Thus, it may be not only unnecessary but also un wise to mention the date of the letter to which a reply is being written. But the main point here is that rules in writing letters nearly always have many exceptions. If the writer carefully considers the effect that his letter might have on the reader, he is able to judge readily enough whether or not it is best to mention the date of previous correspondence. About the only iron-clad rule is that the correspondent should always strive to appreciate fully the reader's point of view.
9. Letters of inquiry, and answers.—Every con cern receives a great many inquiries and requests which have no direct connection with sales. Neverthe less it pays, as a rule, to answer this kind of mail with the same careful attention that is given to inquiries for catalogs and price quotations. Often letters of inquiry are incomplete, so that it is impossible to give the information wanted before a number of letters have been exchanged. Under such circumstances the correspondent is sometimes tempted to allow his feel ing of annoyance to become evident in his letters. This is not good salesmanship, as the case given below illustrates.
A country merchant wrote the following letter to two general wholesale houses with which he was doing business : Gentlemen: I want a good file for my letters and catalogs. Please tell me what would be the best kind and where I can get it.
Hoping to hear from you soon, and thanking you for the information, I am Yours truly, From one wholesale house he received the follow ing reply: We have your letter of January 30th in which you ask what kind of file for letters would be best for your purpose and where you can get it.
You probably did not notice that we sell a letter-file, which is described on page 260 in our general catalog. If this does not happen to be the kind you want, however, please tell us more definitely just what you want and we shall be glad to advise you where you can find it.
One advantage of the small file we sell is that your cor respondence is easily classified and arranged, and you can add to its capacity as needed. We always recommend this unit system. Its cost is nominal as compared to the big wooden or steel vertical. files.
It will be a pleasure to supply you with any quantity of these files which your needs require.
Yours very truly, From the other wholesale house he received this letter: Dear Sir:— In response to your request of January 30th, we take pleasure in sending you the inclosed literature, which gives full details concerning what we believe to be the best of modern filing cabinets for letters, catalogs, booklets, and so on, for a store as big as yours.
Mr. Brady tells us that he knows several merchants who find these big vertical files satisfactory. Some are made of wood, others of steel, offering protection against fire. Sev eral other companies make a similar file, but Mr. Cowans, who buys all our own office furniture, tells me he can do best with this company.
In case you should want a smaller file, we would supply it. The inclosed clipping from our catalog describes the file we carry.
I hope this information is what you want. If not, let us know and we'll be glad to be of further service.
Yours very truly, 10. Comparison of these letters.—Both of the writers of the above letters had an equally good op portunity to write an effective letter. Both letters are mechanically faultless. But it is obvious that one of them—the one last quoted—is far ahead of the other in point of effectiveness. The merchant gained a dis tinctly favorable impression of the house that sent him this letter, and an unfavorable impression of the other house, partly because he was able to see the contrast between them, since he received the two letters on the same day.
The writer of the first letter made the mistake of failing to anticipate the fact that this merchant might have written elsewhere for the same information at the same time, and that consequently his letter would have to compete with other letters for the merchant's patronage and good-will.
The writer of the first letter above quoted was really glad that the merchant's letter was indefinite. It gave him the chance to boost sales by recommending the file sold by his own house. At first thought on reading the letter of inquiry, he probably said to him self, "Another Podunk merchant who thinks the big house in the big city is a mind-reader." He was about to dictate a polite letter requesting more definite in formation when he got the "selling idea," which he embodied in his letter. Therefore, he thought, it was better not to cause the merchant to think too definitely concerning the kind of file he wanted. He would write a selling letter, the kind of letter that the big men in the front office would write. He congratu lated himself on his ability to see a lead for a sale. He hoped that the sales manager would happen to read the letter. He ought to be in the sales depart ment, anyway.