Chapter 1. Examining Cultural Variables in a Business Letter
1.1 Section Title
These two versions of the same business letter were written by a sales manager for an American computer company. The first letter was addressed to a potential customer in the United States; the second version was addressed to a potential customer in Japan. The questions that follow ask you to think about how cultural variables affect the nature of the evidence, the structure of the letters, and their tone.
The business letter reads, Server Solutions Cincinnati, OH 46539 Mr. Kato Kirisawa, Director of Purchasing Nadine Meyer Allied Manufacturing Director of Marketing 3-7-32 Kita Urawa Saitama City, Saitama Pref. 336-0002 Japan Dear Sir: It is my sincere hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and enjoying the pleasures of summer. Here in the American Midwest, the warm rays of the summer sun are accompanied by the sounds of happy children playing in the neighborhood swimming pools. I trust that the same pleasant sounds greet you in Saitama City. Your inquiry about our PowerServer 3000 suggests that your company is growing. Allied Manufacturing has earned a reputation in Japan and all of Asia for a wide range of products manufactured to the most demanding standards of quality. We are not surprised that your company requires new servers that can be expanded to provide fast service for more and more clients. For more than 20 years, Server Solutions has had the great honor of manufacturing the finest computer servers to meet the needs of our valued customers all over the world. We use only the finest materials and most innovative techniques to ensure that our customers receive the highest-quality, uninterrupted service that they have come to expect from us. One of my great pleasures is to talk with esteemed representatives such as yourself about how Server Solutions can help them meet their needs for the most advanced servers. I would be most gratified if our two companies could enter into an agreement that would be of mutual benefit. Sincerely, Nadine Meyer Director of Marketing Attachments: “PowerServer 3000 Facts at a Glance” “Another Winner from Server Solutions” “Mid-Range Servers for 2017” “Four New Dual-Processor Workhorses” 2017 July 3 The salutation “Dear Sir” is numbered one. The first paragraph of the letter is numbered two. The second paragraph of the letter is numbered three. The third paragraph is numbered four. The fourth paragraph is numbered five.
