What a memo is and when it is used
A memo is a brief internal document used to inform, request, recommend or decide. It is shorter and more direct than a report, more formal and permanent than most email, and written for a reader who will act on it. In coursework, a memo assignment tests whether you can state a conclusion clearly and support it concisely. It is as much about editing as writing.
| Document | Typical length | Reader | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memo | One to two pages | A manager or colleague who must act | A recommendation, a decision, a policy announcement or a short briefing |
| A few paragraphs | Anyone, often quick back and forth | Everyday communication and follow-up | |
| Report | Several to many pages | Decision makers who need detail and evidence | Complex analysis, research, long projects |
| Executive summary | About one page | A reader who may read nothing else | The front of a longer document |
The standard format
Most memos begin with a header block, then a body made of short sections. The header has four standard lines.
TO: Maria Chen, Operations Director FROM: Daniel Okafor, Store Operations Analyst DATE: 3 March 2026 SUBJECT: Recommendation to extend afternoon food service in five stores
Skip a line and begin the body with no greeting or sign-off. Memos do not use Dear and Sincerely. Initial next to your name in the FROM line if your course follows that convention. If you attach documents, add an Attachments line at the end and refer to each one in the text. Use a plain, readable font, single spacing within paragraphs and a blank line between them, and keep margins standard.
Write a subject line that does the work
The subject line is the most-read part of the memo. It should say what the memo is about and, ideally, what you want. Avoid single words like Update or Staffing. A good subject line is specific enough that the reader could decide whether to read at once.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Staffing | Request to add one weekday lunch shift at the downtown store |
| Update | Project Orion is two weeks behind schedule: decision needed by Friday |
| Policy | New expense approval policy takes effect 1 April |
| Meeting | Agenda and preparation for the 12 March budget review |
Structure: bottom line first
The most important habit in memo writing is stating your conclusion in the first paragraph. Many students instead build up to it in the way they would in an essay. In business, the reader may stop after the first lines, so give them what they need immediately.
- Opening (purpose and bottom line): what this memo is about and what you want, in two or three sentences.
- Background (only if needed): the minimum the reader needs to follow.
- Discussion: the reasons, evidence and options, organized under short headings or bullets.
- Action: exactly what you want the reader to do, by when, and what you will do next.
- Closing: an offer to discuss and your contact details if appropriate.
Keep paragraphs to three or four sentences and use bullets or a small table when you are listing items. Headings help a reader skim.
Types of memo and their emphasis
| Type | Purpose | What to emphasize |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | Share facts or news | The key facts and what changes for the reader |
| Request | Ask for approval, resources or action | What you need, why it is justified and the deadline |
| Recommendation | Propose a course of action | Your recommendation, the reasons, the alternatives you rejected |
| Problem or incident | Report an issue and the response | What happened, impact, cause and corrective steps |
| Policy or procedure | Announce a rule or process | What is required, who it affects, when it begins, where to ask questions |
A full worked example
Recommendation memo (hypothetical)
TO: Maria Chen, Operations Director FROM: Daniel Okafor, Store Operations Analyst DATE: 3 March 2026 SUBJECT: Recommendation to pilot extended afternoon food service in five stores
Recommendation. I recommend a three-month pilot of an afternoon food menu and faster service process in five office-district stores, instead of the proposed 10 percent price cut. I request approval of $180,000 by 15 March so the pilot can begin in April.
Why a pilot rather than a price cut.
- Weekday afternoon transactions in office-district stores fell 17 percent over three quarters, while weekend sales were flat.
- In a survey of 300 lapsed customers, 62 percent said they now buy afternoon snacks elsewhere because we stop serving food at 2 pm. Only 11 percent mentioned price.
- A 10 percent price cut would reduce margin by about $1.4 million a year without addressing these reasons.
What the pilot would involve. An afternoon menu of five simple items, one extra staff member during the 2 to 5 pm peak, and a revised order-and-pickup flow. We would measure weekday afternoon transactions and average ticket weekly.
Expected results. If the pilot restores half of the lost traffic, we estimate roughly $650,000 in additional annual gross profit across the chain.
Next steps. Please approve the budget by 15 March. I will confirm the five pilot stores with regional managers by the end of the week and send you a one-page progress report each month.
