Inquiry letters ask questions and request a reply.If there has been no such advertised offer, the manager might write an
unsolicited inquiry to the same company asking if any troubleshooting informa tion is available.Research consultant Alan Greene is preparing a report on the feasibility of har nessing solar energy for home heating in Alaska.For example,
a manager at a computer repair company might write a solicited inquiry to a
computer manufacturer that offers free troubleshooting guides for repair special ists.In a solicited inquiry, be brief and to the point and be sure to reference the
advertisement or announcement that prompted you to write.If your questions are too numerous or complex to be answered in print, you
might alternately request an interview (assuming the respondent is nearby). They may be solicited (in
response to an advertisement or announcement) or unsolicited (spontaneously
written to request some type of information you need for your job).In an unsolicited
inquiry, you are asking a busy person to spend the time to read your letter, con sider your request, collect the information, and write a response.After learning that a non profit research group has been experimenting with solar applications, Alan
decides to write for details.Notice how Greene tries to make the respondent's
task as easy as possible.Apologize
for any imposition and express your appreciation.Avoid long, involved inquiries
that are unlikely to be answered.Figure 11.9 is an example of an unsolicited letter requesting information.Therefore, keep
your request reasonable and state the purpose clearly and concisely.