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You’ve been asked to write a business inquiry email in English and are wondering how to word it? This guide will help you write a clear, polite, and professional business email.
You will also learn about the difference between enquiry and inquiry (hint: it’s geographical), and you will find inquiry email examples that you can adapt to suit your needs.
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Subject line: Be clear and concise.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Your subject line should tell the reader what your email is about. A clear subject increases the chance that your inquiry email will be opened and answered.
Keep it short, and don’t be vague. Don’t say URGENT unless your request really is time-sensitive. Think about the recipient – what tone and style will resonate? Avoid being overly casual or humourous unless you already know the person.
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Greeting: Avoid ‘Dear Sir/Madam’
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Before emails existed, ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ was the standard opening for a business inquiry. This sounds incredibly outdated nowaday, and rather impersonal. Don’t use this. If you don’t know the name of the person responsible for your inquiry, you can often find it on the company website or LinkedIn.
Find out more about how to address someone in an English business email here.
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Introduce yourself briefly
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Start by letting the email recipient know who you are – include your title, department, and company.
If the company isn’t a well-known brand, provide some information, for example, where you are based and the size and type of business. If you were referred to them from another company or person, mention them here to build trust and context.
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Explain the reason for your inquiry
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Get to the point quickly and include only the information the recipient needs to respond, such as:
- Why you are getting in touch
- What do you need. Be specific.
- How do you want to move forward
- A quick call or online meeting
- A product demo or trial
- A follow-up from their sales team
Keep your tone polite and professional. End with a short closing line and your email signature, including your full contact details, company name and address.
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What’s the difference between INQUIRY and ENQUIRY?
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Did my hint about geography help you guess? They mean the same thing. ‘Enquiry’ is the preferred British English spelling, while ‘inquiry’ is more common in American English. In Britain, an inquiry can also mean a formal investigation. If you send an email ‘inquiry’ to a British company don’t worry – they will still understand you perfectly.
Whether you call it an ‘inquiry’ or ‘enquiry, what matters is writing a clear and professional business email.
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Business inquiry email example 1 – Request for meeting
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Here’s a template that you can use to write an email inquiring about a product or service when you want to arrange a call to discuss your needs. If you aim to replace a current product or service, it can be helpful to name them so that the recipients understands your current situation.
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Dear Ms Smith,
I am writing to enquire about your CRM software. My name is Hedwig Owl and I’m Sales Manager at Owls and Newts GmbH. We are a leading online retailer of owls and newts in Germany, with both national and international customers.
To improve our customer service, we would like to introduce a CRM software in our company. We have a customer base of around 5000 loyal customers. We currently use [software] but it doesn’t offer the additional features that we require. For instance, we would like to integrate automated email campaigns and social media tracking into our CRM system.
I’d like to set up a quick call with one of your sales team and our technical director, to help us quickly assess if your product is the right fit for our requirements. Could you get in touch with us to set this up? We would be available for a call at the following times:
Monday 5th April at 10 am
Wednesday 7th April at 2 pm
If neither of these dates is suitable, I’d appreciate if you could suggest an alternative. Many thanks.
Kind regards,
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Business inquiry email example 2 – Request for further information
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You can use this email template for requesting additional information or documentation, when you aren’t ready for a sales call.
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SUBJECT : Request for Information / Water filter
Hi,
My business associate, Henry Weller from Blanket Technologies, suggested I get in touch with you regarding your water filters. My name is Jonathan Mitchell and I’m the owner of Tea and Cakes, a chain of tea shops throughout Germany.
We are currently using bottled filtered water but would like to replace this with water filtering solutions – initially in our store in Dortmund, but eventually for the remaining four stores. We use around 2,000 l water a month in each store.
I’ve looked at your website but am not quite sure which of your filter solutions would be most suitable for our needs. Could you possibly send me some more information on the technical requirements and specifications of the various models.
Kind regards,
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Conclusion
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Whether you are writing an inquiry email, requesting information, or arranging a meeting, ensure that you keep your texts brief, clear, and polite. These email templates are a great starting point for you to write professional business emails.
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Do you need personalised content?
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Ok, that was all very helpful, but you need content that fits perfectly to you and your organisation?
Whether you need an email series for lead nurturing, English content to make your international brand shine, or blog posts to improve your SEO ranking – let’s chat! As an English copywriter in Germany, I help you find the right words.
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