UNIT 8
Sales Promotion

In international trade, it is very important to establish new business relations and negotiate with customers. Sales promotion plays a key role in developing business, and it is indispensable to a company for its existence and development. Indeed, sales promotion is an important component of a company's marketing communication strategy along with advertising, public relations, and personal selling since they aim to sell particular kinds of goods or services to selected types of customers.

Sales promotion letters are usually written by companies to their potential buyers, former customers and existing ones. The contents of sales promotion letters are different according to the different purposes and different objects. Yet the main purpose of these letters are to persuade the customers to buy your products now or to develop an interest in your products that will induce them to buy later, or to keep the name of your organization in customers' mind, or to get customers to try your products or ask questions about it.

We know that people are motivated by needs. But because their needs differ, people respond to any given message in different ways. Therefore, to write an effective sales promotion letter, it is important that you prepare yourself well. First you must know your products thoroughly. Secondly, you should learn as much about your customers as possible. Finally, you need to learn about your competitors' products.

Generally speaking, sales promotion letters can be divided into three types: sales letters, revive letters and follow-up letters.

A sales letter is mainly written to find new customers so as to begin or expand business. A reviver letter is to retain or regain old customers, whereas a follow-up letter is also for old customers and is to discreetly inquire into the reason why the writer has not received an order.

Specimen Letters

Letter-8 (1) (A Sales Letter)

Letter-8 (2) (A Sales Letter)

Letter-8 (3) (A Reviver Letter)

Letter-8 (4) (A Follow-up Letter)

Words, Phrases and Notes

1. aware: adj. be conscious; having knowledge or understanding 知道的，意识到的

e.g. You should be fully aware of your rights on signing the contract．签订合同时，你们应当对自己有哪些权利了如指掌。

2. puncture ['pʌŋ（k）tʃə]: n. stab（轮胎等）刺空

v. stab; be stabbed 被刺空

3. skid [skid]: track slip 打滑

4. beyond: prep. exceed 超过，越过

e.g. The said offer went beyond the capacity of our company．该报价超出了我们公司能接受的范围。

5. road-holding: direction stability 方向的稳定性；车辆行驶的安全性

6. prefer: vt. would rather; like better 宁愿；比较喜欢

e.g. We prefer Chinese Green Tea for its quality and special flavor．我们更喜欢中国的绿茶，因其品质好，味道独特。

They prefer that the goods should be packed in double gunny sacks．他们宁愿该货用双层麻袋包装。

preferable: adj． 更好的，更可取的

preference: n． 偏爱，偏好

7. test driver: driver for a trial testing drive 试车驾驶员

8. lay in: store; keep in reserve; inventory 贮存

9. appeal: vi. attract; arouse interest 对……有吸引力，引起兴趣

e.g. The superb workmanship and the novel design of the product has appealed to many customers．该产品高超的工艺及新颖的设计吸引了很多顾客。

n. attraction; charm 吸引力

e.g. This PC game has lost its appeal．这个电脑游戏已经失去了它的魅力。

10. universally acknowledged: widely accepted/recognized 公认的，普遍接受的

e.g. The quality of our commodity has been universally acknowledged in international market.我们商品的质量已在国际市场上得到了广泛的认可。

11. trial order: book the goods in small quantity for the first time 试订货，试订单

e.g. If you can increase the discount to 4%, we can send you a trial order immediately．如你方能够将折扣提高到4%，我们就能马上试订货物。

12. convince: vt. persuade; make sure 说服，使……确信，使……信服

（1）convince sb. of sth.

e.g. The comparison will convince you of the high quality and the reasonable price of the goods．比较一下，你就会相信我方产品的优良品质和合理价格。

（2）convince sb. +that 从句

e.g. We are convinced that the machines you are offering us cannot be obtained elsewhere at the same price．我们相信你方现在报盘的机器从别处用同样的价格是买不到的。

13. superior: adj. excellent; good 上好的，较高的，质优的

e.g. Our products are superior in quality and reasonable in price and have been exported to many countries and regions．我们的产品物美价廉，已出口到很多国家和地区。

14. grant: vt. agree, approve 同意，准予；给予

e.g. We are ready to grant you a special discount for this trial order．我们愿意给予你们特殊折扣，试销这批货物。

