How to Write an Enquiry Letter with Ease

Enquiry Letter Definition

An enquiry letter (or inquiry letter) is a special form of business message that is drawn up in cases where one interested party wishes to receive particular information from the other party. An enquiry can be made for a variety of reasons, in order to obtain:

• price lists;
• documents;
• information about goods and services;
• discounts and promotions;
• terms of delivery or payment and other information.

Enquiry letters can be the beginning of a long and successful cooperation, and, in the case of already established business relationships, a good method of influencing partners from slow or effective work. The enquiry letter is somewhat similar to an application letter, but their main difference is that the enquiry is more formal and strict and can only concern aspects directly related to the functional activities of the firm.

Peculiarities of the Enquiry Letter Structure

Typically, the text of the enquiry letter consists of two parts:

Introduction, where the essence of the case is described in a narrative form, and the motives and reasons for conversion are explained. Here the following standard expressions are often used:

The reason for appeal

• Due to the non-receipt of the invoice …
• In view of the discrepancy between your actions and the earlier agreements …
• Due to changes in prices for energy resources …

The goal of the appeal

• In order to resolve the issue as soon as possible …
• For the coordination of disputable questions …
• In order to ensure the safety of the cargo …
• In order to avoid conflict situations …

References to the basis for the appeal

• Taking into account that the production indicators have decreased to …
• In accordance with the agreement reached earlier …
• Based on our telephone conversation …
• According to the government resolution …
• According to the protocol on mutual deliveries …

If necessary, the text includes references to the oral agreement, the achieved decisions, previous letters, etc.

Conclusion, in which specific questions are raised, to which the recipient is expected to respond. Here in the key phrase of the inquiry letter, the words formed from the expression “to ask” are included. Its use is explained by the etiquette requirements for business essay texts and psychological laws of business communication – a person willingly agrees to carry out an action expressed in the form of a request, rather than in the form of an order. In conclusion, the following standard expressions are often used:

• We ask you to inform about the possibility of delivery …
• Please immediately pay off the debt for 2009 …
• Please send us an offer for delivery …
• We will be grateful if …
• Do not refuse to be kind enough to inform us about …
• I ask you to send samples of materials …

How to Write a Letter of Intent – Who Should Do This

The letter should be written on behalf of the organization, while the author of the message can be any employee of the company who is a specialist in the area on which the intent is sent. The main condition: he or she must meet solely the interests of the employer. If the letter is not drawn up by the manager himself or herself, but by someone subordinate to him or her, it must be coordinated with the superior authorities (in order to avoid further disputes, conflicts, and misunderstandings).

Letters marked “delivered personally” are, as a rule, compiled directly by the director of the organization addressed to the head of the addressee of the same level. In this case, they should not be opened by anyone other than the recipient himself or herself.

How to Write a Query Letter – Whom to Address

A query letter can be addressed to a specific person, for example, the director of a partner company, the manager of a department, a specialist in the industry, etc. In this case, when applying, you need to use the epithet “Dear” and the name of the employee. This form of application significantly increases the chances that the query will be considered in the near future, and also a response will be made on it faster (and on behalf of the person to whom the message was addressed).

The query can also be assigned to a group of persons without an exact indication of the employee (for example, “to the legal department,” “to the accounting department,” etc.). In this case, the answer to the query can be made on behalf of any employee of the department in which the letter came.

How to Write an Inquiry Email: Steps

How to write a letter of inquiry in the proper way? Like any other kind of business letter, this inquiry does not have a unified form and can be compiled in an absolutely arbitrary form. However, it should not be forgotten that the inquiry letter refers to official business correspondence, therefore requiring compliance with certain norms and rules regarding corporate ethics and office work.

• First of all, it should specify the addressee, i.e. the name of the company sender (with the address and phone number for communication in the upper left corner), and the name of the company recipient (in the upper right corner). Here, if necessary, you need to mention a specific employee (his or her position and name).
• Then the main part follows, which concerns the inquiry itself. Here, in a respectful, correct form, it is necessary to state the essence of the inquiry and indicate the reason for the request (“based on the results,” “for resolving the issue,” “based on negotiations,” etc.).
• If the inquiry concerns several topics at once, then it should be divided into points or sections. It should be remembered that the rules of business correspondence indicate that the answer to this kind of message should also be divided into points.
• If the inquiry requires a response at a certain period or to an exact date, it should be polite, but firmly identified in the text of the letter.
• If necessary, links to laws, regulations, and legal acts relevant to the essence of the letter can be inserted in the text. In addition, any additional documents supporting the inquiry may be attached to it, while information about them should also be included in the main part of the letter.
• The letter must be signed with the indication of the position and name of the originator, as well as stamped (only in case the organization uses stamps and seals to certify the documentation). It should be done a bit lower from the main text.

