模块 01
结构与语气
一封外贸邮件只有六个位置。把这六个位置写对，剩下的就是往里填事实—— 而事实是你比客户更清楚的部分。
01主题行：让客户不用打开就知道值不值得看
主题行决定打开率，正文决定回复率。外贸场景的主题行有固定公式： [类型或动作] + [客户关心的对象] + [关键信息或期限]。 三段式的好处是既能扫读，又能在对方搜索时被搜到。
| 场景 | 不建议 | 建议 |
|---|---|---|
| 回复询盘 | Inquiry / Quotation | Quotation — 500 pcs LED Panel / RFQ-2603-18 (valid to 25 Mar) |
| 催逾期款 | Payment | Payment overdue — PI-2026-0315, USD 8,400 (due 12 Mar) |
| 通知延误 | Delay / Bad news | Shipment delay — PO-8821 now ETD 18 Mar (was 10 Mar) |
| 无回复跟进 | Re: Re: Re: Quotation | Following up — artwork approval for PO-8821 |
| 价格调整 | Important notice!!! | Price update — copper surcharge from 1 Apr (+3.2%) |
| 约会议 | Meeting | Call request — 30 min, Thu 21 Mar, 15:00 CET |
- 保留客户的单号（RFQ / PO 号）。客户是按单号归档的，你写自己的报价号他反而要去找。
- 一条信息只写一个重点，别在主题行里塞「报价 + 交期 + 包装 + 催确认」。
- 不要全大写、不要连串感叹号，容易被判为营销邮件或被规则过滤。
- Re: 只留一层。来回十几轮后主题行已经变成一串 Re:，那时主动改成「Following up — PO-8821 delivery」，客户反而更容易找到。
02称呼：三种情况，别多想
| 情况 | 写法 | 说明 |
|---|---|---|
| 知道姓名，首次联系 | Dear Mr. Weber, / Dear Ms. Chen, | 最稳的默认值。女性不确定婚否一律用 Ms.，不要用 Mrs. 猜。 |
| 知道姓名，已经往来几轮 | Dear Peter, 或 Hi Peter, | 对方先用名字称呼你，就跟着改；对方仍写 Dear Mr. Lin，你别急着拉近。 |
| 不知道姓名 | Dear Purchasing Team, / Dear Export Manager, | 比 Dear Sir or Madam 具体，也比 To whom it may concern 现代。 |
三种常见错法
Dear Mr. Peter Weber —— Mr. 后面只跟姓；Dear Weber —— 英文里单独叫姓不带称谓是没有礼貌的；
Dear Friend / Dear Boss —— 群发感极强，欧美客户几乎不会回复。
03开场第一句：只做一件事
开场句的功能是「对齐上下文」，不是寒暄。写完这一句，第二句就必须进结论。
| 目的 | 可直接用的句子 |
|---|---|
| 回复询盘 | Thank you for your inquiry of 12 March. We can supply all five items in your RFQ. |
| 首次联系 | I'm writing from Ningbo … Lighting, following your post on LinkedIn about LED panel suppliers. |
| 跟进无回复 | I'm following up on my email of 6 March regarding the artwork approval for PO-8821. |
| 回复客户问题 | Thanks for the details — the 4000K version is available and there is no price difference. |
| 传达坏消息 | Unfortunately, the vessel on 8 April has been cancelled by the carrier. |
注意「Unfortunately」的位置：放在句首是交代事实，放在句尾变成补充说明，读者已经按好消息理解了前半句。 同理，不要在坏消息前面垫三段铺垫——客户会先以为你要涨价。
04正文：一段一个要点
三段结构对绝大多数外贸邮件都够用：结论段 → 依据或条款段 → 行动段。
- 一项条款一行。价格、MOQ、交期、付款方式、有效期写成短行，客户能逐条核对，也方便他转给同事。
- 三个以上要点就编号。客户回复时可以写 Re: point 2，避免来回确认。
- 少用被动语态。The goods will be shipped by us → We will ship the goods。谁做事，谁当主语。
- 时态要对齐事实。已发生用过去式（We shipped on 8 March），承诺用 will，规则用现在时（Our MOQ is 300 pcs）。
数字与日期写法
| 项目 | 写法 | 原因 |
|---|---|---|
| 金额 | USD 12.40/pc、USD 8,400 | 带币种代码，客户不用猜；千分位避免少看一个零 |
| 日期 | 20 March 2026 或 20 Mar | 03/04 在英美之间含义相反，用月份名永不歧义 |
| 数量 | 500 pcs、12 cartons | 单位写全，避免「500」被理解成箱 |
| 贸易术语 | FOB Ningbo (Incoterms 2020) | 术语必须带地点，版本写明避免争议 |
05结尾与落款：把下一步交给对方，但要小
结尾句的任务是降低对方的回复成本。不要写「如有任何问题请随时联系」——它没有具体动作。
| 你要的 | 结尾句 |
|---|---|
| 要一个确认 | Please confirm by 20 March so we can book the vessel on 8 April. |
| 要一份资料 | Could you send the artwork in PDF by Friday? That will keep us on schedule for the 8 April vessel. |
| 只要对方知情 | No action needed from your side — I'll update you once the goods are on board. |
| 坏消息 / 拒绝 | I hope this works for you, and I'm happy to look at alternatives if it doesn't. |
| 留门等回访 | If the timing isn't right, just let me know when to check back. |
落款的四种
| 落款 | 适用 | 备注 |
|---|---|---|
| Best regards, | 默认，任何关系都能用 | 最安全的选择 |
| Kind regards, | 比 Best regards 稍正式 | 英式更常见 |
| Best, | 已熟悉的客户、内部同事 | 首次联系别用，显得太随意 |
| Yours sincerely, | 英式正式函件，已知姓名 | 传统外贸信函仍在用；邮件里可省 |
签名控制在四行内：姓名 · 职位 / 公司 / 电话与可即时联系的账号。 免责声明、公司历史、八条认证请放到附件或官网，塞进签名只会让客户找不到你。
06语气：同一件事的三档分寸
外贸邮件里最容易翻车的四件事——催款、拒绝降价、通知延误、拒绝索赔——都有一个共同点： 事实必须明确，态度必须留门。下面每组给三档，从硬到软。
A. 催一笔已逾期的尾款
| 档位 | 写法 | 什么时候用 |
|---|---|---|
| 直接 | Invoice INV-2026-0315 for USD 8,400 fell due on 12 March and remains unpaid. Please arrange payment within 5 working days; otherwise we will have to hold the next shipment. | 已催过两次、关系一般、对方在拖 |
| 中性 | Our records show invoice INV-2026-0315 (USD 8,400, due 12 March) is still open. Could you check with your finance team and confirm the payment date? | 首次提醒，多数情况用这档 |
| 委婉 | I'd like to check whether invoice INV-2026-0315 has reached your finance team — it may simply have crossed with our last statement. If it helps, I can resend the invoice with the PO number on it. | 老客户、金额小、怀疑是流程问题 |
B. 拒绝客户要求的降价
| 档位 | 写法 | 什么时候用 |
|---|---|---|
| 直接 | We cannot accept USD 11.20/pc. Our floor price for 500 pcs is USD 12.40, and it already reflects the current copper price. | 对方明显试探底线、量大且不愁客户 |
| 中性 | USD 11.20 is below our cost at this quantity. If you can take 1,000 pcs, we can offer USD 11.90; at 500 pcs our best is USD 12.20. | 想保住客户、愿意用数量换价格 |
| 委婉 | I'd like to make this work. The gap is mostly the copper surcharge and the 3-year driver warranty — if we shorten the warranty to 2 years, we can meet you at USD 11.80. | 长期客户，愿意改配置而不是降价 |
C. 通知交期延误
| 档位 | 写法 | 什么时候用 |
|---|---|---|
| 直接 | The ETD has moved from 10 March to 18 March because our driver supplier was eight days late. The revised schedule is confirmed. | 客户只关心新日期、且关系稳固 |
| 中性 | I'm sorry to let you know that the ETD has moved to 18 March. The driver batch failed our incoming inspection and had to be replaced. We have confirmed the new date with the carrier. | 多数情况的标准写法 |
| 委婉 | I have some news you won't like: the ETD is now 18 March instead of 10 March. Rather than ship a batch that failed inspection, we chose to replace the drivers. To protect your line, we can air-freight 100 pcs at our cost this week. | 客户产线会停、需要立刻给补偿方案 |
D. 拒绝客户的索赔要求
| 档位 | 写法 | 什么时候用 |
|---|---|---|
| 直接 | The damage shown in the photos is consistent with rough handling after arrival. Under CFR terms, risk passes to you once the goods are on board, so this claim falls outside our liability. | 金额大、已确认责任不在我方 |
