Exhibit 10.24

                              [Eloquent Letterhead]


June 6, 2001


Ed Molkenbuhr
12 Sharon Avenue
Piedmont, CA 94611


Dear Ed:

I am pleased to offer you the position of President at Eloquent, and to nominate
you as a  corporate  officer.  In this  position,  you will  report to the Chief
Executive Officer, Clifford Reid. In this assignment you will be responsible for
all of the operations of the company,  and you will be expected to contribute to
other general company functions as needed.

Your base  salary will be at a rate of $18,750 per month.  In  addition,  I will
recommend to the Board of Directors  that you  participate in the 2001 Executive
Incentive  Bonus  Program,  and be  eligible  to be  considered  for  an  annual
incentive  bonus with a target  amount equal to $150,000 for the full year.  The
amount of your incentive bonus will be pro rated for 2001 based on the number of
months you are employed  during the remainder of this year. Your incentive bonus
shall be awarded based on criteria agreed upon by the Board of Directors  within
90 days of the start of your employment.

As a further incentive,  we will recommend to the Board of Directors that you be
granted an option to purchase  400,000  shares of Eloquent,  Inc.  common stock,
subject to the terms and conditions of the Eloquent Stock Option Plan and Option
Agreement.  These  shares are subject to vesting and to the  company's  right to
repurchase  the  shares at your  cost  should  your  employment  terminate.  The
company's repurchase right would expire with respect to 100,000 shares following
twelve  months of  continuous  employment,  and  expire  with  respect  to 8,333
additional shares for each subsequent month of employment thereafter.

As part of your  employment you will be eligible to participate in the company's
benefits  plan,  descriptions  of which  will be  provided  to you.  You will be
eligible for three weeks of vacation per year, which accrues at the rate of 1.25
days per month of employment.

Eloquent  will give you an Employee  Handbook and other  information  concerning
standard  policies  and  benefits.  Eloquent  may  modify,  revoke,  suspend  or
terminate any of the terms, plans,  policies and/or procedures  described in the
Employee  Handbook or otherwise  communicated to you in whole or in part, at any
time, with or without notice.
<PAGE>
Your employment with Eloquent is at will, and therefore may be terminated by you
or the company at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and with or
without notice.  However, we will propose to the Board of Directors that we sign
a mutual  agreement  stating,  among other  things,  that if your  employment is
terminated by the company  without  cause,  Eloquent will continue to compensate
you $18,750 per month,  plus a continuation of the health plan benefits in place
at that time, for six months  following such a termination.  No additional stock
vesting will take place during this period. This would be your sole compensation
of involuntary termination.  There would, of course, be no compensation, if your
employment is terminated other than without cause by the company.

In accordance with  Eloquent's  standard  policy,  this offer is contingent upon
your  completing  and  executing  the  enclosed   Confidential  and  Proprietary
Information  Agreement  and  completing  the standard  new  employee  enrollment
documentation on your first day of work.

This offer is valid through June 18th, 2001. You may indicate your acceptance of
this offer by signing the acknowledgment  below,  indicating your intended start
date, and returning it to me by June 18th, 2001.

Ed,  we  are  all  looking  forward  to  your  joining  the  Eloquent  team  and
contributing to this exciting business.

Sincerely,

/s/ Clifford A. Reid

Clifford A. Reid
Chairman & CEO


/s/ M. Edward Molkenbuhr                June 6, 2001         June 20, 2001
-----------------------------           -------------        -------------------
Accepted by                             Date Accepted        Intended Start Date


Attachments
Confidential and Proprietary Information Agreement