business communication assignment 1 memo

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Business Communication  - How to Write a Clear Business Memo

Business communication  -, how to write a clear business memo, business communication how to write a clear business memo.

Business Communication: How to Write a Clear Business Memo

Lesson 10: how to write a clear business memo.

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How to write a clear business memo

When you need to update your colleagues on important information or make an announcement at your workplace, a business memo can be an ideal way to address a specific audience in a formal context.

Watch the video below to learn how to write a business memo.

The basics of a business memo

While business memos and emails may look similar at first, a memo has some key differences. Memos are usually more formal than emails and are often used when you need to give your message a more official look. They can also be printed and distributed wherever this message would have the most impact.

Memos can be addressed to a single person or a group, so tailor your message to reflect the concerns of your audience. As with any business document, always remain professional and polite, even if you have to address a negative topic. An official memo is no place to single someone out in a critical way, so focus on facts and constructive plans for the future.

Writing a business memo

Business memos usually begin with a header section that lists recipients and other details in the following format:

• To : Include each recipient’s name and job title (for example, Miranda Lawson, Director of Marketing). If you're addressing a designated group, however, simply state the name of the group (for example, Accounting Department).
• From : Include your name and title.
• Date : Write out the complete date (for example, June 30, 2017).
• Subject : Make the subject brief and descriptive.

Most business memos skip the greeting (such as “Greetings, Ms. Lawson”) and immediately go into the body text. Whenever you start a paragraph in a memo, always put the main point of that paragraph first, as this makes your writing direct and easy to follow.

Generally, memos don’t include a farewell (such as “Sincerely, Tonya”), but it may be appropriate depending on your message or your company’s style. If you do include a farewell, make it brief.

As discussed in the Business Writing Essentials lesson, revision is vital for any quality document. Read over your writing to cut unnecessary material, clarify your main points, and proofread for grammar and factual errors. And before you submit your memo to your audience, consider getting feedback from a colleague to ensure your message is effective and professional.

Examples of business memos

Let’s explore a few business memos to see this lesson in action. We'll start with an example of a poorly written memo.

The example above is not acceptable. The body is unclear and rambling, there’s no subject line, and the main point of each paragraph is difficult to find. The message itself is also incredibly unprofessional, especially because it calls out a single person in a negative way.

Now let’s look at a stronger example.

This is much better! The body is concise and clear, and the main point is the first sentence in each paragraph. There’s also a strong subject line, and the message stays professional despite sharing negative news.

Whether you’re detailing a new policy change or updating staff on a new procedure, business memos are a powerful way to distribute information among your colleagues. As you practice and study, your memos will become more efficient and polished.

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9.2 Memorandums and Letters

Learning objectives.

• Discuss the purpose and format of a memo.
• Understand effective strategies for business memos.
• Describe the fifteen parts of a standard business letter.
• Access sample business letters and write a sample business letter.

A memo (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is normally used for communicating policies, procedures, or related official business within an organization. It is often written from a one-to-all perspective (like mass communication), broadcasting a message to an audience, rather than a one-on-one, interpersonal communication. It may also be used to update a team on activities for a given project, or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action, or observance.

Memo Purpose

A memo’s purpose is often to inform, but it occasionally includes an element of persuasion or a call to action. All organizations have informal and formal communication networks. The unofficial, informal communication network within an organization is often called the grapevine , and it is often characterized by rumor, gossip, and innuendo. On the grapevine, one person may hear that someone else is going to be laid off and start passing the news around. Rumors change and transform as they are passed from person to person, and before you know it, the word is that they are shutting down your entire department.

One effective way to address informal, unofficial speculation is to spell out clearly for all employees what is going on with a particular issue. If budget cuts are a concern, then it may be wise to send a memo explaining the changes that are imminent. If a company wants employees to take action, they may also issue a memorandum. For example, on February 13, 2009, upper management at the Panasonic Corporation issued a declaration that all employees should buy at least $1,600 worth of Panasonic products. The company president noted that if everyone supported the company with purchases, it would benefit all (Lewis, 2009).

While memos do not normally include a call to action that requires personal spending, they often represent the business or organization’s interests. They may also include statements that align business and employee interest, and underscore common ground and benefit.

Memo Format

A memo has a header that clearly indicates who sent it and who the intended recipients are. Pay particular attention to the title of the individual(s) in this section. Date and subject lines are also present, followed by a message that contains a declaration, a discussion, and a summary.

In a standard writing format, we might expect to see an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. All these are present in a memo, and each part has a clear purpose. The declaration in the opening uses a declarative sentence to announce the main topic. The discussion elaborates or lists major points associated with the topic, and the conclusion serves as a summary.

Let’s examine a sample memo.

Five Tips for Effective Business Memos

Audience orientation.

Always consider the audience and their needs when preparing a memo. An acronym or abbreviation that is known to management may not be known by all the employees of the organization, and if the memo is to be posted and distributed within the organization, the goal is clear and concise communication at all levels with no ambiguity.

Professional, Formal Tone

Memos are often announcements, and the person sending the memo speaks for a part or all of the organization. While it may contain a request for feedback, the announcement itself is linear, from the organization to the employees. The memo may have legal standing as it often reflects policies or procedures, and may reference an existing or new policy in the employee manual, for example.

