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Types of Business Correspondences: Communication Skills

A memo is a formal internal business communication intended to inform employees about a specific issue or policy and encourage action; it has a standardized format including a heading with recipients, author, and subject, as well as a brief body summarizing the issue and suggested actions. Memos record daily business activities, eliminate unnecessary meetings, and serve as historical references for future reports or disputes.

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Emilie Mukuna
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121 views15 pages

Types of Business Correspondences: Communication Skills

A memo is a formal internal business communication intended to inform employees about a specific issue or policy and encourage action; it has a standardized format including a heading with recipients, author, and subject, as well as a brief body summarizing the issue and suggested actions. Memos record daily business activities, eliminate unnecessary meetings, and serve as historical references for future reports or disputes.

Uploaded by

Emilie Mukuna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of business

correspondences
Communication skills
MEMO
O Short form for memorandum which means, "to be
remembered or kept in mind”
O Purpose
O A memo is intended to inform a group of people about a
specific issue, such as an event, policy, or resource, and
encourages them to take action.

O
Characteristics of memo
O A memo is a formal business communication
O It is a compact written message designed to help
someone remember something
O It is used for internal communication- within one
organization
O All information should be limited to a single topic so that
the reader will "get the message" quickly and, if
necessary, take an action.
In business
O Memos becomes part of an organization
O They record daily activities & eliminate the need for time-
consuming meetings.
O As historical documents they are often referred to when
writing reports or resolving disputes regarding past
activities.
O In short, they speed up the daily business of doing
business; they keep people who need to be kept in the
know, in the know.
O Memo may or may not have a letter head. This depends
on the house customs.
O Parts of a memo.
O The heading segment
O The body
O The Conclusion.
O Memo heading
 Type “MEMORANDUM” at the top of the page.
 Type in bold & either center it or left-align it.
 Increase the font larger for this word.
O Address the recipient appropriately.
 Address the reader formally
 Use a full name & title of the person to whom you are
sending the memo.
 If you are sending a memo to the entire staff, you might
write: “TO: All Employees.”
O CC - Additional recipients
 The “CC” line indicates who will receive a “Courtesy
Copy” of the memo.
 This is not the person to whom the memo is directed.
 Rather, this is someone who may need to stay
informed about policies or issues that you’re
addressing in the memo.
O From line
 Who is writing & sending the memo.
 Your full name and job title go in this line.
O Date.
 January 5, 2015 or DATE: 5 January 2015.
O The subject line.
 gives the reader an idea of what the memo is about.
 Be specific but concise.
 E.g. instead of writing, “Students,” for the subject, be
more specific by writing, “Students Kamkunji.”
O Format the heading properly.
 To be aligned to the left-hand side of the page.
 Capitalize the words “TO:”, “FROM:”, “DATE:”, &
“SUBJECT:”.
General template of memo
O MEMO

O TO: ………………….(readers' names & job titles)

O CC: ……………………Courtesy Copy (optional)

O FROM:…………………(your name & job title)

O DATE: ……………………

O SUBJECT:………… (what the memo is about,

highlighted in some way)


The body of the memo.
1. Who is the audience?
2. Skip a formal salutation like “Dear Mr.
3. Introduce the problem or issue in the first paragraph.
 Briefly give them the context behind the action you wish
them to take.
4. Offer some background information about the issue
you’re addressing.
 Give some context, but be brief & only state what is
necessary.
5. Give a short summary of the actions that will be
implemented. Give evidence and logical reasons for
the solutions you propose.
6. Suggest the actions that the reader should take. A
memo is a call for action on a particular issue.
7. Restate the action that the reader should take in the
closing paragraph. E.G , “All students must attend.”
8. Close the memo with a positive & warm summary.
Conclusion (Finalizing the Memo).
O Format your memo
O Use a standard format i.e Use a 12-point font such as Times
New Roman or Arial.
O Proofread your memo.
O To make sure that it is clear, concise, persuasive,& free of
errors.
O Check that you are consistent in the type of language that you
use.
O Eliminate unnecessary scholarly words or technical jargon.
O Handwrite your initials by your name.
O A memo does not include a signature line.
O But you should pen your initials next to your name in the
header.
O This indicates that you have approved the memo.
O Use memo letterhead.
O You may have special letterhead designed for
memos, or you might use regular business
letterhead.
O Choose your method of delivery.
O Determine the best way to distribute your memo.
O You may want to print out hard copies of the memo
and distribute
O You may also send it via email.

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