The figures are invented for illustration. Notice that the recommendation and the request appear in the first paragraph, the evidence is easy to skim, and the last paragraph says exactly what happens next.
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Get an instant quoteTwo more short examples
Informational memo (hypothetical)
TO: All store managers FROM: Priya Nair, Head of Customer Service DATE: 10 March 2026 SUBJECT: New refund procedure starts 1 April
What is changing. From 1 April, store managers may approve refunds up to $150 without calling head office. Refunds above $150 still need regional approval.
Why. Refunds currently take an average of three days to approve, and customer complaints about delays have doubled since January. Giving managers authority for smaller amounts should resolve most cases the same day.
What you need to do. Read the one-page procedure attached, complete the short online quiz by 25 March and record every refund in the new log.
Please contact me with questions at extension 4210.
Request memo (hypothetical)
TO: Javier Moreno, Finance Director FROM: Aisha Rahman, Marketing Manager DATE: 12 March 2026 SUBJECT: Request for $12,000 to fund a two-month loyalty pilot
Request. I request $12,000 from the second-quarter budget to pilot a customer loyalty program in three stores from 1 May to 30 June. A decision by 22 March would let us begin on time.
Rationale. Repeat customers account for 58 percent of revenue but only 22 percent of customers have purchased more than twice this year. Similar programs in comparable retail settings often raise repeat purchase rates, and a pilot will tell us whether that holds for us before we invest more widely.
Plan and measures. The money covers software, rewards and staff training. We will compare repeat purchase rates with three matched stores and report results by 15 July.
Both memos state what they want in the opening lines, give only the reasoning the reader needs and end with a clear next step. The numbers are invented for illustration.
Writing a memo that delivers bad news
Some memos announce cuts, delays or refusals. The temptation is to soften the message by delaying it, but readers prefer a direct statement given with care. A good approach follows four moves.
- State the decision plainly in the first sentences, so the reader is not left guessing.
- Explain the reason briefly and honestly, without blaming.
- Say what it means for the reader and what stays the same.
- Offer a next step, such as an alternative, a review date or a contact for questions.
| Avoid | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Unfortunately, after much consideration and in light of current market conditions, it has been decided that... | The company will not run the summer bonus program this year because sales are 12 percent below plan. |
| We regret to inform you... | Starting 1 May, the training budget will be reduced by 20 percent. Courses already booked will go ahead. |
| Mistakes were made. | A system error charged some customers twice between 3 and 5 March. We have refunded all affected accounts and added a check to prevent a repeat. |
Memo, email or report: how to choose
| If you need to... | Use |
|---|---|
| Ask a quick question or give a short update | |
| Make a formal recommendation, request or announcement that should be on record | Memo |
| Present detailed analysis, research or a long proposal | Report with an executive summary |
| Brief senior people who will read only the headline | One-page memo or executive summary |
In an assignment, follow the format named in the brief. In the workplace, choose by the reader and the stakes. The higher the stakes and the more formal the setting, the more likely a memo or report is the right tool.
Tone and style
- Be direct. Use active voice and say what you mean: I recommend rather than it is recommended that.
- Match the reader. A memo to your manager is respectful but not stiff. A memo to a large audience is neutral and clear.
- Be positive about the facts, not defensive. State problems plainly, and focus on solutions.
- Use numbers. They persuade more than adjectives like significant or major.
- Cut ruthlessly. Every paragraph should help the reader decide or act.
- Avoid jargon unless you know the reader shares it.
Common mistakes
- Burying the point If the recommendation is in the last paragraph, move it to the first.
- A vague subject line Make it specific and, where possible, include the action requested.
- Writing an essay Memos are short, skimmable documents with headings and bullets, not long continuous prose.
- Too much background Include only what the reader needs. They know the organization.
- No clear action Say exactly what you want, from whom and by when.
- Ignoring format Include the four header lines and keep a consistent style.
- Unproofed numbers Check every figure and date. A wrong number weakens everything else.
Memo checklist
- Are TO, FROM, DATE and SUBJECT complete, with a specific subject?
- Does the first paragraph state the purpose and your bottom line?
- Is the discussion organized under short headings or bullets?
- Is there a clear action, with a deadline?
- Is it a page or two, with no filler?
- Have you checked every number, name and date?
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