1. Role play when you write the memo. You are sending this to your company’s management (your boss), not your teacher. Assume they know at least a little bit about the topic.

2. General meanings in the memo header:
To: - means you’re providing/requesting information; or asking for help - do not put the recipients’ title here; they know their job title since it’s an internal company document
CC: - means you are providing information as a courtesy, but no action required
Re: - (or Subject) tells the reader what the memo is about; should be specific - Serves as the “introduction” to the memo

3. The Re: or Subject line is NOT a complete sentence – don’t use punctuation. Be brief but informative. Consider that if they file it away, it should help them retrieve it if they are doing a subject search. A good “re” statement should prevent you from using a redundant introductory first sentence in the body of the memo and allow you to get to the point.

4. When you mention somebody in a memo, it is common courtesy to send them a CC so that they know their work has been referenced or you are talking about them.

5. Don’t put “Dear ….” in the memo body. The recipient’s name is in the “To” portion of the header, that’s all that’s needed. Besides, how would you do that if you send it “To” more than one person?

6. The opening paragraph must convey information, not just be an introduction. Determine the MAIN POINT of the memo and make sure you convey that in the FIRST PARAGRAPH. Make your point early in the memo; best if you can do so in the first paragraph and no later than the first line of the second paragraph. Answer the questions in the reader’s mind: - “Why did I get this memo?”, “What is the writer trying to tell me?” - “What do they want from me?”

7. Business