Unit3:Business Writings

• Inter-office Memorandum (Memo)

• Structure of a Memo
• Style of a Memo
• Circulars
• Informative Circulars
• Public Circulars
• Circulars of Partnerships and companies
• Official Circulars
• Notice, Agenda, and Minutes
• Advertising
• Purpose
• Types
• Tips
I. MEMO (INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM)

• It’s a document written to pass information between people

and departments within an organization.
• They are very important for smooth functioning of an
organization because they provide a written record and history
of a company’s decisions.
• Memos also serve as a record for all the background, variables,
and alternatives which are considered, viewed, and weighed
before arriving at such decisions.
• Memos are critical in the sense that they keep a record of
responsibilities assigned to people within an organization.
• Conveying information about various operations and influencing
decisions, memos handle the flow of information up, across, or
down in an organization.
• Though normally the word 'memo' connotes a reprimand of some
sort, a memo can be written to carry out different functions in an
organization.
• Moreover, a memo is not written essentially by a superior to warn or
scold a subordinate.
• In professional situations, one may be expected to write a memo to
one's superior to make a routine recommendation; to a fellow
colleague or an associate to confirm an agreement, or to a
subordinate to announce, explain, or remind.
• Since memos are written to deal with many an official matter,
one may be expected to write a memo to do any of the
following in a professional organization:

• To confirm: A memo can be written to confirm the details of a

meeting, a conversation, or a telephonic call. The purpose behind
writing one such memo is to have a written record of decisions
that were made, and the points of terms agreed on
• To suggest: We can write a memo to recommend solutions for
various business problems. Memos are also written to offer
alternatives and improved services besides making suggestions
for using new procedures and methods for approaching an official
task.
• To request: A memo is often written to make a written request
for taking an action; looking into a matter, taking up a complaint,
or passing a piece of information. By writing a memo for such
routine matters, one can ensure a focused attention and speedy
action.
• To explain: A memo can be written to explain or define clearly
what had not been understood initially. A memo thus written
explains a procedure or method often considered complicated or
newly introduced in an organization.
• To announce: Memos are commonly written to make
announcements about changes in the company's policy, timings
of an office; functions of a department; transfer of equipment
from one branch to another, change of address; transfer of
responsibility, etc.
• To report: Memos are also written to give an account of a
journey; to highlight the trends in sales and production; to
analyze a situation; to present an evaluation of a visit to some
site; to define or establish a fact, phenomenon, situation, etc.
• To caution or warn: Memos are also written to remind people of
their jobs and responsibilities. A memo can also caution and warn
people in case they do not keep time; ignore their work; delay the
completion of the tasks assigned, perform below expectations,
etc.
• For these and several other professional functions, a memo
travels within an organization. In fact, no other type of written
communication reaches so many people at so many levels as does
a memo in an organization. The larger a particular organization,
the greater is the number of memos written in it.
Structure of a Memo
• The structure of a memo is the same as that of a memo report. A
memo too has the same components such as the letter head
(header) of the organization; a centralized tag; the designation of the
sender and the recipient of the memo; the date; reference number;
subject line; the body of the memo; the name and designation of the
sender, etc.
Style of a Memo
• Since memo is a piece of inter-office communication, its style is
generally informal and even conversational at times. In fact, as
regards the style of memos, the relationship between the sender and
the recipient of the memo, the ethos of the company, and the
environment of the organization decide its features.
• In some organizations, a formal style is expected; in others, an
informal style is what is desirable. Some professionals draft their
memos in a tone and style which is detached, objective, and official,
while some others write in an informal and conversational style.
While writing a memo therefore, we need to choose the style that
suits our purpose and defines our relationship with the recipient the
way we want.
Style of a Memo
• Therefore, we can easily come across a memo that is written in an
intimate, friendly, and warm style, whereas we may also discover
a memo that maintains a detached and matter-of-fact tone. In
any case, since one of the desirable traits of a memo is its
informality, we need not draft a memo displaying the same
degree of formality as we maintain while writing a formal report,
a research paper, an essay, or a technical proposal.
• Generally, a memo is written in an informal manner and the tone
adopted is more or less conversational and shorn formalities.
• While drafting a memo, bear in mind the tips given below:

