Memos are usually written from the writer’s point of view, not the reader’s. Related: 8 Tips to Improve Reading Skills Visualize the Reader A more sincere ending is, “If you need help, I’m available. ’’Nothing could be more insincere.” ”Please don’t hesitate to call” is another phrase that gets no results and turns people off.
One hackneyed expression Booher sees regularly is, “We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you,” which “just sends people up the wall,” she says. This cast doubt on his credibility regarding everything he said he had witnessed, and the upshot was the company settled out of court. One of Booher’s clients, an oil company, was sued by the families of two employees killed in an on-site accident.Ī specialist on the scene said that the company was to blame, but when the specialist described the incident on paper, he got the date wrong. “If there’s an error in the memo, it will probably be in names, dates, or numbers,” cautions Booher, and such mistakes may cost you dearly. Loosely translated: “If you want to keep getting incentives, meet company goals.”Ĭheck. “The continuation of our issuance of incentives is dependent upon the prioritization by employees of company objectives.” Favorites are “tion,” “ance,” “ent,” “ment,” “ize” and “ility.” Van Skiver explains that these are simple root words with fancy endings tacked on to puff them up. Related: Great Report has 5 W’s and 1 H Avoid “Smothered” Words “Or how about this: “R & D wants your input because temporal considerations are of primary importance.” Translation: “Our research people need your answer today.” “You probably say ‘I’m happy’ more often than you say ‘I am happy.’” Source: Don’t Show OffĪvoid scholarly words, technical jargon, and just plain gibberish like “as per your request” when you simply mean “Here’s what you wanted. “Use contractions,” says Holly Church, a business consultant who trains Fortune 500 executives. It’s a lot more human to say, “I would like you to do this.” To get action, write in the active, not the passive, voice.
WRITING A MEMO PRO
Related: Write Effective Sales Letter (32 Pro Tips) Get Personal If you can boil down even a two-page memo to two paragraphs that take up only a half page and still convey the same facts, you get an A+ in business.Įqually important, memos are written to get someone to do or understand something-be it to spend money, meet a deadline, constructively criticize, or say yes or no. Most experts say two pages should be tops after which a memo starts to turn into a report. A memo is a written document that stays inside the company if it goes outside, it’s a letter. Here’s how: What is a Memo and Why? Understand the Purpose of Memo.
Communication skills are a top priority for business leaders often more important than financial, marketing and technical know-how. Muddled memos can cost you dearly in career advancement. In the office as well as out, your personality is often judged by how you write. They are hard to write quickly and clearly, are like “War and Peace” to read, require Miss Marple to figure out, and, if written in the wrong tone of voice, can make the nicest people sound heartless. Mounting evidence shows that memos may be small, but they give big headaches to everyone from secretaries to corporate officers. “I love being a writer,” quipped novelist Peter Devries, “What I can’t stand is the paperwork.” When it comes to writing memos, most business people would agree.
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