Subject Emphasis

The subject is normally declared in the subject line and should be clear and concise. If the memo is announcing the observance of a holiday, for example, the specific holiday should be named in the subject line—for example, use “Thanksgiving weekend schedule” rather than “holiday observance.”

Direct Format

Some written business communication allows for a choice between direct and indirect formats, but memorandums are always direct. The purpose is clearly announced.

Objectivity

The words you choose represent you in your absence. Make sure they clearly communicate your message.

wetwebwork – I probably shouldn’t have called Maria the 4th best PM when she left… – CC BY 2.0.

Memos are a place for just the facts, and should have an objective tone without personal bias, preference, or interest on display. Avoid subjectivity.

Letters are brief messages sent to recipients that are often outside the organization (Bovee, C., & Thill, J., 2010). They are often printed on letterhead paper, and represent the business or organization in one or two pages. Shorter messages may include e-mails or memos, either hard copy or electronic, while reports tend to be three or more pages in length.

While e-mail and text messages may be used more frequently today, the effective business letter remains a common form of written communication. It can serve to introduce you to a potential employer, announce a product or service, or even serve to communicate feelings and emotions. We’ll examine the basic outline of a letter and then focus on specific products or writing assignments.

All writing assignments have expectations in terms of language and format. The audience or reader may have their own idea of what constitutes a specific type of letter, and your organization may have its own format and requirements. This chapter outlines common elements across letters, and attention should be directed to the expectations associated with your particular writing assignment. There are many types of letters, and many adaptations in terms of form and content, but in this chapter, we discuss the fifteen elements of a traditional block-style letter.

Letters may serve to introduce your skills and qualifications to prospective employers, deliver important or specific information, or serve as documentation of an event or decision. Regardless of the type of letter you need to write, it can contain up to fifteen elements in five areas. While you may not use all the elements in every case or context, they are listed in Table 9.1 “Elements of a Business Letter” .

Table 9.1 Elements of a Business Letter

Strategies for Effective Letters

Remember that a letter has five main areas:

• The heading, which establishes the sender, often including address and date
• The introduction, which establishes the purpose
• The body, which articulates the message
• The conclusion, which restates the main point and may include a call to action
• The signature line, which sometimes includes the contact information

A sample letter is shown in Figure 9.5 “Sample Business Letter” .

Figure 9.5 Sample Business Letter

Always remember that letters represent you and your company in your absence. In order to communicate effectively and project a positive image,

• be clear, concise, specific, and respectful;
• each word should contribute to your purpose;
• each paragraph should focus on one idea;
• the parts of the letter should form a complete message;
• the letter should be free of errors.

Key Takeaways

• Memos are brief business documents usually used internally to inform or persuade employees concerning business decisions on policy, procedure, or actions.
• Letters are brief, print messages often used externally to inform or persuade customers, vendors, or the public.
• A letter has fifteen parts, each fulfilling a specific function.
• Find a memo from your work or business, or borrow one from someone you know. Share it with your classmates, observing confidentiality by blocking out identifying details such as the name of the sender, recipient, and company. Compare and contrast.
• Create a draft letter introducing a product or service to a new client. Post and share with classmates.
• Write a memo informing your class that an upcoming holiday will be observed. Post and share with classmates.
• Find a business letter (for example, an offer you received from a credit card company or a solicitation for a donation) and share it with your classmates. Look for common elements and points of difference.
• Now that you have reviewed a sample letter, and learned about the five areas and fifteen basic parts of any business letter, write a business letter that informs a prospective client or customer of a new product or service.

Bovee, C., & Thill, J. (2010). Business communication essentials: a skills-based approach to vital business English (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lewis, L. (2009, February 13). Panasonic orders staff to buy £1,000 in products . Retrieved from http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/japan/article5723942.ece .

Business Communication for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

How to Write a Business Memo

Learn how to effectively communicate your ideas, decisions, requests, and announcements to your team.

A memo, or memorandum, is one of the most common forms of business communication. While the way memos are distributed has changed – emails have taken the place of printed notes and physical company notice boards – they still play a crucial role in keeping all employees on the same page.

Let's dive deeper into what a business memo is and how to write it effectively.

What is a business memo?

Business memo format, how to write a business memo, business memo template.

A memo is a note or a document distributed within an organization to share information . The term comes from the Latin word "memorandum", meaning "notable" or "memorable".

Memos are often used to effectively communicate ideas, decisions, requests, or announcements to large groups of employees, like your entire department or everyone at the company – for example, a new internal policy introduction, a reminder the clean the shared breakroom, or an invitation to attend a staff party.

A memo allows companies to disseminate information and communicate with their teams asynchronously , without having to schedule extra meetings or communicate important announcements one line at a time on Slack.

Here is an example of a business memo created in Nuclino , a unified workspace for all your team's knowledge, docs, and projects:

A memo in a business wiki (created in Nuclino )

Nuclino can be a great solution for sharing memos and collaborating on documents , but it can serve equally well as an internal knowledge base , a project management tool , a technical documentation tool , and more. It works like a collective brain, allowing you to bring all your team's work together and collaborate without the chaos of files and folders, context switching, or silos.

