Business Writing

Lesson 8: Introducing your Business

Catalogs and Online Auctions

When you send out catalogs to your trade customers and/or members of the public, you need to introduce your company in a way which makes a dynamic impression but remains accessible to a wide range of readers. In this context, it's best to make introductions slightly informal and friendly. People who feel relaxed before they start shopping are likely to buy more. Use simple language and emphasize the reliability of your company (for instance by saying how long it has been around, how many satisfied customers it has, etc.) Let readers know what kind of service they can expect from you.

When you are describing individual catalog items, you may need to use more technical language. If used in moderation, this can make a good impression even on those who don't understand it, as they feel that they are being permitted to participate in an exclusive social arena. To avoid confusion, you should make ample use of pictures and diagrams. Work out what a customer will need to know about your product (eg: its dimensions, its durability, its flexibility, etc.) and make sure you have included all the necessary information in your description. Even if it's hard to work out the important details from a photograph, it's often worth your while to include one, as most people are happier about buying things which they feel they have seen more directly.

Selling your products via auction sites on the world wide web is much like selling them through catalogs, except that you may have less room to write about them. In this situation, you should use the very brief business introduction as mentioned at the start of this lesson. You should go on to describe your product in as much detail as possible, bearing in mind that a wider range of people are likely to encounter it and many of them may not have encountered that sort of thing before. If you are selling objects whose size is important, like clothes or mechanical components, you should list exact measurements rather than referencing standard sizes which may vary internationally. Look through the auction site to see what kind of language your competitors are using. Each auction site tends toward a vocabulary which its regular customers can understand, rather like the abbreviations in small ads as mentioned in lesson seven. Familiarity with this is important if your auction is open to bidders from different countries who may not understand your usual terminology.

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