15. exceptionally: adv. exceptively; specially 特殊地，例外地

16. favorable terms: favorable conditions; advantages 优惠条件，有利条件

17. laptop computer: notebook computer; handheld computer 手提电脑

18. note: v. pay attention to 注意

e.g. Please note that（Please be noted that）this is the furthest we can go．请注意这是我们最大的让步。

19. residue ['rezidjuː]: n. sth. that remains after others have been removed 剩余，残留

residue stock 剩余库存

20. substantial quantity: large quantity 大数量

e.g. If you can book the goods in substantial quantity, we can increase the discount to 5%．如果你方能大量订货，我们可将折扣提高到5%。

21. just the next newest: the second newest 次新的

22. durable: adj. enduring; lasting 耐用的，持久的

23. clear the stock: make an inventory of warehouses 清仓

e.g. We are prepared to clear the stock for the above-mentioned product by allowing you a generous discount of 10%．我们准备就上述产品进行清仓，可以给你方10%的丰厚折让。

24. take advantage of: make use of a favorable circumstance 利用

e.g. We are glad to take advantage of this opportunity to introduce our various products available to you．我们很高兴利用这个机会向你介绍我方可提供的各种产品。

to the advantage of: be beneficial to 对……有利

e.g. It will be to the advantage of our future business to open up a new market this year．今年新开辟的市场对我们将来的业务有益。

25. preclude [pri'kluːd]: v. prevent; stop 阻碍，阻止

e.g. Please advise us what precludes you from placing further orders for us．请告知是什么原因使得你方不再向我方订货了。

26. booklet: n. a brief publication generally having a paper cover 小册子，目录

类似的表达方法还有brochure, pamphlet, catalogue。

e.g. Please send us your booklet and the samples as soon as possible．请尽快将你们的目录和样品寄给我们。

Commonly Used Sentences

1. In order to popularize these products, all the catalogue prices are subjected to a special discount of 20% during this month only．为了推广这些产品，产品目录上所有价格仅在本月享有20%的特殊折扣。

2. We are offering you goods of the highest quality on the most generous terms and would welcome your earliest orders．我们就最优品质的货物向贵方报最优惠条件，欢迎您早日订购。

3. You will see that prices in this season are slightly higher, but you'll also find that this is offset by marked improvements in almost every line．你将看到本季价格略有上涨，但这一上涨会被几乎每一种产品的显著改进所抵消。

4. We believe the said commodity will surely find a good/ready market in your country．我们相信该产品在贵国一定会很畅销。

5. With a view to supporting your sales, we have specially prepared some samples of our new makes and are sending them to you, under separate cover, for your consideration．为了支持你们的销售，我们特别准备了一些新产品的样本单独寄给你方做参考。

6. We take pleasure in enclosing the latest designs of our products, which are superior in quality and moderate in price and are sure to find a good market at your end．我们很高兴随函寄给你方我们产品的最新设计样式。这些新样式质量好，价格适中，肯定会在你方市场畅销。

7. Owing to its superior quality and reasonable price, our poplin has met with a warm reception and quick sale in most European countries. We think it is to your advantage to buy this item for sale in your market．我们的府绸品质上乘，价格公道，深受大多数欧洲国家欢迎，销售很快。订购我们的府绸在你方市场销售，我们认为对你方是非常有利的。

8. Since the required articles are not available, we would like to recommend the under-mentioned products which can be supplied from stock for prompt shipment. This recommendation is made in the interest of both parties．由于所需的产品目前无货可供，我们想推荐下列库存产品，可以即期装运。我们这个建议是照顾双方利益的。

9. We trust that you will take advantage of this opportunity to offer your customers with first-class products．我们确信贵方会把握此机会，向贵公司的客户提供一流的产品。

10. To encourage you to place orders with us, we would allow for a 3% special discount for any order received at the end of September．为了鼓励贵方向我方下订单，特对9月底之前的订单给予3%的优惠折扣。

Effective Writing Skills

Writing sales promotion letters is necessary for exports in international trade. These letters belong to persuasive messages. Persuasion means a process of changing people's attitudes or influencing their actions, now or in the future. There are three questions to ask before you begin to write a persuasive message: What are you writing about? Whom are you writing to? What do you expect to happen as a result?

Begin every sales promotion letter with an attention-getting statement, which is to convince your buyers right at the beginning that you have something useful or interesting to say. Remember the general sales strategy: analyzing the products; finding the prospects; choosing the appeal and identifying the specific goal.

