Inquiry letters are the letters that aim at seeking one or the other information. Inquiries are very important to start business proceedings.
No business transaction can be initiated without obtaining sufficient information about it.
It is a common practice in business that a buyer before he enters a business deal, wants to gather certain facts to satisfy himself about the quality, price and terms and conditions of business.
The letter which a buyer writes to collect such or any other type of information is known as an ‘Inquiry Letter’. Similarly, the letter that is written to answer the query is also an inquiry letter.
The person or persons seeking information are responded by the respective addresses sometimes affirmatively and sometimes negatively.
Anyhow, let’s check below here the different types of inquiry letters, principles of writing these inquiry letters and qualities of a good inquiry letter.
See Also: Forms & Format of a Business Letter
Different Types of Inquiry Letter
Depending upon the purpose and objective with which inquiry letters are written, they can be classified as under:
- Letters Making Queries
- Letters Answering Queries
Letter Making Queries
the purpose of these letters is to collect necessary information prior to embarking upon a business venture.
The writer of the inquiry letter expresses his interest in buying or selling certain goods, products or services.
But he needs to get facts which he cannot conveniently or economically obtain himself. So, he what’s to prospective individuals or firms to provide him the Information he seeks.
Letters making queries may be further classified as under:
- Trade Inquiry Letters
- Status Inquiry Letters
- General Inquiry Letters
Trade Inquiry Letters
When a businessman intends to make business deals with another business house, he writes letters to collect some specific information.
The letters so were written are termed as Trade Inquiry Letters. Through such letters, an inquiry is made either to buy something or to provide information to the prospective customer regarding the availability and the terms and conditions of trade.
Status Inquiry Letters
Status Inquiry Letters are usually written to obtain information on the financial status of an individual or a firm.
Such letters are written when a business house wishes to know about the credibility of the buyer to whom they want to sell goods, products or services on credit.
General Inquiry Letter
These letters are written with no specific information but to collect general information pertaining to the rules and procedures of a particular line of business.
A firm may need to know about the government policy, the administrative regulations, the general level of prices, market trend, etc,
The letters were so written to gather such type of information from the concerned comers are termed as General Inquiry Letters.
Letters Answering Queries
These Letters are reply letters that are written to answer the questions asked in the query letters. They aim at satisfying the person or the firm by providing them the exact information they need.
However, sometimes they may not be able to meet the requirements of the inquirer.
In that case, they express their inability, but this they should do promptly and in a polite manner so that the inquirer is not offended and goodwill continues to prevail between them.
Principles of Writing an Inquiry Letter
Every inquiry letter is important for a business house. An inquiry letter is, in fact, the first practical step towards the initiation and transaction of business deals.
If it fails to convey its business messages effectively, or if it is not composed aptly and exactly, it may not bring to its writer the desired response.
It is, therefore, important that while writing an inquiry letter the writer should keep the following points in his mind:
State the Main Idea of the Message
An inquiry letter is a direct request made to the reader. It should, therefore, be written following the Direct Request Plan.
Adopting the Direct Approach strategy, the writer should begin the inquiry message by stating its main idea in the opening paragraph.
The objective should be to enable the reader to know immediately what the letter is about.
Give Explanatory Material Briefly and Exactly
The main idea of the message should be followed by such explanatory material as is needed. Here specific details, definitions, etc. be given in brief and exact words.
Care must be taken that all necessary information pertaining to the query is provided to the reader.
Be Definite and Clear about the Desired Action
The writer of an inquiry letter must be definite, clear and to-the-point in seeking information. It is important that he tells the reader what specific information he seeks from the reader.
The writer should know that a successful inquiry letter is always self-explanatory in its contents and approach so that the reader does not find it difficult to understand what the sender of the message wants him to do.
Handle all Replies to Inquiries Promptly and Carefully
Replies to inquiry letters ask for special care and handling. All queries must be replied promptly. In no case the inquirer be kept waiting for a response.
If the required information is available, it should be responded favorably and exactly.
If the information desired is not readily available or it cannot be provided, a polite, courteous and suitable reply be sent. The chief objective of all replies should be the satisfaction of the reader.
End the letter on a Courteous Friendly Note
All inquiry messages must be ended on a friendly, courteous and motivational note. Use of outdated stock phrases be avoided.
A proper and appropriate ending note gives the letter a fine finishing touch besides building goodwill between the communicator and the communicate.
See Also: Parts of a Business Letter
Qualities of an Inquiry Letter
A good inquiry letter has the following qualities:
Brevity
An inquiry letter must be written to the point. It must be brief and free from irrelevant material.
Unnecessary and unwanted details not only waste time of the reader but also irritate him. The writer should avoid rambling, and limit himself to essential aspects of the subject only.
Completeness
Brevity in writing inquiry letters is good, but too much of brevity is likely to shrink the message to the extent that it becomes incomprehensible for the reader.
Conciseness of the letter should not leave the message incomplete. The writer must communicate his idea completely as well as vividly.
Incomplete message becomes a source of annoyance for the reader. Whether the writer originates an inquiry or answers the questions, the inquiry letter must be complete in its contents as well as in its form.
Politeness
What one cannot get by authority and order, one can very easily get it through the tool of politeness. A polite message is the key to success for the writer.
It makes his letter smile. An inquiry letter, therefore, must always be written politely. Care should, however, be taken that politeness of language is not changed into oily tongue.
Promptness and Courtesy
Promptness and courtesy are the requirements of the letter which responds to a query. It is very vital that the inquirer is not kept waiting for a response.
Even if the information requested in the inquiry letter is not readily available, or it cannot be provided, the inquirer must immediately be informed accordingly. This is of utmost Importance to maintain the spirit of goodwill.