| 中性 | We've checked the photos against our pre-shipment inspection report, and the cartons left the factory intact. This points to transit damage, which should be raised with the carrier. We're happy to help you file it. | 标准写法：给依据 + 给协助 |
| 委婉 | I understand this is frustrating, and I don't want to leave you stuck. We can't book this as our liability, but I can send 20 replacement units at cost with your next order and help you claim against the carrier. | 老客户、要把关系保住 |
软化词与硬词的用法
软化：a little, slightly, it seems, we would suggest, unfortunately, I'm afraid, we may need to
硬：must, immediately, require, unless, failure to, we cannot accept
一封邮件里硬词最多出现一次，且必须紧跟具体事实（金额、日期、条款）。软化词堆三句以上，对方会判断你没立场——所以「软」不等于「全是客气话」。
硬：must, immediately, require, unless, failure to, we cannot accept
一封邮件里硬词最多出现一次，且必须紧跟具体事实（金额、日期、条款）。软化词堆三句以上，对方会判断你没立场——所以「软」不等于「全是客气话」。
07长度与减词：把话说短才是水平
中文习惯用四字词和铺垫表达礼貌，直译成英文就是冗长。下面五组是外贸邮件里最常见的「可以砍一半」的句子。
| 冗长 | 改成 | 省 |
|---|---|---|
| We would like to inform you that we have received your payment. | We confirm receipt of your payment. | 9 词 |
| In the event that the goods are found to be damaged, please do not hesitate to contact us. | If any goods arrive damaged, please let us know within 7 days. | 10 词 |
| We are of the opinion that the price is reasonable. | We consider the price reasonable. | 5 词 |
| Please be kindly noted that the lead time is 25 days. | The lead time is 25 days. | 6 词 |
| We are writing this email for the purpose of confirming your order. | This is to confirm your order. | 9 词 |
- 一句不超过 25 词。超过就拆成两句，中间加句号而不是逗号。
- 一段 2–4 句。手机上超过 5 行就会开始被跳读。
- 删掉「I would like to」「we are writing to」。这些是把自己放在句子前面，读者关心的是后面的事。
- 能一句说完就不写两段。长不是礼貌，短才是效率。
08注释范文：报价后第 5 天的跟进
这是最能体现「新信息代替催促」的一类邮件。客户没回，不代表拒绝，可能只是在比价。
- Subject
- Following up — quotation for 500 pcs LED Panel (RFQ-2603-18)
- To
- p.weber@nordlicht-gmbh.example
Dear Mr. Weber,
I'm following up on the quotation I sent on 12 March. I understand you may still be comparing offers, so let me add two points that usually matter at this stage.
First, our price is fixed until 25 March; after that a 3% copper surcharge applies.
Second, we currently hold 180 pcs in stock, which would let us ship within 10 days instead of 25.
If either point helps, tell me which version you'd like and I'll send the revised PI today. If the timing isn't right, just let me know when to check back.
Best regards,
Lin Tao · Export Sales
全文 96 词，没有一句「please reply」，但给了两个明确的回复理由。
- 主题行带 RFQ 号，客户搜单号时能立刻定位到这一串往来。
- 第一句说清跟进的是哪封（12 March），客户不用翻历史邮件。
- 「I understand you may still be comparing offers」——先承认对方的处境，这句话让后面的补充不像催促。
- 两条都是新信息：价格有效期、现货。重复「请问有进展吗」只会让对方更不想回。
- 结尾给两个出口：现在推进（今天就发 PI）/ 暂时不推进（告诉我何时再来）。任何一条都能换来一句回复。