There are three kinds of sales promotion letters: sales letters, reviver letters and following-up letters.

1. Sales letters

Sales letters are to introduce new products or improved ones to customers, informing them the benefits or discount they can receive if they buy the products. It is a kind of business letter which is mainly to find new customers so as to expand business. Writing sales letters is one of the routine duties of a salesman, for a good sales letter will bring favorable results, creating more chances of business.

The main purpose of sales letters are to persuade the customers to buy your products now or to develop an interest in your products that will induce them to buy later, or to keep the name of your organization in customers' mind, or to get customers to try your products or ask questions about it.

So a good sales letter must follow the principles known as AIDA which is abbreviated from Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. That is to say, you should try to follow the following steps:

（1）catch the readers' attention;

（2）build their interest;

（3）stimulate their desire;

（4）finally encourage their prompt action of purchase.

2. Reviver letters

A Reviver is another kind of business letters which is to retain or regain old customers. Such a letter is to revive their cooperation. It usually contains the following elements:

（1）review the previous good cooperation between the two sides;

（2）add a favorable comment on the goods;

（3）offer a generous discount;

（4）look forward to receiving a new order.

3. Follow-up letters

A follow-up letter is also to retain or regain old customers, and on this basis, the writer discreetly inquires into the reason why the offeror has not received an order from the offeree. That is, the buyer has made an enquiry to the seller, and the seller also has sent him a quotation, but he has not had the pleasure of hearing from the buyer or has had no order for a long time. Such letters should usually include the following steps:

（1）refer to the buyer's inquiry and the seller's quotation（review previous good cooperation）;

（2）express regret that no order has been received and assume some possible reasons;

（3）point out some new selling-points（offer a generous discount）and add a favorable comment on the goods;

（4）look forward to receiving a new order.

Letters for Optional Study

LOS-8 (1) (A Reviver Letter to an Old Customer)

LOS-8 (2) (Introducing Canned Mushroom)

LOS-8 (3) (A Sales Letter)

LOS-8 (4) (A Follow-up Letter: Seeking Customer's Feedback)

Exercises

I. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the types of sales promotion letters and what are the differences between them?

2. How can you write an effective sales promotion letter?

3. What are the steps for writing a sales letter?

4. What are the main contents of a reviver and a follow-up letter respectively?

II. Translate the following sentences from English into Chinese.

1. Enclosed are a set of sales literature and a price list of our products. We shall appreciate your efforts to promote the sales of our products in your country.

2. Chinese honey is popular with European customers for its special flavor.

3. We are confident that a trial order will convince you that the goods we are offering are of superior quality and excellent value for money.

4. The arts and crafts made in China exhibit exquisite workmanship and enjoy a great fame at home and abroad.

5. Special terms will be allowed to customers who place a trial order before the end of May.

6. Our trade is so large that our stocks have to be constantly replaced, so you may rest assured that everything we offer you is new and of the latest style.

7. Since the article you require is not available for supply at present, we should like to recommend some similar ones as follows.

8. We wish to inform you that we are specialized in the export of Chinese honey for years.

III. Translate the following sentences from Chinese into English.

1．为了支持你们的销售，我们特别准备了新产品的一些样品并且准备另封邮寄给你们，以供参考。

2．我们是一家专门生产机械设备的大型公司，75%的产品远销世界各国。

3．我们保证产品生产工艺先进，性能稳定，价格合理。

4．随函寄一套产品说明书和价格单。如蒙你方在贵国推销我们的产品，则不胜感激。

5．我们建议你方抓住良机，速下订单。

6．如果你方需要额外数量的订货，我们愿给予1.5%的折扣。

7．我们愿再次向贵公司保证，我方提供的货物品质优越，价格合理。

8．如果你方的价格确实有竞争力，我方将向你方试订货。

IV. Write a sales letter based on the following given particulars.

1．现告知我们是中国最大的一家地毯制造商，年产量为30万条，已有40多年的历史。

2．产品工艺精湛，设计精美，舒适温暖。

3．出口多国，口碑一直很好。

4．随函附寄插图产品目录，供参考。

5．欢迎光临7月30日在北京举行的产品展览会。

6．保证为贵方的订单提供最优良的服务。

7．展会上下订单可享受5%的折扣。