Ok….

Before we continue I want to explain why I always write "English Business Memo".  I do that because the way memos are written in different languages is not always the same.  You may have learned how to write a good business memo in your own langauge, but the style, purpose, format and other parts of a good memo in your own language are probably not the same as in an English business memo.

Enough of that.  Today we're going to take a look at how a normal business memo is organized into different sections to help achieve the writer's purpose.

These sections are:

1. Heading Section
2. Opening Section
3. Context
4. Task Section
5. Summary Section
6. Discussion Sections
7. Closing Section
8. Necessary Attachments

Let's look at each of these sections in more detail so you can have a clear understanding of how to compose a business memo.

Heading Section

The heading section of a business memo will have the following information.

TO:  List the names and job titles of the people who will get the memo.  Be correct and accurate.
FROM: Put your FULL NAME and Job Title
DATE: Put in the full date e.g. January 17, 2006, NOT 17/01/06

SUBJECT: A very clear subject that gives a good idea about the content of the memo. Usually in BOLD  Remember 1 word is NEVER a topic.

Be sure that you spell people's names correctly and include their proper job title.  Do not be casual about this.

The subject line must be VERY clear and specific.  For example

Subject: "Sales"

is a BAD subject line because it could mean many things.  However a subject like:

Subject: "Monthly update on decreasing sales in Europe"

provides a very clear idea what the memo is about.

The subject line is a very important part of any memo.  Take time to think clearly about what your subject must explain.