Letter of Intent Sample

If you want to write a great inquiry letter, then check out the following letter of intent sample. By reading through the sample, you will get an idea on how to write your own letter. You can use it as a template – you will learn where to locate particular elements of the inquiry letter. So, read through the letter of intent sample and write your own letter with ease.

Click on the image to see its full size.

How to Write an Inquiry Letter for Business – Format

How to make an inquiry letter in the proper format? The letter can be written both on the usual A 4 format, and on the company letterhead of the organization (the letterhead is preferable, since in this case it is not necessary to manually fill in the requisites of the sender, and the message itself looks more solid). It can be formatted in two forms:

1. The first form is handwritten. It is inconvenient and outdated; moreover, it is most expedient to send such letters through the post, which significantly slows down the process.
2. The second form is to type the letter. It is faster and more modern, allowing instant delivery of the letter to the second party via email or other means of communication.

A letter is made in a single copy and is posted in the journal of outgoing information, for which it is assigned a number (in accordance with internal document circulation of the firm) when compiling, and the date is also mandatory.

Timing of Response to a Letter of Inquiry

The inquiry letter implies that there must be an answer to it. The rules of good tone and business ethics require the recipient to respond to such kinds of letters strictly in essence of the inquiry, but this does not guarantee that this rule will be fulfilled, since the law in no way regulates business correspondence.

Inquiry Letter for Getting Information

Like other outgoing documentation, it is written on the official letterhead or with the obligatory indication of all the requisites of the sender. The text is formed according to the following scheme:

• clarification of the motivation for written inquiry;
• reference to the regulatory framework (if necessary);
  the essence of application;
• a specific request (what is required from the recipient of the inquiry);
• standard details of the end of the business document (date, signature with decoding, and if necessary, a stamp);
• registration as outgoing documentation.

Inquiry Letter for Getting Documents

An official document requires the indication of details or use of a letterhead. The structure of the letter requesting documents is slightly different from other inquiry letters in the following ways:

• “head lines” (requisites of the sender, position and full name of the recipient);
  date, outgoing number;
• the name of the inquiry reflecting the nature of the request;
• personal appeal (except for inquiries to state bodies);
• essence of the inquiry;
• polite phrase about cooperation and gratitude;
• completion of the document (signature, seal).

Inquiry Letter to a Bank

Letters to a bank help in resolving many contentious issues and clarifying the necessary information. What to include and what should be remembered is as follows:

correct indication of the details of the author of the letter;
a clear statement of the problem;
if possible, references to documentary or legislative evidence of your words;
via the internet, an inquiry to the bank should be sent only if there is an electronic signature, and in other situations, a paper version with a handwritten visa is preferable.

Inquiry Letter of Confirmation of Information

Such an inquiry must contain detailed information about the applicant with the justification of his or her right to confirm the required information. The inquiry should be formulated correctly and unequivocally. It is obligatory to indicate the address for providing the answer (postal and/or electronic).

How to Write a Letter of Intent for Business – Commercial Inquiry Letter

One of the varieties of letters of inquiry is a commercial one – a document that is a request of a person who wishes to have a deal (buyer to seller, importer to exporter), requesting detailed information about the goods (services, etc.) and/or sending a proposal for the supply of goods (the seller’s inquiry to the buyer).

A commercial inquiry is included in a group of contract documents and is used for preparation and making a deal. In such a letter of inquiry, the name of the goods (services) and the terms on which the importer needs to receive the goods, for example, the quantity and quality of the goods, its model, brand, price, delivery time, and payment terms, are specified, as a rule.

The standard formulations, often used in the introductory part of commercial inquiries, can look like this:

– In accordance with (the Protocol on mutual deliveries for … year …, preliminary agreement …, telephone conversation from … and so on).
– On the basis of (the Protocol …, the trade agreement …, the price list …, our agreement on … etc.)
– According to (the Protocol …, the trade agreement …, the price list …, our agreement on … etc.).
– Referring to (the protocol of negotiations …, our agreement …, our telephone conversation … and so on).

We hope you have found the answer to the question, “how to write a letter of inquiry?” Therefore, you are able to write this type of letter in the most effective way. You can use a sample as a template for your own writing. Use the information you have found in this post to become successful in writing inquiry letters or you can read more about the investment letter sample!

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