3)長(zhǎng)篇大論的公司或工廠介紹。我現(xiàn)在做buyer,也會(huì)收到工廠和貿(mào)易公司的推銷信。貿(mào)易公司還稍微好一點(diǎn),很多工廠的業(yè)務(wù)員,開發(fā)信實(shí)在寫得不咋地,簡(jiǎn)直可以說是慘不忍睹,既浪費(fèi)客人時(shí)間,也浪費(fèi)自己時(shí)間。我經(jīng)常會(huì)收到類似的郵件:“我們是某某照明燈具廠,地處美麗的長(zhǎng)江三角洲東南,交通便利,風(fēng)景優(yōu)美,離上海和杭州僅僅2小時(shí)車程,我們公司成立于2002年,具有豐富的太陽能燈生產(chǎn)和開發(fā)經(jīng)驗(yàn),享譽(yù)全球,我們工廠獲得ISO9001:2000質(zhì)量體系,嚴(yán)格按照5S管理,真誠(chéng)歡迎您來我廠參觀拜訪,希望和您建立起長(zhǎng)久的業(yè)務(wù)關(guān)系,我們以真誠(chéng)和服務(wù)贏得客戶……”諸如此類的話,客人會(huì)看得很不耐煩,即使你是一個(gè)很好的公司或很好的工廠,第一次就收到這樣一封郵件,任誰都會(huì)感到厭煩的。
有朋友會(huì)反問,那是不是完全不寫呢?我的回答是,也不一定,要看具體情況。如果你的公司有突出的優(yōu)勢(shì),可以寫,但是最好一筆帶過就可以了??梢赃@樣寫:We supply solar lights for Home Depot with high quality and competitive price. Hope to cooperate with you!
簡(jiǎn)單一點(diǎn),一兩句話點(diǎn)到重點(diǎn),調(diào)起老外的胃口,讓他反過來問你各種問題,你的目的就達(dá)到了。做業(yè)務(wù)久了你就發(fā)現(xiàn),很少有客人每封郵件長(zhǎng)篇大論的,即使有,也是極少數(shù)的特例,或者是要確認(rèn)一些細(xì)節(jié)之類的。
4)愛炫耀英文水平。以前有個(gè)助理,英語八級(jí),剛畢業(yè)的學(xué)生,要她給老外寫email,總是喜歡把文字寫得很出彩,各種語法從句層出不窮,還喜歡用冷僻詞,讓人理解都需要老半天。如果是英語為母語的客人或者德國(guó)、北歐這些英語很棒的客人還好一點(diǎn),如果你寫給韓國(guó)人日本人中東人法國(guó)人,那就要他們老命了,看一封郵件還得用上字典或翻譯工具,還是半懂不懂,你說客人會(huì)對(duì)你印象好么?
丘吉爾講過一句話,具體的內(nèi)容我忘了,大致的意思是,真正的高手,你要把最復(fù)雜的東西用最簡(jiǎn)單的文字表達(dá)出來,全部用最簡(jiǎn)單的句子,最簡(jiǎn)單的詞匯,讓小學(xué)生都能看懂。
其實(shí)把簡(jiǎn)單的東西復(fù)雜化很容易,把復(fù)雜的東西簡(jiǎn)單化就不容易了,需要多學(xué)多模仿客人的郵件,用最簡(jiǎn)單的詞匯來表達(dá)你要表達(dá)的東西。外貿(mào)函電的精髓就是,“簡(jiǎn)單簡(jiǎn)單再簡(jiǎn)單”,能用一個(gè)詞表達(dá)的絕對(duì)不用兩個(gè)詞或短語,能用一句話寫清楚的,絕對(duì)不寫兩句。誰能用最少的句子表達(dá)同樣的意思,那就是最厲害的!
舉個(gè)例子吧,我以前招助理的時(shí)候,會(huì)考他們的email水平,我把中文意思告訴他們,然后讓他們用英文來模擬一封郵件。內(nèi)容很簡(jiǎn)單,寫一封郵件告訴客人Mike,上次收到的樣品已經(jīng)寄給工廠了,但工廠說材料不是ABS,而是PP,價(jià)格他們需要重新核算,但近期內(nèi)原材料漲價(jià),希望您能盡快確認(rèn),我們好采購(gòu)原材料并安排生產(chǎn)。
第一個(gè)應(yīng)聘者是這樣寫的:
Dear Mike,
This is Jenny from EDF Co. Ltd. We’re so pleased to receive your samples. I already sent them to our factory last week, and was informed the real material is PP, not ABS as you mentioned last time. What’s the matter?
I’ll give you reply as soon as we get the offer from the factory. It will take several days. Please be more patient. But they also told me, the raw material increased these days. Could you please confirm the price quickly after you get it? We’ll purchase the raw material and do the production immediately!
Looking forward to your reply. Thank you!
Best regards,
Jenny
這封郵件寫得好么?老實(shí)說還可以,雖然主動(dòng)語態(tài)和人稱多了點(diǎn),但是內(nèi)容都點(diǎn)到了,表達(dá)也算通順,用的詞匯也都是挺簡(jiǎn)單的,不難懂。但是不是有點(diǎn)啰嗦?如果能簡(jiǎn)單一點(diǎn),是不是更好?我們看看第二位應(yīng)聘者寫的email:
Dear Mike,
How are you?
We received your all samples. The factory checked the details, and found the material was PP, not ABS as you told.
Please give them some more time to re-check the price, because the material is different from the past orders. However, the material was increased very quickly! Therefore, please kindly place the order soon if the price is ok for you! We’ll do production asap.
Thank you in advance!
Kind regards,
Tommy
這封呢?我個(gè)人覺得比上一封號(hào)一點(diǎn),畢竟主動(dòng)和被動(dòng)語態(tài)結(jié)合,“We”只出現(xiàn)了一次,不算太枯燥。內(nèi)容也稍微簡(jiǎn)單了一點(diǎn),點(diǎn)到位了。最重要的是,他把purchase the raw material去掉了,直接用“We’ll do the production asap.”這樣更簡(jiǎn)潔,畢竟你要生產(chǎn),能不采購(gòu)原材料么?所以這是廢話。缺點(diǎn)是,我個(gè)人感覺還是啰嗦了一點(diǎn)。
我會(huì)這樣寫:
Hi Mike,
Samples received and already passed to vendor. The material was PP, not ABS. Offer sheet is preparing and will be sent to you soon.
By the way, raw material increased these days, pls make a decision quickly to go ahead after price confirmed. We’ll arrange the mass production asap.
Thanks and best regards,
C
幾句話點(diǎn)到主題,表達(dá)清楚就可以了。能用一句話表達(dá)的,千萬不寫兩句,省掉一切能省的廢話。寫完以后其實(shí)可以讀一遍,看哪句話可以刪掉,哪句話可以換一種表達(dá)方式,少用第一人稱,多用被動(dòng)語態(tài)!等到你重新檢查的時(shí)候,發(fā)現(xiàn)已經(jīng)簡(jiǎn)單的不能再簡(jiǎn)單,沒詞可以刪了,那就點(diǎn)“發(fā)送”吧~~
只要做到“簡(jiǎn)潔”、“清楚”、“準(zhǔn)確”,這就是一封好的email了。