How to Write a Memo
Contributed by Deane Gradous, Twin Cities consultant
General Guidelines
A memo, or memorandum, is a written correspondence often used in a business setting. In that setting, it is often written on the organization's letterhead, which is a document that includes the organization's official logo and color scheme. However, with the dramatic increase in use of email, memos seems increasingly to be written in email. In that situation, care must be taken to control its distribution and maintenance because memos usually have an official status, for example, to be interpreted as an official communication from upper management. See the following articles for various perspectives on memos.
Memorandum (Wikipedia)
How to
Write a Good and Clear Memo
How
to Format a Business Memorandum
How to Write
an Effective Memo
What is
the Format of a Memo?
How Do You Compose a
Memo? What Are the Parts? What Does It Look Like?
Memos:
Purpose and Format
Examples
of memo's
Sample Memo
| Medical |
Medical Products, Inc. |
|
To: From: Date: Subject: |
Mindy Grapefruit Joe Endive January 30, 1996 Request to purchase coffee maker |
copies to: |
George Grape Jon Orange Mike Celery Jean Radish |
Mindy, at our department meeting last
week, I agreed to research the purchase of a coffee maker for
the department. The research has yielded a clear preference, and
I am ready to make the purchase.
Potential uses for the coffee maker include service for
- Group meetings
- Guests
- Coffee lovers
Consumer Reports recommended three specific coffee makers.
The models and prices are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Coffee maker options
| Type | Size |
Manufacturer and model # |
Price |
| Drip | 12 cups | Brown K345-6 | $39.95 |
| Percolator | 12 cups | Toastmaker 89123 | $24.00 |
| Instant-reserve | 15 cups | Benn H001-A2 | $89.50 |
Please initial the attached requisition for the instant-reserve coffee maker, written to Slade's Hardware against our budget #50. Coffee can be purchased out of petty cash. I will stop on the way home from work to purchase the coffee maker and a couple of varieties of coffee--including the French roast you like so much.
We will all enjoy a cup or two of coffee at the morning staff meeting.
"Folks count on our quality"
Also consider
Vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
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