Audience and Purpose
Memos
have a twofold purpose: they bring attention to problems and they solve
problems. They accomplish their goals by informing the reader about new
information like policy changes, price increases, or by persuading the
reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a current
production procedure. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most
effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests
and needs of the reader.
Choose the audience of the memo
wisely. Ensure that all of the people that the memo is addressed to need
to read the memo. If it is an issue involving only one person, do not
send the memo to the entire office. Also, be certain that material is
not too sensitive to put in a memo; sometimes the best forms of
communication are face-to-face interaction or a phone call. Memos are
most effectively used when sent to a small to moderate amount of people
to communicate company or job objectives.
Parts of a Memo
Standard memos are divided into segments to organize the information and to help achieve the writer's purpose.
Heading Segment
The heading segment follows this general format:
TO: (readers' names and job titles)
FROM: (your name and job title)
DATE: (complete and current date)
SUBJECT: (what the memo is about, highlighted in some way)
Make
sure you address the reader by his or her correct name and job title.
You might call the company president "Maxi" on the golf course or in an
informal note, but "Rita Maxwell, President" would be more appropriate
for a formal memo. Be specific and concise in your subject line. For
example, "Clothes" as a subject line could mean anything from a dress
code update to a production issue. Instead use something like, "Fall
Clothes Line Promotion."
Opening Segment
The
purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraph and
includes: the purpose of the memo, the context and problem, and the
specific assignment or task. Before indulging the reader with details
and the context, give the reader a brief overview of what the memo will
be about. Choosing how specific your introduction will be depends on
your memo plan style. The more direct the memo plan, the more explicit
the introduction should be. Including the purpose of the memo will help
clarify the reason the audience should read this document. The
introduction should be brief, and should be approximately the length of a
short paragraph.
Context
The
context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you
are solving. You may use a paragraph or a few sentences to establish the
background and state the problem. Oftentimes it is sufficient to use
the opening of a sentence to completely explain the context, such as,
"Through market research and analysis..."
Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is clear.
Task Segment
One
essential portion of a memo is the task statement where you should
describe what you are doing to help solve the problem. If the action was
requested, your task may be indicated by a sentence opening like,
"You asked that I look at...."
If you want to explain your intentions, you might say,
"To determine the best method of promoting the new fall line, I will...."
Include
only as much information as is needed by the decision-makers in the
context, but be convincing that a real problem exists. Do no ramble on
with insignificant details. If you are having trouble putting the task
into words, consider whether you have clarified the situation. You may
need to do more planning before you're ready to write your memo. Make
sure your purpose-statement forecast divides your subject into the most
important topics that the decision-maker needs.
Summary Segment
If
your memo is longer than a page, you may want to include a separate
summary segment. However, this section not necessary for short memos and
should not take up a significant amount of space. This segment provides
a brief statement of the key recommendations you have reached. These
will help your reader understand the key points of the memo immediately.
This segment may also include references to methods and sources you
have used in your research.
Discussion Segments
The
discussion segments are the longest portions of the memo, and are the
parts in which you include all the details that support your ideas.
Begin with the information that is most important. This may mean that
you will start with key findings or recommendations. Start with your
most general information and move to your specific or supporting facts.
(Be sure to use the same format when including details: strongest to
weakest.) The discussion segments include the supporting ideas, facts,
and research that back up your argument in the memo. Include strong
points and evidence to persuade the reader to follow your recommended
actions. If this section is inadequate, the memo will not be as
effective as it could be.
Closing Segment
After
the reader has absorbed all of your information, you want to close with
a courteous ending that states what action you want your reader to
take. Make sure you consider how the reader will benefit from the
desired actions and how you can make those actions easier. For example,
you might say,
"I will be glad to discuss this recommendation
with you during our Tuesday trip to the spa and follow through on any
decisions you make."
Necessary Attachments
Make
sure you document your findings or provide detailed information
whenever necessary. You can do this by attaching lists, graphs, tables,
etc. at the end of your memo. Be sure to refer to your attachments in
your memo and add a notation about what is attached below your closing,
like this:
Attached: Focus Group Results, January- May 2007
Format
The
format of a memo follows the general guidelines of business writing. A
memo is usually a page or two long, should be single spaced and left
justified. Instead of using indentations to show new paragraphs, skip a
line between sentences. Business materials should be concise and easy to
read. Therefore it is beneficial to use headings and lists to help the
reader pinpoint certain information.
You can help your reader
understand your memo better by using headings for the summary and the
discussion segments that follow it. Write headings that are short but
that clarify the content of the segment. For example, instead of using
"Summary" for your heading, try "New Advertising Recommendations," which
is much more specific. The major headings you choose are the ones that
should be incorporated in your purpose-statement in the opening
paragraph.
For easy reading, put important points or details into
lists rather than paragraphs when possible. This will draw the readers'
attention to the section and help the audience remember the information
better. Using lists will help you be concise when writing a memo.
The segments of the memo should be allocated in the following manner:
• Header: 1/8 of the memo
• Opening, Context and Task: 1/4 of the memo
• Summary, Discussion Segment: 1/2 of the memo
• Closing Segment, Necessary Attachments: 1/8 of the memo
This
is a suggested distribution of the material to make writing memos
easier. Not all memos will be the same and the structure can change as
you see necessary. Different organizations may have different formatting
procedures, so be flexible in adapting your writing skills.
Sample Memo
TO: Kelly Anderson, Marketing Executive
FROM: Jonathon Fitzgerald, Market Research Assistant
DATE: June 14, 2007
SUBJECT: Fall Clothes Line Promotion
Through
market research and analysis, it has been discovered that the proposed
advertising media for the new fall lines need to be reprioritized and
changed. Findings from focus groups and surveys have made it apparent
that we need to update our advertising efforts to align them with the
styles and trends of young adults today. No longer are young adults
interested in sitcoms as they watch reality televisions shows. Also, it
is has become increasingly important to use the internet as a tool to
communicate with our target audience to show our dominance in the
clothing industry.
Internet Advertising
XYZ
Company needs to focus advertising on internet sites that appeal to
young people. According to surveys, 72% of our target market uses the
internet for five hours or more per week. The following list shows in
order of popularity the most frequented sites:
• Google
• Facebook
• Myspace
• EBay
• iTunes
Shifting
our efforts from our other media sources such as radio and magazine to
these popular internet sites will more effectively promote our product
sales. Young adults are spending more and more time on the internet
downloading music, communicating and researching for homework and less
and less time reading paper magazines and listening to the radio. As the
trend for cultural icons to go digital, so must our marketing plans.
Television Advertising
It
used to be common to advertise for our products on shows like Friends
and Seinfeld for our target audience, but even the face of television is
changing. Young adults are tuning into reality television shows for
their entertainment. Results from the focus group show that our target
audience is most interested in shows like American Idol,The Apprentice,
and America's Next Top Model. The only non-reality television show to be
ranked in the top ten most commonly watched shows by males and females
18-25 is Desperate Housewives. At Blue Incorporated, we need to focus
our advertising budget on reality television shows and reduce the amount
of advertising spent on other programs.
By refocusing our
advertising efforts of our new line of clothing we will be able to
maximize the exposure of our product to our target market and therefore
increase our sales. Tapping into the trends of young adults will help us
gain market share and sales through effective advertising.
Attachments: Focus Group Results, January- May 2007; Survey Findings, January - April 2007
This is a sample memo; facts and statistics used are fictional.
Minggu, 04 Mei 2014
Memo (Tulisan Berbahasa Inggris Ke-2)
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