LESSON 43: HOW TO RESPOND TO AN OFFER OF AGENCY?--如何回复寻求代理的制造商?


CONTENTS

I. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS 常用语

II. SAMPLE 范文

III. TIPS 掌握写作要领

IV. EXERCISE: WORDS, PHRASES AND SENTENCE PATTERNS 精通常用词组和句型

V. UPGRADING YOUR ENGLISH 英语升级

VI. GOODIES & GIFTS 实用小礼物

I. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
常用语

1. How to start your letter?

I read with interest your letter of June 5 inviting me to undertake the marketing of your products in Malaysia.

Thank you for your letter of _________[date] in which you offered us a sole agency for your products in _________[country/area].

We are interested in the offer you made to us in your letter of ______[date] to act as sole agents for your ____________[products] in this country.

We accept with pleasure your proposal to send us a representative selection of __________[product] on a consignment basis.

2. How to tell the recipient that his terms are acceptable?

We find your suggested terms satisfactory and shall be glad to receive your formal agreement for signature.

We hope that in handling this transaction with us we shall not in any way disappoint you.

3. How to negotiate terms or make your own suggestions?

I feel it reasonable to suggest a few changes in the terms you proposed , though this is a matter we can discuss when we meet.

We feel it would be better for customers to settle with us direct.

There are some points we would like answered before we make a decision.

I suggest for consideration the following terms and conditions as the basis for a formal agreement.

The commission you offer, ____ per cent, is rather low, and we would expect a minimum of ___ per cent on net invoice totals.

As sole agent, the territory you offer would be too restrictive for sales, and this would have to be extended to ___________[area].

4. How to end your letter?

If these conditions are suitable, then we would certainly accept an initial ___-year contract to act as your agents.

Provided we can agree on terms and conditions, I shall be pleased to accept your invitation.

I shall be glad to learn that you are in general agreement with these suggestions.

If you can send us a draft contract, we could give you our answer within _______days/weeks.



II. SAMPLE
范文

Dear __________:

We are pleased to inform you that we decide to accept your proposal that we act as your agent in Hong Kong. We are quite satisfied with your terms, and we will be glad to receive your formal agreement for signature.

We believe that with our reputation and connections in _________[country/area], we will offer you excellent sales to guarantee the success of your products in __________[country/area].

Yours sincerely,



____________[name]
____________[title]



III. TIPS
掌握写作要领

1. Thank the manufacturer for offering an agency.
2. Tell the manufacturer that you are interested in his proposal.
3. If you need more information, specify the details you want to know.
4. If you are not satisfied with his terms, offer your own suggestions.
5. Ask for further contact or a meeting if necessary.



IV. EXERCISE: WORDS, PHRASES AND SENTENCE PATTERNS
精通常用词组和句型

Fill in the blanks with words chosen from the list below. Add capitalization when necessary:

handle, however, with, run, agree, arranged, sole, clarify, confident, credit, referred, definite, demand, contract, make, described, points, exchange, arises, draft

Dear __________:

Thank you for offering us a (1) agency for your products in Korea.

We are (2) that we can (3) the kind of business you (4) in your letter of June 5, and we (5) with you that the (6) for exercise machines here is increasing. (7) , there are some (8) we would like to (9) with you before we (10) a decision.

1. How would payment be (11) -- bill of (12) , letter of (13) , or bank (14) ?

2. How would you help us (15) advertising?

3. If a dispute (16) over the terms of the (17) , who would be (18) to in arbitration?

4. How long would the initial contract (19) ?

If you can send us a draft contract including all the necessary details, we will give you a more (20) reply. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,



___________[name]
___________[title]



V. UPGRADING YOUR ENGLISH
英语升级


Here are some simple exercises that help you practice with authentic "online" English.
1. Click on a word or phrase that fits the sentence:

  1. The chief executive officer of the company played _____ the acquisition rumors. But other senior managers acknowledged they were in talks about acquisition with a number of multi-national corporations.
    (A) away
    (B) down
    (C) out
    (D) off

  2. The Department of Consumer Affairs is looking ______ complaints from consumers who claim they were cheated by dealers using the company's Internet auctions.
    (A) into
    (B) over
    (C) up
    (D) at

  3. An outsider breached the Internet security of the federal agency a week ago, knocking its Web site _____ action and forcing the agency to re-evaluate its computer protection.
    (A) from
    (B) off
    (C) outside
    (D) out of

