Communications in the office or for company purposes have to be done in an official manner no matter how little the communication may seem. That is the purpose of a memo or memorandum. Their purpose is to inform employees of anything big or small that is happening in the office.
Memos can come in two forms:
- Notes – Memos can be in the form of notes left on the company information or bulletin boards. They can even be left on your desk or table.
- Emails – Most often, memos are sent as an email. This would make sense, too, since companies usually provide company email addresses to their employees, making it easier for official company communications to be sent to employees via their official company email addresses.
Steps to write an impressive business memo
Here are the steps in writing an impressive business memo:
Additional resource: If you want to learn from a professional writer, check out Daniel Pink’s business writing course on HubSpot Academy.
1. Put a label on it
There are many other forms of communication in a company. So if you are writing a memo, be clear about it and label it as such. You can do this by simply writing memo or memorandum at the top center of the file or paper.
2. Do not forget to fill out the heading
The heading consists of four parts. The first part is where you put the names or the department for which the memorandum was made. The second is where you put the name of who made the memo. Third, is the subject or topic of the memo. And lastly, the date the memo was made or sent out, complete with the month, day and year.
3. No need for salutations
Unlike in letters, you can skip the salutations part in a memo. After the heading, you can dive immediately to the body of the memo.
4. Give a summary on the subject of the memo
In the first paragraph of the memo, make sure to give a summary of the subject or topic of the memo. When doing so, be concise about it. Skip the flowery words and be direct and on point. For example, if you are writing a memo about policy changes, your first paragraph must discuss the specific policy change in the first paragraph. It can go like this:
“ Starting April 3, 2019 the company will be implementing a new policy regarding the use of computers in the office…”
You can discuss the specifics of the subject in three or four sentences.
5. Provide the details
In the second paragraph of the body, you can discuss further details on the subject. Here you can discuss the background or give context as to the contents of the first paragraph. For example, as a continuation of the given example above, you can discuss the pros and cons of the new policy and what the consequences will be in failing to comply with said policy.
6. Call for action
In instances where there is a need for action in response to the memo, you can reiterate that call for action after the details have been laid out. For memos that do not need an action, you can simply write “No actions required”.
7. End with a conclusion
As an end to the memo, your conclusion can be a positive call to action like “I am hoping for your support”, or a simple thank you. This depends on what the subject of the memo is. But as a general rule, always end it in a positive tone.
8. Proofread
Before sending out the note or printing it out, always make sure that you have read it a couple of times. Check for typos, grammatical errors and make it as short as possible. No employee likes to waste their time reading memos.
Be direct in stating the subject and the actions required to solve the issue at hand. If you think that the information you have written in the memo is not important, then erase it.
Try not to incorporate your feelings on the memo. Remember, a memo is an official company communication so it should sound professional, not emotional.
When writing a memo, it is important to know the proper way of delivering the necessary information so that it is impressive, and it looks and sounds professional. Remember, your colleagues and bosses will be reading it so make sure that you do not embarrass yourself.
