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Business Letter Writing: Placing Orders

By Kenneth Beare, About.com

The following letters place product orders.

Useful Key Phrases

  • Would you please send ...
  • According to your website / magazine / leaflet, ...
  • COD (cash on delivery)
  • NOTE: The initials at the bottom of the letter indicate who the letter is from followed by who typed the letter - for example: from Ken Beare typed by Ron Easton = KB/re
Example Letters May 23, 1999

Mr. Jack Brown,
Director
Used Books Online
Seattle, WA 98795

Dear Mr. Brown:

Would you please send me the following used books via COD? According to your Web site, orders need to include the title, author, and publisher.

Title: "Driving Home"
Author: Peter Lawford
Publisher: Jackson and Co.

Title: "Landscaping for Fun"
Author: Janet Patterson
Publisher: Nature Ltd.

Title: "Christmas Myth"
Author: Margaret Smith
Publisher: Smoothers

Thank you very much,

(signature here)

Fred Finkleham,
Professor, OUS

FR/to

If business letter writing is important to your career, I'd consider purchasing 3,001 Business and Sales letters. This reasonably priced package provides templates of English business letters for just about any business situation imaginable. For more detailed help with standard business writing skills, I highly recommend these business English books.

Here are some other basic business letters which you will find useful for typical English business correspondence.

Letters of Acknowledgement

Making a Sale - Sales Letter

Placing an Order

Making a Claim

Adjusting a Claim

Making an inquiry

Replying to an inquiry

New Account Terms and Conditions

Basic Business Letters

Writing a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job

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