1. Practical Business Writing Welcome Lectured by Satine Lee
This course is designed to help you learn and apply the principles of written communication in business and professional contexts.
Welcome
Lectured by Satine Lee
Guangzhou Open University

2. UNIT 5 Objectives: BUSINESS CONTACT/ COMMUNICATION
Know how to make inquiries & offers
Understand how to make counter-offer & recounter-offers
Produce letters of business negotiations
Know how to place orders & sign contract
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Business Writing
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3. Task 1 Enquires & Offers 询盘与报盘 UNIT 5 BUSINESS CONTACT/ COMMUNICATION
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4. Trade Terms – On Price Terms
FOB (Free on board): 离岸价（货物越过船舷前得所有费用和风险发货方承担）
CFR/C&F (Cost & Freight): 成本加运费（货物到目的港的一切费用，除保险外都由发货方承担）
CIF (Cost, insurance and freight): 到岸价（货物到目的港的一切费用，保险由发货方承担）
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Business Writing
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5. On Payment Terms L/C (Letter of Credit): 信用证
T/T (Telegraphic Transfer): 电汇
D/A (Documents against Acceptance):
承兑交单
D/P (Document against Payment):
付款交单
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Business Writing
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6. On Shipment Terms G.W (Gross Weight): 毛重 N.W (Net Weight): 净重
B/L (Bill of Lading): 提单
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival):
预计到达时间
PO (Purchasing Order): 订单
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7. What is the inquiry & offer
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8. Inquiry An inquiry is a request for information
It is usually the importers that make inquiries
They invite a quotation or an offer for the goods they want or just ask for some general information about those goods
There are quite a few ways to make an inquiry, such as by telephone, through face-to-fact talk, letter, telegram or fax, and via MSM (even QQ)
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9. Two Kinds of Inquiry
A general inquiry（普通询盘）
The buyer ask for general information he needs, such as a catalogue（目录）, a price list or quotation sheets（价目表或报价单）, a sample（样品）, an illustration（图片）, etc.
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Business Writing
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10. A specific inquiry（具体询盘）
The buyer points to the products he wants, such as the name of the commodity（商品名称）, the specifications（规格）, the quantity（数量）, the unit price FOB or CIF（单价）, the time of shipment（装船期）, the terms of payment（支付方式）, etc.
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11. CASE STUDIES Sample 1 A General Enquiry for Plastic Toys Page 212
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12. CASE STUDIES Sample 2 A Specific Enquiry for Fabrics Page 213
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13. Asking for information of the product
A Letter of Enquiry
一般询价信写四或五段
Source of information
Reason for enquiry
Asking for information of the product
you want: price, list, and catalogue
Giving references
Further business s r a g f
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14. Offer
An offer is the seller’s promise to supply goods on stipulated terms
It is often a reply to an inquiry a i
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15. Two Kinds of Offer Practical Business Writing Lectured by Satine Lee
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16. Firm offer/ Offer with engagement（实盘）
It provides a period of validity, during which it remains valid until it expires.
发盘人有肯定的订立合同的旨意，一旦接盘人在有效时间内表示完全同意，交易即达成的报盘。
E.g. 我们给你方报一下这个盘，但以你方在本月底之前接受为条件。
We are making you, subject to your acceptance before the end of this month, the under-mentioned offer.
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Business Writing
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17. Soft offer/ Offer without engagement（虚盘）
It is unclear, incomplete and with reservations. It is not binding on the offerer.
发盘人没有肯定的订立合同的旨意，如发盘内容不明确、发盘内容不完备、发盘不是最终的等，这种发盘对发盘人无约束力。
E.g. 我们给你方报一下这些货，但以我方最后确认为准。
We offer you, subject to our final confirmation, the following goods.
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18. CASE STUDIES Sample 3 A Firm Offer for Vacuum Cleaner Page 214
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19. CASE STUDIES Sample 4 A Nonfirm Offer for Teacups and Teapots Page 215
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20. Replies to Enquiries Enquiries ----- Replies
From an ord customer: state firstly
how much you appreciate it
From a new customer: state firstly you
are glad to receive it/ express lastly
your expection of cooperation f f
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236

21. Writing Priciples Complete: answer all the questions Courteous Promptf f f
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22. Writing Task Wang Hua received a letter from Veera Mani, a
customer from Iran, regarding his great interest
in the products of his company as well as his
request for the detailed information about the
products. Now Wang Hua is going to reply to
the enquiry. Compose a letter of offer by
referring to the given notes on Exercise 3.
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23. THANK YOU Practical Business Writing Guangzhou Open Univeresity
Lectured by Satine Lee
Guangzhou Open Univeresity