Writing a memo is a relatively simple and informal task. Some things and tips to consider when writing and considering the format of a Memo are:
• How much information do you need to convey?
• Who do you need to communicate with?
• How to write a memo
■ Memos should have the following sections and content:
A 'To' section containing the name of the receiver. For informal memos, the receiver's given name; e.g. 'To: Andy' is enough. For more formal memos, use the receiver's full name. If the receiver is in another department, use the full name and the department name. It is usually not necessary to use Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms unless the memo is very formal.
■ A 'From' section containing the name of the sender. For informal memos, the sender's other name; e.g. 'From: Bill' is enough. For more formal memos, use the sender's full name. If the receiver is in another department, use the full name and the department name. It is usually not necessary to use Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms unless the memo is very formal.
■ A 'Date' section. To avoid confusion between the British and American date systems, write the month as a word or an abbreviation; e.g. 'January' or 'Jan'.
■ A Subject Heading.
■ The message.
Unless the memo is a brief note, a well-organised memo message should contain the following sections:
a. Situation – an Introduction or the purpose of the memo.
b. Problem (optional) - for example: "Since the move to the new office in Kowloon Bay, staff have difficulty in finding a nearby place to buy lunch."
c. Solution (optional) - for example: "Providing a microwave oven in the pantry would enable staff to bring in their own lunchboxes and reheat their food."
d. Action - this may be the same as the solution, or be the part of the solution that the receiver needs to carry out; e.g. "we would appreciate it if you could authorise up to $3,000"
e. Politeness - to avoid the receiver refusing to take the action you want, it is important to end with a polite expression; e.g. "Once again, thank you for your support.", or more informally "Thanks".
■ Signature
This is optional.
(from https://158.132.164.193/CILL/eiw/memos.htm)
Study the examples of the Memos given below.
MEMO (1)
To: MOTOREX
From: Joe Chan, Chairperson
Date: 2 May '10
Subject: Room change for next meeting
The meeting on Saturday, 5 June has been changed to Room 101.
MEMO (2)
To: Katherine Chu, Regional Manager
From: Stephen Yu, Sales
Date: 2 May 2010
Subject: Notification of My Resignation
I am writing to inform you of my intention to resign from G & S Holdings.
I have appreciated very much my four years working for the company. The training has been excellent and I have gained valuable experience working within an efficient and professional team environment. In particular, I have appreciated your personal guidance during these first years of my career.
I feel now that it is time to further develop my knowledge and skills base in a different environment.
I would like to leave, if possible, in a month's time on Saturday, 5 June. This will allow me to complete my current workload. I hope that this suggested arrangement is acceptable to the company.
Once again, thank you for your support.
(from https://www.scribd.com/doc/36309286/Memo)
Use the Sampe Memo Format given below and write down your own memo.
Sample Memo Format
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
First Sentence:
Reason for the memo
Second Sentence - Main Body:
Any Instructions or information
Closing Sentence
UNIT 5
PRESENTATION
LEAD-IN
1.1 A presentation is a formal talk to one or more people that "presents" ideas or information in a clear, structured way. People are sometimes afraid of speaking in public. Some people, and only a very few, are able to stand up in front of an audience without preparation and speak interestingly and clearly. Most of us have to prepare and organize our presentation in advance. If you follow a few simple rules, giving a presentation is actually very easy.
Which of the following do you think the presented should think about before the presentation?
■ Who is the audience?
■ What is the subject and title of my presentation?
■ What are the aims of my presentation?
■ How much do the audience know already? What do they want to know?
■ How long is my presentation?
■ What are the main points of the presentation?
■ What structure and order will these points have?
■ What visual aid will I use?
■ How will I begin, introduce each point and conclude?
■ What questions might I be asked?
The good presenter has thought about all these questions in the presentation stage.
What you say is as important the way you look in front of the audience.