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Business Memo

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Krishnamoorthy Ramakrishnan
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158 views

Business Memo

Uploaded by

Krishnamoorthy Ramakrishnan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A business memo helps members of an organization communicate without

the need for time-consuming meetings. It is an efficient and effective way to


convey information within an organization.

Use memos rather than letters when you are communicating within your
organization, including members of your department, upper management,
employees at another company location, etc.

Memos solve problems either by introducing new information to the reader


like policy changes or new products being introduced, or by persuading the
reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, rinse the coffeepot when
empty, or change a current work procedure.

The writing style of a business memo is somewhat formal but it doesn't have
to sound intimidating. Your aim in writing a memo is the same as with other
correspondence: You want to effectively communicate your purpose to your
reader.

Memos are most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with
the interests and needs of the reader. When planning your memo, be sure to
think about it from your reader's perspective: Pretend you are the recipient
and ask yourself:

1. How is this relevant to me?


2. What, specifically, do you want me to do?
3. What's in it for me?

Heading Segment

Begin the memo with a heading segment, following this format:

MEMORANDUM

TO: (readers' names and job titles)


FROM: (your name and job title)
DATE:
SUBJECT: (specifically what the memo is
about)

Make sure you address the reader by her or his correct name and job title.
Courtesy titles are not necessary but make sure you spell everyone's names
properly and don't use informal nicknames.
Use a job title after your name, and hand write your initials by your name.
This confirms that you take responsibility for the contents of the memo.

Be specific and concise in your subject line. For example, "computers" could
mean anything from a new purchase of computers to a mandatory software
class for employees. Instead use something like, "Turning Computers off at
Night."

This also makes filing and retrieving the memo easy.

Opening Segment

Begin your memo by stating the problem--that is, what led to the need for
the memo. Perhaps a shipment has not arrived, a scheduled meeting has
been canceled, or a new employee is starting tomorrow.

After stating the problem, indicate the purpose clearly: Are you announcing
a meeting, welcoming a new employee, or asking for input on adopting a
new policy about lunch hour length?

Discussion Segment

In the discussion segment, give details about the problem, Don't ramble on
incessantly, but do give enough information for decision makers to resolve
the problem. Describe the task or assignment with details that support your
opening paragraph (problem).

Closing Segment

After the reader has absorbed all of your information, close with a courteous
ending that states what action you want your reader to take.

Should they hand email their reports rather than hand in hard copies?
Attend a meeting? Chip in for someone's birthday cake? A simple statement
like, "Thank you for rinsing the coffeepot after pouring  the last cup" is polite
and clearly states what action to take.

Traditionally memos aren't signed. However, it is becoming more common


for memos to close the way letters do, with a typed signature under a
handwritten signature. Follow your company's example for this.

For memos that are essentially informal reports or instructional documents,


make the memo no more than one page long. In a memo, less is more.
Summary Segment

If your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include a separate
summary segment. This part provides a brief statement of the
recommendations you have reached. These will help your reader understand
the key points of the memo immediately.

To further clarify your meaning, keep these formatting ideas in mind:

 Headings help the reader skim for sections of the document.


 Numbered and bulleted lists make information easy to scan. Be
careful to make lists parallel in grammatical form.
 Font sizes, underlining, bolding, and italicizing make headings
and important information stand out.
 As in all technical and business communications, long
paragraphs of dense text make reading more difficult. Therefore,
keep your paragraphs short and to the point.

Now that you know how to write a proper memo, you can be sure that your
readers will understand your intentions.

Copyright, Linda Elizabeth Alexander

Linda Elizabeth Alexander writes marketing copy for nonprofits and other businesses. Visit her website
TODAY for other informative business writing articles: http://www.write2thepointcom.com/articles.html

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