REPLIESA large part of handling a company's correspondence involves ANSWERING the mall. The ability to phrase an appropriate response is, therefore, a valuable and marketable skill. Letters of response fall into a number of categories, including: 1. acknowledgments 2. follow-ups 3. confirmations 4. remittances 5. order acknowledgments 6. stopgap letters 7. inquiry replies 8. referrals 9. refusals Many companies use form letters for certain types of replies, such as order acknowledgments. Nevertheless, a reply is often a fertile sales opportunity, and a personal, carefully worded letter can reap both profits and goodwill. Like a request, a reply should be specific and complete. However, a reply need not be brief. Indeed, because a reply must be both helpful and sales oriented, brevity is often impossible to achieve. On the other hand, it is essential that a reply be prompt. In striving for a “ you approach”, this promptness may even be pointed out to the reader: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS An acknowledgment (Figure 4-1) should be written when you receive merchandise, material, money, or information. Such a letter is a courtesy, letting your reader know that his mailing or shipment has reached its destination. When the matter received was not an order, an acknowledgment can also serve as a thank-you note.
FOLLOW-UPS After a decision or agreement has been made, either at a meeting or in conversation, it is wise to send a follow-up letter to establish a written record of the transaction.
CONFIRMATIONS While confirmations are routine for such businesses as hotels and travel agencies, other businesses may also require them. Doctors, for example, and repair services can avoid wasted time by contacting patients and customers a day or so in advance of scheduled appointments. Such confirmations are frequently made by telephone, but a form letter or postcard will also effectively transmit clear, correct, and complete information, particularly when the type of business requires large numbers of confirmations. As is often the case, however, an individually written letter can turn a customer into a regular customer by adding a personal touch.
REMITTANCES Companies often request that their bill, or a portion of their bill, accompany a remittance. When this is not the case, a cover letter is necessary to explain what your enclosed check is for. This letter should contain any information regarding your order that will be needed for the proper crediting of your account. Include your account number, the invoice number, and the amount of the check. DO NOT include superfluous information that could confuse an accounts receivable clerk. Remarks not directly related to the remittance should be reserved for a separate letter.
ORDER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many companies today have abandoned the practice of acknowledging orders, particularly when the order will be filled promptly. Some companies respond to orders by immediately sending an invoice, and some employ the halfway measure of using printed acknowledgment forms. But however handled, confirming an order helps to establish goodwill by reassuring the customer that the order has been received. First orders SHOULD be acknowledged in order to welcome the new customer and encourage further business. Similarly, an unusually large order by a regular customer deserves a note of appreciation. Any order acknowledgment, whatever the circumstances, should contain specific information. It should let the customer know exactly what is being done about the order by 1. mentioning the date of the order; 2. including the order or invoice number; 3. explaining the date and method of shipment; 4. acknowledging the method of payment. Of course, all order acknowledgments should also express appreciation for the order and assure the customer that it will be filled. An acknowledgment is often an opportunity for a sales pitch. First of all, If a salesperson was Involved In the order, his or her name should appear somewhere in the letter. But beyond this, a letter may also include a description of the merchandise to reaffirm the wisdom of the customer’s purchase. Other related products may also be mentioned to spark the customer’s Interest and future orders.
Because orders cannot always be filled promptly and smoothly, situations arise in which a wise businessperson will send more than a mere acknowledgment. Customers, for example, cannot always be relied on to submit complete orders. When an essential piece of information has been omitted, the order must be delayed and a tactful letter sent. Although the customer in such a case is at fault, the letter must neither place any blame nor express impatience. Indeed, the customer's own impatience must be allayed with a positive, friendly tone. A bit of reselling—reminding the customer of the order’s desirability—is often in order in a letter of this kind.
Sometimes a delayed delivery is caused by the seller, not the buyer—a delicate situation that requires a carefully written letter). When an order cannot be filled promptly, the customer is entitled to an explanation. Assurance should be given that the delay is unavoidable and that everything is being done to speed delivery. Such a letter must be especially “you- oriented." It should express that you understand the customer’s disappointment and regret the inconvenience. At the same time, the letter must avoid a negative tone and not only stress that the merchandise is worth waiting for, but assume that the customer is willing to wait. The form letter in Figure 4-5 could be used in a mass mailing but sounds, nevertheless, as if it has the individual customer in mind.
When a partial shipment can be made, the customer must be informed that certain items have been back ordered. Again, the letter should assume the customer's willingness to wait. But it should also make an attempt to “resell" the merchandise by stressing its finer features without emphasizing the missing items.
When an order cannot be filled at all, a letter suggesting a substitute order (Figure 4-7) is occasionally appropriate. The suggested merchandise must, naturally, be comparable to the original order and should be offered from a perspective, not of salvaging a sale, but of helping the customer. The letter must include a sales pitch for the suggested item, but it should emphasize the customer’s needs. Of course, the letter should also explain why the original order cannot be filled.
