Memos are good examples of technical writing, which help to declare the meaning of a particular subject. With this type of letter, you can easily explain the purpose of the topic and provide necessary information to the reader or listener. People often use this style in communication before meeting to announce the subjects for discussion.
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Knowledge of writing excellent memos is essential not only for business people but for students as well. They often learn how to write a memo and use it to get benefits in their studies. When students finish college or university, they will know the basics of business ethics and will write memos by classic standards. In this article, we present flawless tips that will help you to create a custom memo and engage everyone in the subject you describe.
How to Start a Memo
To write the most effective memo, you have to research specific information on the subject. Your reader needs to find a solution to their requests. However, research is not enough. Prepare the structure of your memorandum and keep in mind everything you want to include in each chapter.
Usually, the structure of the memo looks like this:
1. Memo heading
The line “From,” where you mention a person or group who is sending the memo.
The line “To,” where you mention the person or company to whom you address the memo.
In the line “RE:” you can include the short subject of your memo.
Include the date.
2. Introduction
This is the top-head of your memo. You can include a logo or letterhead or write your name and job title. Begin the letter with a friendly opening. The tone of the digital memo shouldn’t be as formal as a written business letter. Stay confident as in the communication between colleagues.
3. Purpose
This part contains the task segment. Briefly lead in the reason for the reader in the second paragraph of the memo.
4. Body
After the purpose, you can start the third paragraph of a memo by submitting the information. When making a recommendation, include not only the positive details but also the drawbacks and diffuse them yourself. The third paragraph presents the situation and states the writer’s proposal. Support your point of view with a detailed explanation.
5. Conclusion
The conclusions are always drawn from the results. Present in the fourth paragraph an action statement. The summary segment will help your reader to know what they need to do with the information you present in the memo.
6. Closing
Finish your memo with the fifth paragraph by politely encouraging the reader to carry out an action they didn’t expect to take before reading your message. If your memorandum is digital, you can replace the logo or letterhead from the introduction here. Write your name and job title as well.
If you are curious about the length of the memo, remember that it depends on how much space is required to explain the procedure correctly.
Remember to save the format of your memo and stick to one-inch margins on all four sides. Also, avoid mixing fonts, blocks, and modified block formats.
In any case, with these simple steps, you will know how to format a memo and reach the reader’s attention efficiently.
Types of Memos
Memos are used mostly for communication between business companies and organizations. They resemble letters within concise information they bring to readers.
There are different types of memos you can read. On your subject’s basis, the memorandums can be divided into different categories. Choose what is best for you and follow the writing instructions concerning these categories:
Directive Memo
If you want to state a policy or procedure, you need the reader or co-worker to follow it, so you should learn how to write a good policy memo. When companies change their rules or working conditions, they usually write their employees directive memos.
Persuasive Memo
In a persuasive memo, you have to always keep your reader’s feelings in mind. Predict the possible reaction of the reader to your writing. What would convince them most readily? How much should you appeal to emotion, and how much should you rely on logic?
Technical Memo
A technical memo works by the consistency principle. You present the results to the reader and include a logical progression, which is essential for further analysis. The same rules concern when you are looking for how to write a good legal memo.
Request Memo
The request memo often asks the reader to react with a response. An author of this type of memo should convince the recipient as strongly as they can to get a positive reply. People also use this type of memo to request the service to commit an act or make a decision in a controversial situation.
Announcement Memo
This type of memo gives positive or negative news that happened inside the business structure. Opening a vacancy or giving promotions are also essential information for people in a company, where some workers will have new responsibilities or move to a new job.
Authorization Memo
This type of memo deals with the situation where an author wants a recipient to take a certain action.
For example, a holder of a bank account may write a letter to the bank to authorize someone else to act instead of them or confirm a transaction. Airline companies can also require a letter of authorization from a customer. A memo can also authorize someone to collect tickets in your name from a post office or to rent a car.
This type of memo is commonly used in the business world, where a customer would authorize changes to a certain, preexisting agreement, or give a business authorization to complete a task.
How to End a Memo
With the format guidelines we presented earlier, you can understand the basics of how to finish a memorandum. In this section, we will give you more information on how to end your memo for different purposes.
Commonly, the reader doesn’t need to have an emotional reaction to what you mentioned in the memo. The last paragraph usually ends with a call to action that the author creates for readers. If your memo is longer than an academic page, you can include a separate summary segment. However, this section is not necessary for short memos and shouldn’t take a lot of space. The text here provides a brief statement of the key recommendations for your reader. They should reach the main idea of your memo in a proper conclusion in the final. Here you can place references to methods and sources you have used in your research if your memo has scholarly intention.
A memo is an important part of a conversation in the business world that makes our lives easier. Whether you study in college or university, it is essential to know how to write a good memo not only for educational purposes but for future career needs. With these useful tips we shared with you, you will become more familiar with how to write an effective memo and the basis of writing etiquette as well. Good luck with your studies and completing engaging memos!