Management Tip of the Day: Write a Better Business Memo

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   TIPS   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile JUNE 20, 2013 Write a Better Business Memo It may feel like all work is done via quick email these days but there is still a need for longer memos and reports to get people up to speed on an issue, to induce action, or both. With longer writing it's critical to be well organized and structured, and to respect your reader's time. This means making it immediately clear what you want readers to learn about or do. Start by choosing a concise title or subject line that tells them the topic and why they should care. Begin your document by summarizing your main points and outlining the issue, your solution, and the reasoning behind it. Refer to this summary when drafting the body of the message. When you're done, check the summary one more time to make sure it reflects how the rest of the memo has evolved. Today's Management Tip was adapted from the HBR Guide to Better Business Writing. Buy the book to develop critical skills for writing clearly and persuasively » Share Today's Tip: FEATURED PRODUCT HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, by Bryan A. Garner HBR Press DON'T LET YOUR WRITING HOLD YOU BACK. When you're fumbling for words and pressed for time, you might be tempted to dismiss good business writing as a nicety. But it's a skill you must cultivate to succeed: You'll lose time, money, and influence if your e-mails, proposals, and other important documents fail to win people over. The "HBR Guide to Better Business Writing," by writing expert Bryan A. Garner, gives you the tools you need to express your ideas clearly and persuasively so clients, colleagues, stakeholders, and partners will get behind them. This book will help you: (1) Push past writer's block, (2) Grab—and keep—readers' attention, (3) Earn credibility with tough audiences, (4) Trim the fat from your writing, (5) Strike the right tone, and (6) Brush up on grammar, punctuation, and usage. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Tip: PREVIOUS TIPS 3 Ways to Get a Promotion Go Ahead and Break Some Grammar Rules Use Personal Stories in Your Next Presentation Make the Most of Webinars Customers Need More Than Products Be Just as Effective When You Work Remotely How to Make Time for Social Media Define the Playing Field Before Entering a New Market Brush Up on Your Grammar Communicate What You'll Accomplish in Your First 90 Days All Previous Tips BEST SELLERS HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations Ebook + Video Case Study HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done The First 90 Days App MAKE YOUR NEXT CAREER TRANSITION A SUCCESS. Download The First 90 Days App today to help you stay ahead of the game. » UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "Management Tip of the Day" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)