The main purpose of writing business memos is to facilitate communication of information to various different employees within the same organization or members of other organizations.
A memo, especially for internal business communication, is normally used instead of the more traditional letter.
BEC Writing - Business Memo
Memos have a wide range of purposes. They can be used to transmit information about policy and strategy changes, internal staff promotions and other changes in personnel, provide an update on a project, or inform about new product offerings.
They are also commonly used to inform employees regarding meetings they should attend or changes in work procedures, or they might focus on a problem, for example, employees arriving late or being absent, or give useful feedback about a specific product or program.
There are some key points to consider when you are preparing to draft your business memo. You should think about your audience (the people who will read it), and only send your memo to people who really need to read the information in it. Also, it is wise to take care if you need to communicate confidential information; it may be better achieved by arranging a face-to-face meeting with the people concerned.
The tone (and style) of your memo should normally be quite formal, so it is important to select the words you use appropriately. It is not professional to be very informal and use slang etc. It is best to be concise (to the point) and clear above all else. Try to use active language rather than passive forms if you can. For example, "We need to find a quick solution for the problem." rather than, "The problem needs a quick solution."
How to organize your business memo
Memo SectionsMost business memos normally have a header section, an opening or introductory section, the main section (the body), and then a closing or final section to finish the memo off.
HeaderThis section clearly states the names of the people who will receive your memo (the recipients). It should include the date your memo is sent and the subject of your memo. Decide who you are going to send your memo to. Take care to spell their names correctly and also use their complete name and titles if any (Dr. etc.).
The subject should be written to communicate the main purpose (reason for your memo). For example, "Urgent Meeting for all production managers on Monday, August 9" is better than simply "Meeting". Your memo header should look like this: TO: (recipients' names and job titles) FROM: (your name and job title) DATE: (current date) SUBJECT: (purpose of your memo / reason for your memo)
OpeningThis section should clearly state the reason for the memo. It is normally quite short or brief, typically a few sentences. Save the main details of your memo for the main section (the body) of your memo.
If you need to write a longer memo (more than a page), then you can use the opening section to include an overview of the memo and what it includes.
BodyIn the main section (the body) of your memo, you should include all the relevant information the reader will need. Try to start with the most important points first and then follow with less important (but still relevant) information. Avoid writing about things that are not relevant or important for the reader. Remember that business memos are supposed to be short and to the point, everyone is very busy and they don't always have time to read a lengthy multiple page memo. Be brief, be concise, and be informative.
If you have to write a long memo, then use headings to guide the reader. Formatting information into lists and bullet points can also help readers absorb the information more quickly.
ClosingUse the closing section of your memo to indicate any recommendations, or action that needs to be taken by the reader, or if there is no specific action to be taken then you can reiterate the main message of the memo briefly. Try to end your memo on a positive note.
You should include your full contact details, just in case any of the readers do not already have them.
If there are any attachments, documents, graphs, files etc. then you can also indicate this in the closing section.
ConclusionIf you write your business memo well, your communication will be very efficient, informative and easy to read by the people who receive it.