Although they can take different forms, business memos are always brief, clear, single-subject documents. They follow a simple structure and usually include the following sections:

Date: Include the full date of the memo.

To: Include each recipient’s name and job title. If you're addressing a group – a team, a department, or the entire company – simply state the name of the group.

From: Include your name and title.

Subject: Keep the subject brief and clear.

Body: Concisely summarize the issue.

It may also be helpful to include the business phone number or email address of someone who can address any follow-up queries.

The tone of business memos tends to be fairly friendly and informal. A signature is usually not included, but it may be appropriate depending on your message or your company’s style.

When it comes to writing memos, there are several simple dos and don'ts to keep in mind:

Get to the point immediately. Structure the memo so that the most important information comes in the beginning. Don't write detailed introductions or give extensive overviews of the topic, start with the reason you are writing this memo.

Use bullet points. If you have several issues to cover, structure them as a bulleted list. This will make your memo easier to read and digest.

Use headings. If the memo is longer than one paragraph, consider dividing the body into several sections to allow the readers to quickly scan the contents.

Be succinct. Keep the memo focused on one main point. If you want to provide your readers with more information, link to other resources and keep the document no longer than 1-2 pages.

Use a template: When you find a format that works for your company or your team, stick to it and use it consistently. Create a memo template and share it with your colleagues.

Don't print it out: Avoid distributing printed out memos – you will end up with important memos buried under other paperwork on your employees' desks and outdated memos creating confusion. Instead, share the memo online, for example, through your internal wiki or company intranet .

Don't discard old memos: Another good reason to have a dedicated tool for your memos – such as a wiki or knowledge base software – is that it gives you one central place to organize all your memos. Chances are, you may want to revisit an old memo in the future, and you wouldn't want to waste any time hunting through your inbox.

If your company doesn't have a team wiki , you can easily create one in Nuclino . Nuclino is a collaborative workspace that will not only make it easy to share memos with your team, but also allow your colleagues to give their input.

Your team can ask questions and share their feedback directly in the document, so that you can be sure your memo got the message across. Use comments and mention individual members or groups to send them a notification and grab their attention.

Make sure to create a template for your memos and have it used by the entire team. If all your memos have a consistent style and structure, they will be much easier to write and understand.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to writing memos, but most companies use a similar format. Copy and customize this memo template for your own team:

Business memo template (created in Nuclino )

Writing memos may seem like a trivial task, but it's a fundamental part of internal communication for every organization.

If the memo doesn't reach its intended audience or is written in an unclear way, it may end up creating confusion and resulting in unnecessary meetings just to get everyone on the same page. When done correctly, however, a memo can be one of the most effective ways to share information and keep your team aligned.

Nuclino : Your team's collective brain

Nuclino brings all your team's knowledge, docs, and projects together in one place. It's a modern, simple, and blazingly fast way to collaborate, without the chaos of files and folders, context switching, or silos.

Create a central knowledge base and give your team a single source of truth.

Collaborate in real time or asynchronously and spend less time in meetings.

Manage and document your projects in one place without losing context.

Organize, sort, and filter all kinds of data with ease.

Integrate the tools you love , like Slack, Google Drive, Figma, Lucidchart, and more.

Ready to get started?

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4.15: Assignment- Communicating in Business

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Your task is to read the statements below and rate your perception of your communication skills.

• Download a PDF of this form here.
• Download a .docx file of this form here.

After rating your skills, write a short response to the following questions (max 500 words)

• What are your strongest and weakest skills?
• How do you think this class will help you improve or  build upon your current communication skill set?

Your task is to write an email to your instructor to introduce yourself. Put your first and last name and the assignment title in the subject line. For example: Maria Ruiz Assignment 1

Your message should address the following:

• Reasons for taking this class
• Your career goals (short term/long term)
• Familiarity with computer technology
• A brief discussion of how you view your current communication skill levels. Were there any parts of the quiz that surprised you? What are your strongest and weakest skills?
• Is there anything in the class/syllabus that worries you? Any topic you are excited about or have extensive experience with?

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• Assignment: Communicating in Business. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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2.15: Assignment- Writing In Business- Analyzing a Memo

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Understanding the functions of interoffice memos is crucial when choosing the best communication channel in the workplace. Being able to analyze the audience and purpose of a scenario is an important skill to help you justify the necessity and effectiveness of a memo.

Download this memo, in which a university president addresses the employees at the university:

• Sample memo (.docx)
• Sample memo (PDF)

After reading the memo carefully answer the following questions:

• Based on what we have read on audience and purpose in this module, describe your thoughts on the memo content and format.
• Did the writer choose the best delivery channel for this message?
• Are there any places you believe the writer could be more clear?

Be prepared to share your answers and findings in class during a follow-up discussion.

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• Assignment: Writing In Business: Analyzing a Memo. Authored by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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Chapter 2: Writing in Business

Assignment: writing in business: analyzing a memo.

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• Assignment: Writing In Business: Analyzing a Memo. Authored by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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