Apa Memo – A memorandum (or memo, meaning “reminder”) communicates policies, procedures, brief reports, or related official business within an organization. It takes a one-to-all perspective, delivering a message to a group audience, rather than to an individual. The memos are objective in tone and avoid any bias or personal preference, especially as they may have legal value when presenting policies or procedures. Therefore, accuracy is paramount in memos so that ambiguities lead to errors that later become legal issues (Business Communication for Success, 2015).[2]
The purpose of a memo is usually to inform, but occasionally includes an element of persuasion or call to action. Memos are best used for internal organizational messages that may be too detailed or too long to communicate via email. Memos allow organizations to clearly explain to all employees what is happening on a particular issue. If budget cuts are a concern, it may be wise to send a memo explaining the impending changes. If a company wants employees to take action, it can also issue a memo about that action. In this way, memoranda often represent the interests of the company or organization. They can also include statements that align with business and employee interests, and emphasize commonalities and benefits (Business Communication for Success, 2015). Memos often contain routine, non-confidential information; therefore, most memos will be written using a direct approach.
Apa Memo
A note has four distinct sections: header, purpose statement, body, and call to action. Memos typically have letterheads with the word “MEMO” clearly written with the company name and logo at the top of the page. Below that are header fields that identify the recipient, author, date, and subject, just like you would find in an email. In fact, email header fields are based on those traditionally found in notes, so the same principles of what to include in an email, such as how to title the document in the subject line, hold true for email. electronic.
How To Write A Business Memo In 4 Steps (with Examples)
Unlike emails, memos remove the opening salutation but are identical thereafter in their three-part message organization with an opening, body, and closing. Always with a direct approach, the message of the opening memo establishes the main point, the body supports it with details, and the closing provides action information or a summary. Let’s examine each section of a note in more detail.
Purpose: The first paragraph of the note contains the most important information. The reason for writing the memo, as well as the action requested from the recipient, should be stated directly in this paragraph. Get to the point as quickly as possible using only 1-2 sentences to convey the information
Body: The middle paragraphs of a memo provide more detailed information about the context or problem and the task, assignment, or action required. The body of a note can have multiple paragraphs depending on the topic of the note. Each paragraph should be between 3 and 5 sentences. The use of prominent graphics (lists, tables, headings, etc.) in this section of the memo is encouraged for brevity and increased readability. Make sure the body paragraphs answer the recipient’s questions and clearly identify a deadline and the people involved.
Call to Action: The last paragraph of a memo summarizes the content, indicates next steps, invites feedback, provides resources, and offers contact information. The last paragraph should also ensure goodwill but avoid cliché sayings. Use specific, to the point statements to ensure the recipient’s understanding.
Fact Sheet With Memo
A request note does exactly what its name suggests: it requests action from the recipient. A well-written request memo will clearly state the requested action within the opening paragraph of the memo. An explanation or rationale for the request is included in the body of the memo, while being courteous and using a “you” view will ensure that the reader understands the benefits of completing the requested action. Requests that require significant effort, time, or resources should follow the indirect method for the best chance of engaging the reader.
Similar to the request memo, the name of this memo also suggests its purpose: to respond to a previous letter. When creating a response note, respond to each request in the order in which they were made. Use the direct approach because the recipient will want your immediate response to each request without looking. If necessary, please provide additional information that may be helpful to the original request. Responding promptly to a request memo, especially if you receive a request from someone higher up in the organization, shows efficiency and professionalism.
A follow-up note provides a written record of an oral conversation. For example, a memo recording the discussion of a recent meeting confirming the time, place, date, participants, purpose of the meeting, and decisions. Providing key facts, decisions, and topics discussed in a meeting ensures that memory does not become the basis for moving forward. Writing follow-up messages protects you and your recipients by ensuring a common, common understanding of important details and facts. The more important the oral conversation is, the more important it is to ensure that a written conformation of the discussion is created.
Confederation College’s Cross-Cultural Business Communication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, unless otherwise noted. Much of your time as a professional will be spent communicating through letters, memos, emails, and text messages. Some of these communication methods are probably more familiar to you than others; however, as a professional, it is important that you understand how and when to use each format and why. This is because your employer expects you to be able to communicate effectively to maintain your
How To Cite A Memo
Format. Similarly, in a professional context, emails and texts should maintain this organizational structure to help your audience quickly understand and retrieve information. That’s why you need to start with the main point for each of these typefaces. Busy readers should be able to scan the document to assess whether the document needs immediate attention.
As always, before you start writing, consider the needs of your audience and your purpose for writing in the first place. For all correspondence, you must:
In deciding which format to use, consider the size and importance of your audience, the purpose of your writing, and the complexity of the information being conveyed.
Although RCM 200 features standard templates and formats, there is some room for variance, and you should always follow your employer’s specific preferences for letter, memo, and email formatting.
Chapter 15: Memos And Letters
In this chapter, we will focus on memos and letters. The next chapter is about email and text messages.
Memos, or memos, are one of the most versatile document forms used in professional settings. Memos are “internal” documents (sent within an organization) to convey or request information, outline policy, present brief reports, or suggest ideas. Although they are often used to inform, they can also be persuasive documents. A company or institution often has its own “in-house” style or template that is used for documents such as letters and memos.
Figure #1 below shows a sample of the “internal” memo style (the style we will use for memo assignments written for this class), with notations noting the various relevant features. The main formatted parts of a note are the logo or letterhead (which is optional), the header block, and the message.
The header block appears at the top left of your note, directly below the word MEMO or MEMORANDUM in large, bold, all-caps type. This section contains detailed information about the recipient, sender, and purpose. It includes the following lines:
Solution: Persuasive Memo Assignment
The length of a memo can range from a few short sentences to a multi-page report that includes figures, tables, and appendices. Regardless of the length, there is a simple organizing principle that you must follow. Organize the content of your note so that it answers the following questions for the reader:
Memos are generally very direct and concise. There is no need to start with general introductions before getting to your point. Your readers are colleagues within the same organization and are likely to be familiar with the context in which you are writing. The opening sentences of the memo message should make it clear to the reader whether and why they need to read the entire memo. For example, if the memo tells me about an elevator out of service in a building I never entered, then I don’t need to read any further?
The middle section of the message should provide all the information necessary to adequately inform readers and fulfill the purpose of the memo. Start with the most general information and then add more specific facts and details. Make sure there are enough details to support your point, but don’t overwhelm your readers with unnecessary details or information they already know.
The last part of the message indicates what action, if any, is required or requested from the readers. If you are asking your readers to do something, be as polite as possible and try to indicate how they will benefit from this action.
Memo Google Docs Templates
For more information on writing notes, see the Notes page in the Purdue University Online Writing Lab: Components of a Note.
Below are two images. The first shows a potential note.
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