IMPORTANCE AND CRITERIA WHEN USING COMMERCIAL CORRESPONDENCE

1. Importance of Commercial Correspondence

Commercial correspondence has a number of importance. Its most important feature is the ease of reaching and communicating with different parties.

A business correspondence helps to meet some organizational goals. One can achieve the objectives through it. Let us study some of them in detail.

2. Functions of different types of correspondence

Commercial correspondence has a sender and a receiver. The sender can be a person or an organization, and the same goes for the receiver.

Depending on the purpose and function of mailing, business correspondence can be classified into several types as follows:

a. Letter of inquiry

This type of letter is used when you want to inquire about another company's products, services, etc. If you're going to write an inquiry letter, make sure you gather as much information as possible. Make a checklist of issues you need to learn so that you don't miss any information.

letter-of-enquiry

Reasons to write an enquiry

To obtain information (prices, technical data…)
To receive printed matter (booklets, catalogues, price lists, or reports)
To receive sample products, demonstrations…
To seek special favours (permission, advice, help, discounts…)

General guidelines

State clearly and concisely what you want right from the beginning.
Keep your enquiry short and to the point, easy to understand, and easy to answer
Be reasonable
Provide complete and accurate information

b. Reply to enquiry

A response of enquiry provides the answers or information requested in a letter of inquiry. The objective is to satisfy the enquirer with an action that fulfills their request.

reply-to-enquiry

The purpose of writing a response letter is to:

Confirming that you can help
Selling your product
Suggesting alternatives if you do not have what the enquirer has asked for, but have an alternative.
Referring the customer to another place if You may not meet the inquiry.
Sending catalogues, price lists, prospectuses, and samples. enclose current catalogues and price lists with your reply.
Take this opportunity to ‘sell’ your product.

c. Order letter

This type of letter is used when you want to place an order with a company. The order letter needs to contain the correct information, so you need to double check all the parameters before sending the letter.

Use simple and clear words. Long sentences often make it difficult for readers to follow and understand the writer's ideas.

order-letter

d. Letters of complaint

This is a type of letter written by a person or organization that is not satisfied with the product or service of the recipient company.

When writing a letter of complaint, it is important to maintain a polite tone of voice, even if you are very upset and have a lot to complain about.

letter-of-complaint

e. Adjustment letters

Used when responding to a customer complaint letter. The body of the letter should show how the problem with the product or service was resolved (or not).

This type of letter is difficult because the readers are usually customers who are not satisfied with the company and are very angry, so it is necessary to use appropriate language to appease them without affecting the business of the company.

Adjustment-letters