: Thank you for your order for 1,000 tons of Black Tea. Adopt “you approach” when you convey a good news. Instead of saying: We shall be able to offer you free cust

15、omer service for your newly purchased refrigerator for 3 years. You say: You will be pleased to hear that you will soon be able to have a free customer service for your newly purchased refrigerator for 3 years. Avoid using “you approach” when conveying bad news. In this situation, you have to handle

16、 it tactfully. Instead of saying: Your letter is not clear at all. I cannot understand it. You say: If I understand your letter correctly.,1.2 The structure and layout of a business letter,7 essential parts -The letter head -Date -Inside address -Salutation -The body -Complimentary close -Signature,

17、7 parts that can be omitted Reference No. Attention line Subject line Enclosure Identification mark Carbon copy Postscript,CHAUSSURES RAOUL 23 Avenue de lOpera Paris Paris, France TELEX :236521 Tel:(212)989.5250 Your Ref. No.145/148 March 5th,2007 China National Light Industrial Products Import ,How

18、 to write to the company you wish to contact for the first time? 1.Begin your letter by telling the recipient how his name is known to you. 2.Provide necessary information about yourself 3.State your wish.,If you receive a letter in which the sender expresses the intention to do business with you wh

19、at should you do? You should answer as soon as possible. This shows your efficiency, which is a good way to impress your potential customer. If you cant do as requested, you have to tell him tactfully to pave the way for future business. Specimen letter 1：,China National Import 2.We appreciate somet

20、hing/your doing something But do not use the expression : We are obliged/indebted to you. as they are old fashioned.,Language summary:,When you first contact a company, you need to tell the company how you get their name and address. You may say: 1.We have your name and address from somebody. 2.We g

21、ot/obtained your name and address through 3.Your name and address have been recommended / introduced to us by,When you want to introduce yourself you may say: 1.We would like to introduce ourselves to you as a state-owned corporation dealing in . 2.We wish to introduce ourselves to you as,Other usef

22、ul expressions: 1.We are one of the leading importers/exporters in Beijing. 2. Your firm has been kindly recommended to us by Messrs J.Smith -Promoting sales of Clients products in China and abroad; -Dealing with Clients enquiries （詢價）for mechanical and electrical products; -Negotiating for Clients

23、processing business, cooperative production or,Specimen letters (on business),joint venture with foreign firm, and -Assisting Clients in advertising and printing of sales literature. (posters, pamphlets, booklets and other materials),Clients fax,Gentlemen, We read your ad in BUSINESS CHINA, and are

24、writing to find out if you could help us make contacts with manufacturers in China who are interested in processing Gear Boxes in accordance with drawings supplied by us.,Clients fax,Our client, a Swiss firm, is interested in cooperating with China in producing Gear Boxes with supplied drawings and

25、samples. We have sent you separately (under separate cover) the relevant catalog and drawings. If any of your factories are interested in the business, please let us know their terms and conditions and the US dollar CIF Bremen （不來梅）price.,Clients fax,We would be very grateful for a prompt answer. Ve

26、ry truly yours,Consultancy services reply,Gentlemen, Thank you for your fax of March 9 inquiring about the possibility of producing Gear Boxes with supplied drawings and samples. We have forwarded the catalogs and drawings you sent us to some large manufacturers and now have an affirmative (favorabl

27、e) answer from a factory in Shanghai. Below is their quotation:,Consultancy services reply,Gear Box, nodular cast iron unit price US $ Gear Box, cast iron unit price US$ CIF Bremen Please let us know if your clients find the quotation acceptable. If so, please ask them to send us the sample as soon

28、as possible. Sincerely yours,About credit standing,Before you do business with that company, you need to know their financial standing, their reputation, the way they do business and their range of products. The person who supplies such information is called a reference. Apart from your friends or b

29、usiness partners, who can give you this reliable information then? Where to get information about a company?,About credit standing,Bank The Economic and Commercial Counsellors office of our Embassy in Foreign countries Chambers of commerce Enquiry agencies Another company that has business with the

30、new company,Specimen letter1,China National Import be sorry. We regret to say that we cannot make you an offer right now.,charge: accusation; statement that a person has done wrong, esp. that he has broken a law. 指控，控告 arrested on the charge of theft. bring a charge (of something) against somebody:

