Writing a Memorandum

A memorandum is considered “inside”

correspondence.
A memorandum, more commonly known as
a memo, is a short message or record used
for internal communication in a business.
The word memorandum is derived from the Latin
word ‘memo rare’ which means “to remember”.
In law, a memorandum means a
document recording terms of contract.
The plural term of memorandum is memorandums
or memoranda.
It is commonly known by its abbreviation, memo.
A memo is less formal than a letter.
It usually conveys one idea and is likely
to be short.
Effective memos are clearly written
with the objective stated in the first
sentence.
A memo must be designed to get your
message across quickly.
Busy people do not want to waste time
reading unnecessary information.
1. To Inquire
2. To Inform
3. To Report
4. To Remind
5. To Promote Goodwill
Good memos share certain
characteristics, which include the
following:
1) Clarity
2) Conciseness
3) Unity of Theme
4) Informal Tone
 A memo must be clearly written
because an unclear and vague
memo will confuse the reader,
leading to delay and no action.
Concise and direct memos are more
effective. A memo should contain
only essential information.
Avoid unnecessary explanations,
repetitions, wordy expressions, and
amplification.
A memo which does not have unity of
theme, distracts the reader and
ceases (terminates) to be purposeful.
An important way of ensuring unity in a
memo is to make sure that it deals
with only one topic.
A single topic is developed , and
related ideas are subordinated.
1. In memo tone is usually informal
and conversational.
2. As the writer is likely to be familiar with
the reader, personal tone may be used in
memos.
3. A very formal tone might sound
intimidating.
 Standard memos contain
four parts:
1. Heading
2. Opening
3. Body
4. Closing
The heading segment of a memo
includes four elements:
1) To: (Name and designation of the
recipient)
2) From: (Name and designation of the
sender)
3) Date: ( Complete and Current)
4) Subject : ( Topic of the memo)
To Mr. Ahmer
: Director Sales

From: Mr.Ali
Sales Manager

Date: March 11, 2016

Subject: SALES SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR

2016
OR

Subject: Sales Summary for the Year

2016
State purpose of memo, give the facts.

Examples:
“Here is a summary of the measures the Campus
Security Department is taking to ensure that only
authorized people are allowed into the
administrative offices.”

“As you requested, here is a copy of the annual sales

report for our new product ‘Mint Candy’,
launched in December 2015.”
✓ Body of the memorandum—single spaced
✓ The body of the memo contains the
message of the memo.
✓ It describes, explains, and discuss the central

idea of the memo and includes all the details

that support the senders’ ideas.
✓ The body may contain a brief statement of

the key recommendations the sender has

reached.
 Make a courteous closing statement. Do
NOT use “sincerely” or other letter-like
ending.
Example:
“Please send your recommendations to me by
October 5, 2016 so that we are able to
complete the project by the end of
November, 2016.”
A few optional elements may be used in memos, as
per requirements.
These elements include:
Reference ( response to other memos, notices,
reports and other documents)
Attachments ( lists, diagrams, pictographs,
tables, and other sources of data)
Distribution lists / c.c (persons who might be
receiving copies of the memo)
 A Memorandum of Association (MoA)
represents the charter of the company. It is a
legal document prepared during the
formation and registration process of a
company to define its relationship with
shareholders and it specifies the objectives
for which the company has been formed
1. Use bullet points to list important
items
2. Use solid capitals and centering to
emphasize an important detail
3. Use columns with headings to make
reading and understanding easier
1. Use underlining and side headings to show
natural breaks
2. Use bullets to emphasize several points
3. Use boldface and italics when appropriate
4. Use color coding to attract attention
✓Never write memos or any other
communications which are unnecessary.
✓Never write complicated, hard- to-
understand memos.
✓ Keep them simple and to the point.
Never write rude, blunt, or thoughtless
memos.
Never send memos that have typos,
misspelled words, or grammatical errors.
– They are a poor reflection on you!
1. Never waste space with unnecessary
introductory material.
2. Never leave out necessary details causing
people to have to follow up with questions.
3. Never use a closing line or a signature in a
memo.
1. Memos are:
2. Quick & Convenient
3. Inexpensive
4. Conversational
5. Easy to get information in less time period
6. A Written Record