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Memo Format





Memo format

Another way to organize a short report e-mail is with the memo format.

Use standard headings, such as To, From, Subject, Date, in this way:

To: Marketing team members

From: Andy Bayless

Subject: Annual Sales Report

Date: Jan. 4, 2016

Then make a brief introductory statement that gives the reader an overview of the problem, or the context of the report.

Now you can include the four sections for a short report:

Terms of Reference

Procedure

Findings

Conclusions and recommendations

Proofread your report several times. Misspellings, typos, or basic grammatical errors will give your readers the impression that you did not put a great deal of effort into the report.

Consider asking someone else in your department to read it, checking for accuracy. Be open to this feedback and consider any comments carefully.

Presenting a report

Many companies ask a report writer to present a report at a meeting. If you have this opportunity, look at it as a way to emphasize the key findings of the report, rather than simply read it your audience. Use your charts or graphs as visuals, and as a springboard to discuss your findings

Anticipate questions, and plan to leave a large portion of your presentation for questions and answers from the audience.

A business report requires you to analyze a situation, and to apply business theories to offer suggestions for improvement.



It allows you to demonstrate your reasoning and evaluation skills, and to provide recommendations for future action. With most business reports, there is no single correct solution, but several solutions. The writer must weigh the costs and benefits of each possibility to an organization. It is these costs and benefits that you need to identify and weigh in your report.

Effective business reports reveal the objectivity and the concise and clear communication skills of their writers. These skills are so important in today's competitive business environment, that a growing number of business owners are reporting that business communication skills are at the top of their lists when they interview and hire new employees.

Some hiring managers even ask applicants to write a sample business report as a way of screening applicants.

According to a study by Grammarly that was published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), more than two-thirds of salaried jobs in America require a large amount of written communication. The study revealed that major companies spend more than of $3 billion each year training their employees in writing skills.

One CEO, Kyle Wiens of iFixit, wrote in a HBR blog post that he will not hire people who use poor grammar. Wiens claims that good grammar is a telltale sign of professionalism, attention to detail, credibility, and the ability to learn new things.

Think of how you will stand out in an interview, or on the job, if your writing skills are already above average.

Many fans of social media have been hitting the death knell for e-mail for years. Despite this, e-mail is here to stay. People check their smart phones up to 150 times a day, according to the Kleiner Perkins Internet research firm. And checking e-mail is the number one activity people do on their phones.

As a paraphrase of a familiar Mark Twain quote might read, "The reports of e-mail's death have been greatly exaggerated."

Good business communication means good business. Bad business communication can mean wasted time and effort and the possibility of lost business and revenues.

When you use good business practices in composing and sending professional e-mails, you further your career and the success of your company.

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