• Don't ramble. Since a memo is generally a short piece of

communication, writing a memo that runs into several pages is hardly
appreciated.
• Announce your purpose immediately. Nothing annoys memo readers
more than having to read through lines and paragraphs and then
coming to grips with the real intent of the memo.
• Be sure that you have a point to make and state it with clarity. If a
reader of your memo has to ring you up to understand the meaning
of your message, the memo that was written and sent has failed in its
purpose.
• Stick to making one point in a short memo. If you have to talk about
more than one subject, draft separate memos for each of them.
• Call for action. Unless a memo is written to share information, it
needs to end by calling for an action on the reader's part. In such a
case, the memo should clearly spell out what needs to be done,
when, how, and where. 6. Write your memos using the standard
format generally used for the purpose.
SAMPLE MEMO
 II. CIRCULARS
• Circular is a brief piece of professional communication that goes to
everyone concerned in an organization. Circulated both within and
outside an organization, a circular is written to promote a new
product, to inform policy holders of movements in the insurance
field, to inform shareholders of market trends, or to make matters
of general interest known to several persons.
• Depending upon their function, circulars can be divided into various
categories, which are briefly discussed below.
 Informative Circulars

• These circulars are written in the style of business letters and consist
of an introductory paragraph, other information paragraphs, and a
closing paragraph. In such circulars, the content is factual, and the
information contained is relevant
Public Circulars

• Public circulars are written and circulated mainly by public bodies,

associations, and institutions. These circulars contain the matters
of general public interest, awareness, and welfare. Such circulars
are sent not only to a close, select group of persons but also to
other groups of individuals and societies that would like to know
more about the activities of such a society. For example, when
the Woman's Commission of a country sends a letter to all its
state bodies and also to the International Commission of Woman
and to other social bodies on human rights interest, it becomes a
public circular.
Circulars of Partnerships and Companies

• The circulars of partnerships and companies have the same purpose

as that of their business circulars. The difference is that these letters
sent out by partnerships or companies contain information and
particulars which are of specific interest to shareholders and business
partners.
Official Circulars
• Out of all the various types of circulars, we are most likely to
write official circulars more frequently. Official circulars contain
information sent out by the head or senior members of a
department or the members of other relevant departments
• When written as an interdepartmental or inter-office piece of
communication, an official circular appears to be similar to an
inter-office memorandum. However, both memos and circulars
can be properly discriminated on the basis of the need felt by the
sender and the number of people involved in it. In a situation
where the number of interacting people consists of one sender
and one recipient, the question of writing a circular does not
arise.
 Official Circulars

• For example, if the production manager has to apprise the

general manager of his/her company about the production trends
in a particular plant, he/she has to draft a memo and not a
circular. However, when the production manager has to announce
a general policy regarding the incentive scheme which has
recently been revised, he/she may have to draft a circular to be
circulated among the related staff.
SAMPLE OFFICE CIRCULAR
Circular VS. Memo / To Conclude

