Memos have a twofold purpose: they bring attention to problems and they solve problems. They
accomplish their goals by informing the reader about new information like policy changes, price
increases, or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a
current production procedure. Regardless of the specific goal, memos are most effective when
they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader.
Choose the audience of the memo wisely. Ensure that all of the people that the memo is
addressed to need to read the memo. If it is an issue involving only one person, do not send the
memo to the entire office. Also, be certain that material is not too sensitive to put in a memo;
sometimes the best forms of communication are face-to-face interaction or a phone call. Memos
are most effectively used when sent to a small to moderate number of people to communicate
company or job objectives.