1. Lecture 21 Professional Communication
Memorandum Writing

2. Summary What is an email? Techniques to write effective emails
When to use
Effective Subject Lines
Content and Style
Format
Signatures
Professionalism
etiquettes

3. What is Memorandum?
Memorandum is a written correspondence only within company.
Its an important mean by which employees communicate with each other.
Its an informal report.

4. Memorandums are: Less threatening Readily accessible Easy to adapt
Used for many purposes
Can be for all levels

5. What should you know about Business Memos? They . . .
are used within an organization
usually are informal in style
normally function as a non-sensitive communication
are short and to-the-point
have a business tone / no slang or jokes
do not require a salutation (formal greeting)
do not have a complimentary closing as does a business letter (END)
have a format very different from a business letter
may address one person or a group of individuals

6. Memos Audience recognition: In-house Acronyms/Internal Abbreviations
Style:
Simple words
Readable Sentences
Specific Detail
Highlighting Techniques
Grammar:
Grammatical Conversations

7. Formatting a . . .
Business
Memo

8. Basic Elements of Memorandum Format
Date:
To:
From:
Subject:
Memo Report:
Names of receivers:

9. Memo Sample College of Business Administration Business Communication
Memorandum
Date:     September 10, 2007
To:         CBA Students
From:     Dale Coattail
Sunject:         How to Write a Memo
Your instructor has asked you to write a memo, which is the most common form of written communication in business. In order to perform this task successfully, you should conform to general business standards of content, format, structure and language use. Regarding Content, the first rule of writing a good memo is "Get to the point!" The second rule is "Know what your purpose is." Before you start writing, be sure that you know what your "answer" is to the boss's or colleague's question. Don't include all your thinking in the memo. While several pages of thinking might get written as you come up with the answer, the memo includes only the answer. Citations, financials, or justifications that must be available to the reader can be added as appendices or written as a separate, formal report. The memo should include only those ideas that are required for the reader's action or decision.
Format This memo is an example of memo format. Note especially the routing information, the use of headings, and the single spaced block paragraphs.  If your memo looks like a memo, there's a better chance a business reader will take your ideas seriously.  If you are working in a CBA lab, the easiest way to duplicate the proper memo format is to use a template.  (Select "new" from the File MENU and select the "memo" tab on the dialogue box.)   
Structure The typical memo is only 2 or 3 paragraphs and fits on one page. The first paragraph summarizes the gist of the whole memo, then the main points are covered in the same order they were previewed. Again, this memo provides an example of the typical structure.
Language Use A memo is often less formal than a letter, but should still be written with a businesslike tone. You can be friendly, but not cute. Your professional image depends on perfect spelling and grammar, but you can usually get away with a few "down home" expressions. Edit for wordiness and get directly to the point. Use language to communicate your ideas effectively and efficiently. (END)
cc:          Your Instructor
Headings w/ routing information
Executive Summary or Introduction
Start the Body / Body Headings
Special note

10. Guidelines for writing Memos
Place DATE, TO, FROM, SUBECT at left hand margin
Place DATE to the right (optional)
Follow each item with a colon
Lace names of people below the message
Name the contents in subject line
Signature must occur at right of your typed name

11. Memo Writing Process
Pre-Writing
Writing
Re-Writing

12. Memo Writing Process
Pre-Writing
Clustering
Mind mapping

13. Writing Memo Writing Process Review your Pre-writing
Determine your focus (topic sentence)
Clarify your audience
Review memo criteria (what a memo entails)
Organize your ideas (Chronology)
Write the draft

14. Re-writing Memo Writing Process Add new detail for clarity (5 W’s)
Delete dead words/phrases (conciseness)
Simplify words/phrases
Move information from top to bottom/bottom to up

15. Types of Memos Student Written Memo Professionally Written Memo
Professionally Written Compare-and-Contrast Memo
Professionally Written Problem-Solution Memo

16. Lets Practice one!
A major project is being introduced at work. Write a Directive Memo, as a Director, informing your work team of their individual work and responsibilities. Your team comprises Marketing Manager, Assistant Manager, Finance Officer and Field Officer.

17. Memos VS Letters VS Email

18. Destination Memos Letters E-mail Internal
Correspondence written to colleagues within a company
Letters
External
Correspondence written outside the business
Internal or external
Correspondence written to personal friends as well as business associates

19. Format Memos Letters E-mail Identification lines include: Includes:
Date To
From
Subject
The message follows
Letters
Includes:
Letter-head address
Reader's address
Salutation
Text
Complimentary close
Signatures
From (writer’s name, and address)
Sent (date of transmission)
To (reader's name and address)

20. Audience Memos Letters E-mail Generally high-tech or low-tech
Mostly business colleagues
Letters
Generally low-tech and lay readers
Such as vendors and clients
Generally multiple readers with various levels of knowledge
Could include instructors
Company supervisors
Subordinates as well as family and friends

21. Topic Memos Letters E-mail
Generally high-tech to low-tech; abbreviations and acronym often allowed
Letters
Generally low-tech to lay; abbreviations and acronyms usually defined
A wide range of diverse topics determined by audience

22. Tone Memos Letters E-mail Informal Peer audience More formal
Audience of vendors and clients
Usually informal
Due to the “conversational” nature of electronic communication

23. Attachments or Enclosures
Memos
Hard-copy attachments can be stapled to memo
Complimentary copies can be sent to other readers
Letters
Additional information can be enclosed within the envelope
Computer files
Active links and downable graphics can be attached

24. Structure Memos Letters E-mail Typically 8 ½” * 11” with 1” margins
80 characters per line
55 lines per page
Letters
Typically one viewable screen with characters per line
12-14 lines per screen
Beyond these parameters, a reader must scroll

25. Security Memos Letters E-mail
If the company’s mail delivery is reliable, the memo will be placed in the reader's mailbox
Security depends on the ethics of co-workers and whether the memo was sent within an envelope
Letters
Privacy laws protect the letter’s content
Once the reader opens the envelope, he or she sees exactly what the writer wrote
systems, like computer systems, malfunctions from time to time
Sent might not arrive
The content can be the same, but the page layout could be differ
can be tampered with and/or read by others with access to the system

26. Writing a Memo
It’s time for your group to meet again for the final Project (assume that you are the group leader). Write a memo calling the meeting. Provide an agenda.

27. Recap What is Memo? Memo Formatting Types of Memos
Similarities and Differences between Memo, Letter and

28. References
Source: