Many people think business writing is strictly writing corporate publications, technical manuals, ads and the like. They forget about the business writing that almost everyone has done at some point: Writing a business memo.

This is an important but often overlooked skill.

Here’s how to write a business memo that gets results.
As with all kinds of business writing, you need to start with a goal. What do you want to accomplish with your memo? Outline a new policy? Remind people about company procedures? Congratulate someone on his or her achievement. As the saying goes, you can’t reach a goal if you don’t have one.

Also consider who will be receiving your memo. Is it for your boss? Your colleagues? A client (or potential client)? How long have they been with the company? Is a casual or more formal style preferred?

Once you’ve considered these two items, you’re ready to start writing your memo. Start with the To: line. Be sure to list everyone who needs to know the information. You should also be sure to exclude everyone who does not need the information.

Next include the date. As with any business writing, the date can be very important later on if you have to develop a paper trail (a chronology of what happened and when). The date should be the date you sent the memo, not the date you wrote it.

Now include the subject line. It’s always helpful if briefly list what your memo is about to help the recipient figure out how important it is.

Finally include the body of the memo itself. Provide the essential information and what action you expect the recipient to take. If he or she is supposed to contact you, be sure to include your name, title, phone number and email address. Include a deadline date and possibly a course of action if no response is received.

By definition a memo is brief. If you find yours is longer than one page, either edit the information or determine another way to communicate the information (i.e., a meeting, a formal letter or a short report).

When you are writing your memo, use a simple writing style. Use active voice (i.e., noun followed by verb).

For example, say I sent the letter rather than the letter was sent. Avoid using adjectives or pompous language like paradigm or utilize. Don’t use buzzwords or cliches like win-win or thinking outside the box or synergize. These take the power away from you message. (You don’t want your memo used as the next sample in Buzzword Bingo.)

When you’ve finished writing your memo, proofread it carefully. Did you include all the essential information? Did you include all intended recipients (with names spelled correctly), date, course of action and deadlines? Check for typos and other errors. You may want to ask someone else to read your memo to ensure it has the proper tone.

For business writing to be successful, it must be clear and succinct. This is especially true for memos. Write a clean, simple business memo and get the results you need quickly.

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