Business Communication

5

Everyday Writing

Memos, Letters, and E-mail

Key Topics Covered in This Chapter

• Effective memos
• Business letters that do the job
• Making the most of e-mail

NOW THAT we’ve been through the basics of good writing, we can move on to the particular forms of writing that engage people on a daily basis. For most people, everyday writing consists of memos, letters, and e-mail. Everything we’ve said up to this point about general principles, drafting, and editing applies to these forms. However, each type of writing has unique characteristics, formats, and other issues you should consider.

Writing Effective Memos

The memo—short for memorandum—is the most common form of intra-organizational communication.¹ (If your message is targeted to individuals ...