31、accuse him (of a crime, etc) 控告某人犯某種罪 withdraw the charge/action,When you write such a letter of reply, you begin by referring to the letter you have received and make a summary of that letter. Then you provide the information in full and offer your opinion. You end your letter by stressing the info

32、rmation you provided is confidential. That means you are not to be held liable, as this is not your transaction. The people who finally close the deal should be legally responsible for their own business.,Language summary,When you are approached by a company that wishes to do business with you, how

33、do you ask for references? 1.Thank you very much for your letter of . As we have not have the pleasure of doing business with you, would you please supply us with references. 感謝貴方日的來函。過去未能有幸與貴公司做生意，煩請您提供您的資信證明人。,2.We appreciate your interest in our company and should be glad if you could provide us

34、with two bank references. 感謝貴方有意與我們做生意，如能提供兩個銀行資信證明人我們將不勝感激。 3.Could you ask your bank to send us a letter of recommendation?,On the other hand, the company that approaches you may voluntarily offer their reference. They may say: Please refer to company/bank for our credit standing. 請向某公司/銀行查詢我們的資信情

35、況。,What to say about a company if you are a reference 1.Something favorable 1)The company is one of the leading companies in 2)The company is quite well know in 該公司在方面知名度很高 3)It enjoys a good/high reputation. 4)They have never failed to meet their engagement / commitment. 他們總能履行承諾。,5)Their transacti

36、ons with us have been satisfactory. 6)We consider them good for amount of money. 我們認為在范圍內(nèi)的信貸沒有問題。 7)Their financial status is sound. 他們的財務情況良好。,2. Something unfavorable 1)We regret to inform you that company has some difficulties in . 2) It seems to us that their problem is due to poor management/ov

37、ertrading. 看來他們的問題在于經(jīng)營不善/過額貿(mào)易。 3)I am afraid we are unable to trace them on our books. 抱歉，在我們公司的往來帳目里沒有他們的名字。 4)It is very likely the company will go bankrupt.,5)We have to tell you that you should regard their request for credit with caution. 我們不得不告訴你在對待他們的信貸請求時要謹慎。 6)We have to press the company f

38、or payment many times. 我們不得不向那個公司催款。 7)Unfortunately, we are not able to provide the information you need as our trade volume with them was not large enough to justify any responsible opinion. 抱歉我們不能提供你們需要的信息，因為我們與他們的貿(mào)易額不大，所以沒有理由提供任何負責的觀點。,How and what to ask when you request for references. You may

39、 say: 1.We should appreciate your advice regarding 1)their credit standing. 2)their line of business. 3)their reputation.,2.We should like to know 1)if they pay their debts promptly. 他們是否即時負債 2)if their financial standing is strong 他們在財務上是否有實力 3)whether it is safe to allow them credit to certain amo

40、unt of money 給他們這個數(shù)額的信貸是否安全 4)why they switch to us for their supply 他們?yōu)槭裁崔D(zhuǎn)向我們購買,Frequently used sentences,1.You may contact (approach) the Bank of America of your city for any information concerning our credit standing. 2.It would be highly appreciated if you would inform us of the financial status

41、 and reliability of the Green its principal demand is for articles in the medium price range. We appreciate your prompt response to our enquiry and would like to take this,opportunity to conclude some transactions with you. We would , therefore, suggest that you make some allowance , say 10% on your

42、 quoted prices so as to enable us to introduce your products to our customers. If, however, you cannot do so, then we shall have no alternative but to leave the business as it is.,For your information, some parcels from Hongkong have been sold here at a much lower price. We hope you will consider ou

43、r counter-offer favourably and let us have your acceptance by telex. It may interest you to know that once you have opened up a market here, you would have every advantage of developing a beneficial trade in the Gulf.,make: n. 制造, 牌子，類型，式樣 a machine of Chinese make This watch has gone wrong. I shoul

44、d have bought a better make. We also have similar offers from Korean make. They are 25% lower than yours. margin:盈余，毛利 gross margin毛利； a narrow margin of profit 微利 We operate on small margins.,Specimen Letter 4,Dear Sirs, Thank you very much for your enquiry of April 1 for our 100% Cashmere Sweaters