• Generally, when a wider population is to be addressed, we choose to

write a circular and when the number of receivers is small, we rely on
memos. Therefore, a memo is more personal and subjective,
whereas a circular is objective and detached. Owing to its formal
nature a circular is not written with a degree of informality and
warmth that a memo usually displays. Similarly, the individual names
and designations of the recipients do not appear. A circular is hence
meant for a wider, formal circulation of a message that is relevant to
all those who receive it.
 III.NOTICE, AGENDA AND MINUTES
• Meetings are a form of formal interaction and are held in all
organizations, small or big, public or private, government or semi-
government. According to a survey, the top-level executives of a
company spend about 23 hours per week in meetings, whereas
middle level managers spend about 11 hours in meetings.
• Meetings are considered to be a routine phenomenon for the simple
reason that everyone calls for meetings, yet everyone is critical of
them. This form of communication requires a lot of planning and
preparation. There are three major components, namely notice,
agenda, and minutes.
• Notices are sent to the prospective participants along with agenda
well before a meeting, whereas minutes are taken down during the
meeting. Now let us understand each of these in detail.
Notices
• Notices are written information about the day, date, time, and
venue of a meeting. Generally, these are sent a few days before
the meeting. Notices are not sent long before the meeting
because the participant might forget, and they are also not sent
at too short a notice as the prospective members may have some
other prior engagement due to which they might fail to attend.
• Notices are sent to all those who are entitled to attend it. In case
of a general body meeting, a notice is circulated to all the
employees whereas in case of board of directors' meeting, the
intimation of the meeting is sent to all the directors.
• Do the following after you have decided to call a meeting:
• 1. Prepare a notice which includes the date, time, agenda, and
venue of the meeting. Send the notice to all the participant
members five to seven days before the meeting.
• 2. Attach the minutes of the previous meeting (if there has been
one). This gives the members a chance to bring up anything they
do not understand or agree with.
• 3. Send the agenda with the notice.
 Agenda
• As the cornerstone to any successful meeting in an organization,
an effective meeting agenda provides structure and focus and
clearly indicates the purpose of the meeting. The agenda serves
as the road map for the meeting
• A well-constructed and thought-out agenda is an indispensably
valuable tool for achieving the desired meeting results in a
reasonable amount of time. A good meeting agenda always
serves as a guide to the participants, thus making the meeting
more efficient and productive.
Agenda
• An agenda is a list of the topics you will address to get to that
objective, with a time limit to keep you on track.
• For example, if you are writing agenda for the fourth meeting,
write that as suggested below:
• Confirmation of the minutes of the last meeting
• Review the status of last quarter's goals
• Appointment of a new sales manager and three project engineers
• Reporting and reviewing the ongoing construction of new factory site.
etc.
Significance of an agenda
• Following are the uses and significance of preparing an agenda:
• It forces the convener of the meeting to think about what needs
to be accomplished.
• If it is sent ahead of time, the agenda lets participants know what
to expect and allows them to prepare as required.
• It provides a blueprint for the meeting to follow.
• It helps the concerned members to think of what is left
uncovered and this can help in add ing those issues with the
permission of the chair.
Tips for preparing an agenda
• Given below are a few important tips to make your effort result
oriented:

• 1. Send a preliminary meeting agenda and solicit any further agenda

topics (be sure to include a strict deadline for additional topic
suggestions).
• 2. Include only those additional topics which assist in achieving the
meeting objective.
• 3. Your agenda should include all the topics and allow the
participants to begin preparing for the meeting.
• 4. If you have special guests attending the meeting, find out whether
they have any issues that can be combined because they are related,
similar, or even the same in terms of means or ends.
Tips for preparing an agenda
• 5. Generally, the first item on every agenda is confirmation of the
minutes of the previous meeting and the last any other matter with
the permission of the chair.
• 6. In case there are only a few points to be discussed, the agenda can
be written on the notice itself
• 7. Check the agenda for errors.
• 8. Send the agenda along with the notice or email it to all attendees.
You should do this as near to the actual meeting as possible.
How to prepare an agenda?