  4. The judge agreed to delay ______ next Thursday a hearing on the antitrust charges against the company, because the car maker did not turn over requested documents.
    (A) to
    (B) toward
    (C) for
    (D) until

  5. IBM will launch a personal computer designed for small businesses that have little technological know-how but are keen to use PCs to ______ ahead.
    (A) go
    (B) get
    (C) reach
    (D) push

  6. Yahoo entered a joint marketing venture ______ News Corp Ltd, in a move that could help it better compete with other Internet companies that have partnered with major media players.
    (A) of
    (B) in
    (C) with
    (D) to

  7. Fears of Y2K panic have prompted the federal government to begin quietly preparing a media strategy designed to ______ public fears of blackouts or other potential infrastructure failures.
    (A) assure
    (B) assert
    (C) assuage
    (D) assault

  8. After a lengthy trial, the court ruled that the firm offering cheap international calls through the Internet did not ______ the country's telecommunication laws.
    (A) damage
    (B) deny
    (C) resist
    (D) violate

  9. He was known as "Spam Master" for his notorious and successful venture in sending ______ junk e-mail.
    (A) unsolicited
    (B) unsophisticated
    (C) unsurpassed
    (D) unscrupulous

  10. CTA Inc., an e-card company, scored a victory yesterday, when a federal judge issued a preliminary _____ preventing the release of any e-mail software that blocks CTA's electronic cards.
    (A) injunction
    (B) instruction
    (C) command
    (D) decree




2. Click on a choice that best explains the highlighted word or phrase in the sentence:

  1. The open-source movement in the software industry could in time give us better programs, largely through more competition and choice.
    (A) soon
    (B) quickly
    (C) without delay
    (D) gradually

  2. The company is responding to pressure to loosen its control over the programming language, which is supposed to allow programs to run on different types of computers.
    (A) is planed to
    (B) is suggested to
    (C) is expected to
    (D) is proposed to

  3. Linux makes the strongest case for the claim that volunteers can produce better software than well-paid company employees.
    (A) effectively proves the claim as true
    (B) requires the strongest evidence for the claim
    (C) emphasizes the importance of the claim
    (D) draws a lot of attention to the claim

  4. Companies who offer free software need to find a way to make a business out of giving products away. Some may charge for service and support for their free software.
    (A) to turn the company away from offering free products
    (B) to abolish the practice of giving away products
    (C) to create a business that no longer offers free products
    (D) to make profit by giving products away

  5. Some engineers took exception to my proposal that computers should be as easy to use as toasters.
    (A) regarded my proposal as very important
    (B) made an objection to my proposal
    (C) regarded my proposal as exceptional
    (D) were particularly interested in my proposal

  6. We should not only be responsive to customers' needs but anticipate them in our designs.
    (A) give serious consideration to their needs
    (B) give timely consideration to their needs
    (C) give consideration to their needs beforehand
    (D) provide solutions to their needs

  7. A number of listeners took me to task for saying that customers are always right.
    (A) asked me to give explanations for
    (B) urged me to say this
    (C) forced me to say this
    (D) strongly disagreed with me

  8. The company gets singled out for praise by its customers.
    (A) is chosen to be praised
    (B) is the only company who has been praised
    (C) is praised for one of its employees
    (D) is praised for something unique

  9. After wide-spread protests again the government's decision to cut the education budget, the government finally owned up.
    (A) gave in
    (B) stabilized the situation
    (C) admitted that it had made a wrong decision
    (D) decided to increase the budget

  10. We're ready to expand our business overseas but we don't know the lay of the land?
    (A) the geographical features of the land
    (B) the situation of foreign countries
    (C) the land policies of foreign countries
    (D) how to travel in foreign countries.



VI. SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
GOODIES & GIFTS （实惠小礼物）

A Ready-Made Letter for You

A counter-proposal suggesting your own terms 回复对方并提出你自己的条件

Dear ____________:

I am pleased to receive you letter of __________[date] in which you invited me to undertake the marketing of your products in ___________[country/area].

I will gladly accept you invitation if we can reach an agreement on terms and conditions. I suggest for consideration the following terms:

1. An agency commission of ___% to be payable on net amounts invoiced;
2. A del credere commission of ___% in return for my guarantee of payments due on all accounts;
3. An agreement extending over at least ___ years.


Please tell me as soon as possible whether you in general agree with these suggestions. I expect to be in Pittsburgh next month, and I hope we could meet and discuss the details.

Yours sincerely,



__________[name]
__________[title]