We discussed the main purpose for writing a business memo in  the last post in this series.  Today we're going to look at how important the audience (your readers) are to what you write in a memo and how you write the memo.

When you write a business memo, you need to choose your audience very wisely.   Just so we are clear, the audience means the people who will read your business memo.  Whenever your write anything for business, you need to always think about who really needs to read it.  Then you plan what needs to be written, and how it needs to be written to match the people who need to read it.

Be sure that the business memo will be addressed to everyone who really needs to read it, and to nobody else.  If it is for senior management, then do not send it to the mail-room staff.  If it is about a surprise farewell party, do not send it to the person who is leaving the company. 

People in any company are very busy.  They do not have the time to read information that is not important to them or their jobs.  It is a waste of their time and the company's money.  So, you need to think carefully and wisely about who will get a copy of your business memo.

Who you are sending it to, and what the memo is about will also influence HOW you write.

A memo to the boss about another staff member coming in late will have a serious tone.  But a memo to all staff about the year end party will be more fun and less serious. You need to keep this in mind as you do your writing.

In then end, when you are writing a business memo, keep in mind the purpose of the memo, and who needs to read it (the audience), and it will help you write a much better memo that does a good job of communicating important information quickly and effectively.