Taking up references

• English
• Vocational Education

Objective EN6: Write a letter to take up references

1. use an appropriate layout for a business letter (Am or Br),
   
2. use appropriate letter writing conventions,
3. compose an appropriate letter with proper structure/paragraphs, 
4. use appropriate business language (formal),
5. adhere to the purpose of taking up references (requesting information on a new potential customer),
   

Criteria 

Taking up references:

Before a supplier sends an order confirmation to a new customer, he will often first want to know about the customer's reputation.

He would most likely enquire about the following:

• the customer's financial status, 
• their reliability, 
• solvability, 
• commercial standing,  
• manner of doing business.

How can a supplier obtain this information?

1. checking references that the customer himself has provided,
2. requesting references from a bank,
3. requesting references from other suppliers (trade references),
4. requesting references from the Chamber of Commerce.

CONFIDENTIAL

It goes without saying that a letter in which a supplier requests information about a customer should ALWAYS be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Example:

1. Miss Lindy of Lindy's Boutique wants to start selling Maidenform brassieres.  
2. She would like to order from GotApparel Wholesalers located in Miami, Florida. 
3. Before she places an order, she would like to find out more about this company.
4. GotApparel also supplies La Moderna Department store with their collection of Maidenform brassieres.
5. Miss Lindy is going to contact the Managing Director to take up references about GotApparal Wholesalers.

The triangle for trade references

addressee

potential client

recipient

longstanding relationship

new relationship

Taking up references

Assignment 1

Think of a situation in which a company would need to request references on another company. 

Write down this situation. Keep it short.

The triangle for trade references

addressee

potential client

recipient

longstanding relationship

new relationship

Taking up references

Assignment 2

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