unit1 layout of business____ letters

外贸函电曹霞Introduction（概述）principlesofBusinessLetter-writing（原则）LayoutofBusinessLetters（布局）Format（格式）AddressingEnvelopes（信封的写法）UnitOneBusinessLetter-WritingFunctionsofBusinessWritingEverybusinessmessageisdesignedtoachieveaspecificbusinessobjective.Itssuccessdependsonwhatitsaysandtowhatextentitinducesafavorableresponsefromthereader.Thus,businesswritinghasthreefunctions:(1)toinformMessagestoinformareusedtoconveythevastamountofinformationneededtocompletetheday-to-dayoperationsofthebusiness—acknowledgeorders,oracceptcontractsforservices,etc.(2)toinfluenceInadditiontoprovidinginformation,abusinessmessagemustalsoinfluencethereader’sattitudesandactions.Thesemessagesmightincludeletterspromotingaproductorserviceandseekingsupportforideaspresentedtocustomers/clients.(3)toentertainTosecurethedesiredresponse,itisnecessarytohaveanadequateknowledgeoftheEnglishlanguageandanunderstandingofhumannature.Thewritershouldhaveanacquaintancewiththeparticularinterestand,ifpossible,theemotionsofthereader.Itseemseasyenough,forexample,toaskpaymentofabill,butitisquitedifficulttosecurepaymentwithoutoffendingthereaderandlosinghisorherfuturepatronage.Nocommunicationiswhollysuccessfulunlessitretainsthereader’sgoodwill.SevenCwritingprinciples:Therearecertainessentialqualitiesofbusinessletters,whichcanbesummedupinthesevenC’s:(1)ConsiderationInourletterweshouldalwayskeepinmindthepersonwearewritingto,seethingsfromhispointofview,visulizehiminhissurroundings,seehisproblemsanddifficultiesandexpressourideasintermsofhisexperience.(我们在写信时应该经常把我们写信的对方放在心上，以他的观点来看问题，看到他的处境，了解他的问题和困难，并根据他的经历来表达我们的意见。)Thereisonegeneralprinciple,onwhichtheAmericanwriterslaygreatemphasis,thatis,the“you”attitude.(美国人在撰写信函时所强调的一项原则，那就是站在“对方”的立场。)Adopt“youattitude”whenyouconveyagoodnews.Weshallbeabletoofferyoufreecustomerserviceforyournewlypurchasedrefrigeratorfor3years.(×)Youwillbepleasedtohearthatyouwillsoonbeabletohaveafreecustomerserviceforyournewlypurchasedrefrigeratorfor3years.(√)Avoidusing“youattitude”whenconveyingbadnews.Inthissituation,youhavetohandleittactfully.‘Yourletterisnotclearatall.Icannotunderstandit.’(×)‘IfIunderstandyourlettercorrectly….(√)(2)CorrectnessCorrectgrammar,punctuationandspellingarebasicrequirementsforbusinesswriting,Inaddition,correctnessmeanschoosingthecorrectleveloflanguage,andusingaccurateinformationanddata.Enclosedisthecopyofreceipt.(×)Enclosedisacopyofthereceipt.(√)Iamlookingforanothersaleschannels.(×)Iamlookingforothersaleschannels.(√)Ourshop,inCanada,wasdestroyedbyfire.在加拿大我们的商店被烧毁了。Fromthissentence,weknowthatthewriterhasonlyoneshop.OurshopinCanadawasdestroyedbyfire.我们在加拿大的商店被烧毁了。Hereweknowthatthewriterhasmorethanoneshop.Youshouldalsomakesurethattherearenotypingmistakes.Payspecialattentiontonumbers,suchasquantity,priceandsoon.(3)CompletenessIncludeallthenecessaryinformationanddatainthemessagebecauseinformationanddatacanhelpsendersgetreceivers’responsesandachievedesiredobjectives.Anincompletemessagemayresultinincreasedcommunicationcosts,lossofgoodwill,sales,andvaluedcustomers,costofreturninggoods,andwastedtimetryingtomakesenseoutoftheincompletemessage.Supposeyouarewritingalettertoyoursuppliertellinghimthathisgoodswerenotdeliveredontime,yourlettershouldincludethefollowing:Remindinghimofhispromiseoftimelydelivery.Hebrokehispromise.Whatlosseshasthiscausedyou?Askingforcompensationifthereisanyagreementonthat.Expectingnosuchthingwillhappenagain.(4)ConcretenessYourwritingshouldbevivid,specificanddefiniteratherthanvague,generalandabstract,especiallywhenyouarerequiringaresponse,solvingproblems,makinganofferoracceptance,etc.Ourapplesareexcellent.Ourapplesarejuicy,crispy,andtender.(Concrete)SmithtonCompanyisourbigbuyer.SmithtonCompanydidmorethan0nemillionUSDworthofbusinesswithusin2004.(Concrete)(5)Conciseness（简要）Concisenessmeanstowriteinthefewestpossiblewordswithoutsacrificingcompletenessandcourtesy.Becauseawordymessagerequiresmoretimetowriteandread,businesspeopleputahighpremiumonconcisenessinbusinessmessages.Concisenesswillgiveemphasistoyourmessage.Clearnessandconcisenessoftengohand-in-handandtheeliminationofwordybusinessjargoncanhelptomakealetterclearerandatthesametimemoreconcise.（清楚和简要往往是相辅相成的。摒弃信中的陈词滥调可使信更清楚、更简要。）Alettercanbemadeclearer,easiertoreadandmoreattractivetolookatbycarefulparagraphing.Aparagraphforeachpointisagoodrule.（仔细分段可以使信更清楚、易读和更有吸引力。一事一段是个好章法。）Wedonotanticipateanyincreaseinpricesinthenearfuture.(Poor)Wedonotexpectpricestorisesoon.(Better)Owingtothefactthatyourcompetitor’spriceismuchlowerthanyours,wecannotacceptyouroffer.(Poor)Becauseyourcompetitor’spriceismuchlowerthanyours,wecannotacceptyouroffer.(Better)WeshouldbeobligedifyoucouldcontactMrSmithatanearlydate.(Poor)PleasecontactMrSmithsoon.(Better)WithreferencetoyourOrder319,thegoodsweredispatchedonthe13ofthismonth.(Poor)WesentyourOrder319on13April.(Better)(6)Clarity（清楚）Firstofall,makesurethatyourletterissoclearthatitcannotbemisunderstood.Apointthatisambiguousinaletterwillcausetroubletobothsides,andfurtherexchangeoflettersforexplanationwi