45、. We are now making you a firm offer subject to your reply reaching us before April 30, 2005: Mens largeUS $ 50.00 per piece dittomediumUS $ 48.00 per piece dittosmallUS $ 45.00 per piece WomenslargeUS $ 47.00 per piece dittomediumUS $ 45.00 per piece dittosmallUS $ 43.00 per piece,The above prices

46、are based on CIF Vancouver basis net. Payment: By confirmed irrevocable L/C payable by draft at sight. Shipment: June/July, 2005 provided the L/C reaches the seller one month before the time of shipment. We are glad to inform you that our products are selling fast because of their unique design and

47、superior quality. They are just what you want for the fashionable trade like yours. They will appeal to discriminating buyers.,We have received some repeat orders. Our factories are fully committed for months ahead. We suggest you place your order as soon as possible. We are looking forward to heari

48、ng from you soon. Yours faithfully,commit: vt. 承擔，承諾義務 commit oneself 使.承擔（某種義務) to be heavily committed=to be fully booked 訂貨已滿 We shall do our best to advance shipment but we cant commit ourselves. For the time being, we cannot commit ourselves to any new orders. As we are heavily committed, we ar

49、e not in a position to take any new orders. The manufacturers are unwilling to commit themselves to any change in their set designs. place an order: 訂貨 place an order with somebody for something.,Specimen Letter 5,Dear Sirs, Thank you for your letter of April 7, in which you offered us 100% Cashmere

50、 Sweaters. Regrettably, we are unable to accept your offer as your prices are too high. We operate on small margins. It means heavy loss to us to accept your prices. We also have similar offers from Korean make. They are 25% lower than yours. We like,the quality and design of your products. We accep

51、t that the quality of your products is better, but it does not justify such a large difference in price. We might do business with you if you could make us some allowance, say 20%, on your prices. Otherwise we have to decline your offer. We hope you will consider our counter offer most favourably an

52、d let us have your reply soon. Yours faithfully A accept that; accept doing or to do something. I accept that the aircraft has no choice but to crash into the sea.,Specimen letters 6A Price concession,Dear Sirs We are sorry to learn from your letter of April 14 that you find our offer of 100% Cashme

53、re Sweaters too high to be acceptable. We always do our best to make our customers satisfied. However, there is not much room to make further reduction on our prices. The fact that other buyers are buying freely at our prices is the evidence that they are not excessive. Besides, we are sure that our

54、 competitors cannot match our price and quality.,However, in order to make the business possible, we are prepared to offer you a special discount of 5% if your order exceeds US $ 10,000. This is the best we can do. We hope this new offer will enable you to place an order with us. We are looking forw

55、ard to your early reply. Yours faithfully China National Import and Export Corporation,1.room: u. n. + for: 余地，理由 There is no room for doubt. There seems some room for negotiation. 2.reduction:減少，降低 a reduction in/on the price of something 某物價格的下降 price reduction 減價,exceed: be greater than 比大，超過 Sup

56、ply exceeds demand. 供大于求 exceed ones authority 越權 Export exceeds import by 3 million dollars.,Specimen Letter 7 Declining a counter offer,Dear Sirs Re: Your counter offer of our 100% Cashmere Sweaters Thank you for your letter of April 22. We are sorry to learn you find our prices too high.,Although

57、 we would like to do business with you, we are very sorry that we are unable to entertain your counter offer. Our prices are carefully calculated. We have even taken quantity orders into consideration. We have to point out that we have received a lot of orders from other buyers, which shows that our

58、 prices are reasonable.,At present, the market for 100% Cashmere Sweaters is strong with upward tendency. It is not likely that any significant change will take place in the foreseeable future. It is in your interest to place an order with us as soon as you can. We also have Cashmere Sweaters, 50% c

59、ashmere/50% wool. They are of the same design but much cheaper than 100% Cashmere Sweaters.,We are enclosing our price list for such sweaters. If you are interested, please let us know. We are looking forward to receiving an order from you. Yours faithfully China National Import and Export Corporation,1. entertain ones offer:打算考慮某人的報盤 entertain v. 準備考慮 We cannot entertain your suggestion because it does not seem workable. They would not