Unit Fifteen

1. Unit Fifteen Electronic Correspondence

2. Learning Objectives • To describe electronic correspondence • To know the format of a Fax and an E-mail • T o know how to describe your web-site

3. General View With the development of telecommunication, most of the transactions in international trade are fulfilled through the use of various modern media of communication. Besides letters, faxes or E-mails have been widely used in present business world, which shorten the distance of thousands of miles between different countries and facilitate the expansion of trading.

4. General View • Fax • E – Mail • Website

5. General View I. Fax Owing to advantage over letters or mails, Fax has been extensively used in recent years as a means of communication in negotiating business with clients abroad. Its efficiency, accuracy and convenience play an incomparable part in business deals. Fax has obvious advantages in modern telecommunication. First, automation makes transmitting and receiving documents very easy.

6. General View Second, the transmission speed has now been reduced to a few seconds per page. Third, unlike telex, in which simplified words are used, Fax is available for transmitting documents in plain language. Fourth, the fax message you send is the written record and including sender’s signature, which is very important for formal communication, especially for financial and business transactions.

7. General View 2. E - Mail Electronic mail (e-mail), widely used in modern business circles, refers to a method of transmitting message through a computer network. Sending e-mail (letters, reports, graphics, and so on) is relatively cheap and quick. The message can be sent and received instantly at the other terminal. Another advantage of e-mail is that one message can be sent to many people at the same box.

8. General View 3. Website A website involves verbal and artistic design which reflects the characteristic and nature of enterprise. Nowadays many enterprises build their website, the ultimate goal for them is to make themselves carry Internet benefits and enjoy high efficiency especially when they engage in international trade. The Internet now penetrates into almost every corner of the world.

9. General View Enterprises can forge global relationship with their trading partners everywhere in the world. Businesses can sell goods to customer outside traditional markets, explore new markets and realize business opportunities more easily. Businesses can maintain their competitive advantage be establishing close contact with their customers and consumers at any time. through their website by providing the latest information on products • and services round the clock

10. General View . In practice detailed and accurate sales data help to reduce stock level and the operating cost. Detailed client information such as mode of consumption, personal preference and purchasing power, etc. can help businesses to set their marketing strategies more effectively.

11. Guidelines for writing 1. Fax As documents sent by fax are in different forms, there is not a fixed format for fax. The basic parts of a fax include tow parts: Heading and Body. The fax heading usually has four basic parts. To: Name, Title From: Name, Title Date: Write out, no abbreviation Pages: Total number The space under the heading is for the body. When sending an informal message, the signature can be spared.

12. Specimen -1 (Fax for Urging Shipment) Shanghai Steel Trading Co., Ltd. (Fax Transmission) From: L. Crane To: Mike Wilson Date: April 5, 2007 Pages: 1 Fax number: 021-62000011 Dear Mr. Wilson, We are sorry to say that we have not heard anything from you about the goods under the Contract No. 345. As stipulated, the shipping date is approaching, and we should have received your shipping advice.

13. Our customers are in urgent need of the goods and any delay in shipping the ordered goods will undoubtedly bring about great inconvenience. It will be greatly appreciated if you would arrange and effect the shipment as soon as possible. Look forward to your reply at an early date. Yours sincerely, L. Crane Sales Manager

14. Specimen -2 (Fax for seeking business) Shanghai Steel Trading Co., Ltd. (Fax Transmission) Date: April 8, 2008 Dear Mr. Wilson, Owing to the increase of demand, you will probably make an order. If we are right in thinking this, would you care to place your order now? We can ensure immediate dispatch from our stock. Yours sincerely, L. Crane Sales Manager

15. Specimen -3 (Fax for seeking business) Shanghai Steel Trading Co., Ltd. (Fax Transmission) Date: April 8, 2008 Dear Mr. Wilson, We trust that you have received our catalogs and price-list. Now that you have had a chance to examine what we have sent to you, we are enclosing an order form for you to make an order easily. Yours sincerely, L. Crane Sales Manager

16. Specimen -4 (Fax for Product Promotion) Shanghai Steel Trading Co., Ltd. (Fax Transmission) Date: April 10, 2008 Dear Mr. Wilson, Our advertising campaign is due to begin next month. Experience shows that many orders follow these advertisements, and sales are certain to result. We strongly advise you to lay in at least a small stock. Yours sincerely, L. Crane Sales Manager

17. Specimen -5 (Fax for Product Promotion) Shanghai Steel Trading Co., Ltd. (Fax Transmission) Date: April 18, 2008 Dear Mr. Wilson, From April 1st the prices of all our products will be raised by 10%. Even with this increase the prices of our products are still slightly lower than those of our competitors. Concerning the business you are negotiating, we will charge you old prices on all orders received here up to and including April 30. We look forward to your orders. Philip Tang

18. Guidelines for writing 2. E-mail Communicating by e-mail is the same as writing on paper. Although e-mail tends to be a more immediate and personal form of communication, the formal style, tone and language of a business letter should still be employed. Try to avoid long expressions and lines of text in your e-mail, keep 30 words in a line, so as to make the message easy to read, esp.

19. Guidelines for writing Guidelines for writing If viewed on other e-mail programs or a computer screen. Keep paragraphs short and use line spaces between paragraphs. Most e-mail programs that use the Internet follow a standard format. The following specimen of e-mail illustrates each part included:

20. Specimen-6 (E-mail) Date: June 20, 2002 23:47:00 To: Armstrong <mlg@bom6.vsnl.net.in> From: J. Peter <tiger123@mail.sz.gd.cn> Subject: Order No. 1234 Dear Sirs, We are pleased to received your order and confirm that all the items required are in stock. It is our pleasure to have the opportunity of supplying you our products. On receiving your credit from the bank we will make up your

21. order and will send shipping advice as soon as the shipment is completed. We assure you that all your orders will have our prompt and careful attention. We are looking forward to your early reply. Cao Wei Manager

22. Specimen - 7 (E-mail) From: jimmygao@gma-mechanics.com.hk To: jamessmith@gaoqiao-car.com Subject: AT-150 Crankshapts Dear Mr. Smith, This is to acknowledge your e-mail dated April 15. According to our inventory records the above-referenced items are in stock subject to confirmation by our warehouse supervisor. Per your request we shall expedite this order no later than April 25. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions. Best regards, Jimmy Gao

23. Guidelines for writing 3. Website You may take the opportunity by using your website to (1) Catch the reader’s eye: it is very crucial to attractive the reader’s attention, otherwise you will probably fail to sell your products or service. (2) Describe the product or service you are trying to sell. (3) Convince your reader that you claims are accurate: back up your comments with research and facts. (4) Give the reader opportunities to learn about your product or service, provide the reader a web site address, or some way for them to seek out information on their own.