• 1. Header
• 2. Body- list of items

• Header The header is particularly useful if the participants belong to

various groups/organizations, or if the agenda will be made public
record. Your header should include the following:
• Name of the organization
• Group meeting agenda
• Date
• Location
• Starting and ending time
How to prepare an agenda?
• Body The body of the agenda lists the actual business to be
transacted during the meeting, When possible, use action words such
as approve, discuss, adopt, develop, assign, conceptualize,
brainstorm, review, and announce so as to let the participants know
what is expected of them. Against each item is a suggested time, but
in reality, the time allotted will depend on the nature of issue/agenda
item being discussed. Allocate a reasonable and realistic amount of
time to each agenda task. This keeps the meeting focused, helps it to
proceed on time, and ensures the smooth conduct of the meeting.
Minutes
• Minutes are the written proceedings of the business transacted
during a meeting. Since the minutes will serve as an official record of
what took place during the meeting, you must be very accurate in
writing them. The minutes are generally recorded sequentially by
the secretary of the concerned group or organization.
• However, at times, any other member attending the meeting may
also be required to draft the minutes. In any case, the minutes of a
meeting include the main points of the discussion held and the
decisions taken. At times, minutes are written in the prescribed
format of the organization and are regarded as an important record
in the organization.
Minutes
• Minutes, thus, are a written record of committee meeting times,
attendance, topics covered, discussion on topics approved, Besides,
it includes all the important decisions taken, and methods and
motions adopted
• The minutes of a meeting form the basis of future actions and
decisions related to matters discussed, such as promotion of staff,
determining the incentive, procedural changes, increase in the
membership fee, etc.
 IV - ADVERTISING
• Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade an
audience (viewers, readers. or listeners) to purchase or take some
action upon products, ideas, or services. It includes the name of a
product or service and suggests as to how that product or service
could benefit the consumer Effective advertising is an extremely
important aspect of generating business for a company.
Purpose

There are several reasons for advertising; some of which are as

follows:
• Increasing the sales of the product / service
• Creating and maintaining a brand image.
• Communicating a change in the existing product line
• Introduction of a new product or service.
• Increasing the market value of the company.
Types
• Print advertising describes advertising in a printed medium, such
as a newspaper, magazine, trade journal, pamphlet, billboard, or
hoarding, Billboards are large structures located in public places,
which display advertisements to passing pedestrians and
motorists. Most often, they are located on main roads with a
large amount of passing motor and pedestrian traffic; however,
they can be placed in any location with a large number of
viewers, such as on mass transit vehicles and in stations, in
shopping malls or office buildings, and in stadiums. These are
termed as physical/outdoor advertising.
Types
• Surrogate advertising is prominently seen in cases where
advertising a particular product is banned by law. Advertisement
for products like cigarettes or alcohol which are injurious to
health are prohibited by law several countries and hence these
companies have to come up. with several other products that
might have the same brand name and indirectly remind people of
the cigarettes or beer bottles of the same brand. Common
examples include liquor brands, which are often seen to promote
their brand terming it as soda.
Types
• Coffee cup advertising is any advertisement placed upon a coffee
cup that is used in serving beverages in an office, café, or coffee
shops. Today, online and TV commercial advertisements are
generally considered the most effective mass-market advertising
format, as is reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for
commercial airtime during popular TV events. This is known as
digital advertising Another form of advertising, guerrilla
advertising, is also be coming increasingly popular with a lot of
companies. This type of advertising is unpredictable and
innovative and persuades consumers to buy a product or an idea.
It involves unusual approaches such as staged encounters in
public places, and giveaway of products such as cars that are
covered with brand messages.
Tips
• Given below are some simple writing tips to create attractive business
advertisements:

• 1. A powerful headline, expression, or caption is one of the most

crucial aspects of an advertisement. It is also possible to use a
headline that centers on a problem that this particular product of the
company can solve. This will attract the attention of people
experiencing that specific issue. One can easily recall the brands
popularized through catchy lines such as the following:
• (i) Zindagi Ke Saath Bhi-Zindangi Ke Baad Bhi (LIC)
• (ii) Happy to Help (Vodafone)
• (iii) How do I fulfill my daughter's precious dreams? (Bharti AXA
Life Aajeevan Anand)
Tips
• 2. Be sure to include all information, but in a concise manner. The
advertisement should have complete information about products and
services so that the potential customers understand what it is exactly
about.
• 3. Always know how much space is available for the advertisement
before beginning to write it. Cut the advertisement down accordingly.
• 4. Write in a persuasive style.
• 5. A song or an apt jingle helps listeners relate to the product.
GOOD LUCK !!