STOPGAP LETTERS When a thorough response to an incoming letter must be delayed, receipt of the letter at least should be promptly acknowledged. Such letters of acknowledgment are called STOPGAP LETTERS. They let your customer know that his inquiry has not been ignored and will be attended to as soon as possible. Like a delayed delivery letter, a stopgap letter informs your customer that time is needed to process his request. Necessary information or materials, for example, may not be immediately available. Or your company may have prescribed channels for reacting to certain inquiries. Credit applications and insurance claims, for instance, take time to be processed and so are often answered promptly with a stopgap acknowledgment. A stopgap letter will also be called for when your employer is out of town. The correspondent should be assured that his letter will be relayed to your employer as soon as he returns. You should be careful NOT to commit your employer to any action, nor should you explain his absence.
INQUIRY REPLIES All inquiries should be answered, even those that cannot for some reason be given a complete response. An inquiry indicates interest in your company and a potential customer. The inquiry reply should be designed not only to increase that interest, but to inspire the inquirer to action. An inquiry reply should begin by thanking the reader, acknowledging the interest in your company. It should end by offering further assistance—but ONLY if you actually want additional inquiries from this person. The substance of an inquiry reply is usually information. You should include not just the specific facts your correspondent requested, but any others that may be of help. (This is, of course, assuming that the original inquiry or request was reasonable.) If you cannot provide all the relevant data right away, you should promise it.
If the information requested cannot be provided at all, if it is confidential, you should explain this in your letter. You must be careful, however, to word your explanation tactfully and resist the impulse to accuse your reader of trying to gather information to which she is not entitled. Assume the inquiry was innocent and try to maintain goodwill.
Sometimes a request for information about a company’s products or services may be answered with a brochure or catalog. Such materials, though, must always be accompanied by a personalized cover letter. You should not only explain why you’ve sent the brochure and arouse your reader’s Interest in it, you should also call attention to the particulars of the brochure and attempt to encourage a sale. A good practice for a manufacturer, moreover, who doesn’t sell directly to the public, is to pass along copies of the inquiry and reply to a dealer, who may pursue the sale further.
REFERRALS Business people often receive inquiries that can best be answered by another person. In that case, the correspondent must be informed that the inquiry is being passed on. A letter of referral should acknowledge receipt of the inquiry and explain why and to whom it is being referred. Alternately, you may find it more efficient to advise the correspondent of the proper source of information and tell exactly where to write. Again, a manufacturer should be especially careful to sustain the reader’s interest even while referring her to a dealer. The address of a local dealer or a list of dealers in the area should be included in this kind of referal too. The reader should never be chastised for bypassing the middleman; instead, she should be politely referred to the appropriate source.
REFUSALS There are many times when a businessperson must say no. When granting a favor, awarding a contract, hiring an applicant, or for that matter making any decision, saying yes to one person often means saying no to another. The key, however, is to say no gracefully. Here, as in most correspondence, maintaining goodwill is extremely important.
Sometimes a request for information about a company’s products or services may be answered with a brochure or catalog. Such materials, though, must always be accompanied by a personalized cover letter. You should not only explain why you’ve sent the brochure and arouse your reader’s Interest in it, you should also call attention to the particulars of the brochure and attempt to encourage a sale. A good practice for a manufacturer, moreover, who doesn’t sell directly to the public, is to pass along copies of the inquiry and reply to a dealer, who may pursue the sale further.
REFERRALS Business people often receive inquiries that can best be answered by another person. In that case, the correspondent must be informed that the inquiry is being passed on. A letter of referral should acknowledge receipt of the inquiry and explain why and to whom it is being referred. Alternately, you may find it more efficient to advise the correspondent of the proper source of information and tell exactly where to write. Again, a manufacturer should be especially careful to sustain the reader’s interest even while referring her to a dealer. The address of a local dealer or a list of dealers in the area should be included in this kind of referal, too. The reader should never be chastised for bypassing the middleman; instead, she should be politely referred to the appropriate source.
REFUSALS There are many times when a businessperson must say no. When granting a favor, awarding a contract, hiring an applicant, or for that matter making any decision, saying yes to one person often means saying no to another. The key, however, is to say no gracefully. Here, as in most correspondence, maintaining goodwill is extremely important. When saying no, you should first of all never actually say no. Your letter should be as positive as you can make it. The actual refusal should be stated once and briefly. The rest of the letter should be reader oriented and very friendly. No matter what the request, your reader deserves an explanation of your refusal. Your reason should be based on facts, not emotions, although an appeal to your reader’s sense of fair play or business savvy is often appropriate. NEVER make the reader himself the reason for your refusal. Rarely will you want in a refusal to sever all business connections. Therefore, you should be careful to keep your letter “open-ended." Express appreciation for the request though it is being denied, and if possible suggest an alternative course of action. A “not-at-this-time” refusal keeps open the possibility of future business.
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