Step on it: Letter to Fl??A[raphics requesting information about underfoot advertising. You work for Alberta Greenwood, owner of Better Bike and Ski Shop. Yesterday, Alberta met with the Schwinn sales representative, Tom Beeker, who urged her to sign a contract with Floorgraphics. That company leases floor space from retail stores and creates and sells floor ads to manufacturers such as Schwinn. Floor graphics will pay Alberta a fee for leasing the floor space, as well as a percentage for every ad it sells. Alberta was definitely interested and turned to you after Beeker left.
"Tom says that advertising decals on the floor in front of the product reach consumers right where they're standing when making a decision," explained Alberta. "He says the ads increase sales from 25 to 75 percent."
You both look down at the dusty floor, and Alberta laughs. "It seems funny that manufacturers will pay hard cash to put their names where customers are going to track dirt all over them! But if Tom's telling the truth, we could profit three ways: from the leasing fee, the increased sales of products being advertised, and the share in ad revenues. That's not so funny."
Your task: Alberta Green wood asks you to write a letter for her signature to CEO Richard Rebh at Floor graphics, Inc. (5 Vaughn Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540) asking for financial details and practical information about the ads. For example, how will you clean your floors? Who installs and removes the ads? Can you terminate the lease if you don't like the ads?
This assignment asks you to be task-focused, to use language resourcefully to gain compliance with your request, and to follow the textbook advice closely. In addition, develop an audience profile describing the recipient (Richard Rebh)
Open with a brief explanation before the request. Emphasize Schwinn's immediate interest in purchasing ads from Floorgraphics, which may encourage the company to offer Better Bike & Ski a good lease. List multiple questions for easy reading and response. Imply future business to encourage compliance with the more difficult photo request. In the close, restate Schwinn's interest to support the action request in the final paragraph.
Your letter will be graded by these criteria:
1. Meets minimum criteria: final deadlines met; no more than one page; typed; single spaced
2. Organized in direct order:
opening states main idea directly
middle provides explanation
close specifies action, makes action easy
3. States the request, indicates central purpose of request
4. States the reason for request and gives essential information, including time frame for reply
5. Emphasizes benefits to reader
6. Shows "you" attitude
7. Tone is friendly, positive, confident
8. Sentences are emphatic, concise, fluent
9. There are no errors