Michael Smith Only #1

Write a memo to your colleagues about your company’s new 12-week fitness program. Employees will be able to sign up and pay a $5 registration fee until November 3 to Bess Morgan in Human Resources. The three levels are beginning (a 45-minute walk in the Acme Atrium), intermediate (a 45-minute aerobics class in Conference Room A), and advanced (a 45-minute cross-training session in Conference Room B). Showers and lockers (employees must provide their own towels and locks) are located next to the conference rooms. Participants who complete all 12 weeks with 75 percent or better attendance will receive a $100 gift certificate (you decide what store). All sessions will run from noon till 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be supervised by a licensed exercise instructor. This 12-week pilot program will begin on November 6. Employees may sign up for only one level.

Use the correct format (see the back). Your grade will also be based on the memo’s

· logical order of all the information (The order I have given you above is jumbled – decide what should be mentioned first, second, etc., and what information should be grouped together.)

· use of ALL of the information above (You may add more detail, if you wish, but you must use all of the information given.)

· proper paragraph length and number of paragraphs (minimum of three)

· indented parallel list of the levels

· proper spelling, punctuation, correct sentence structure, and lack of typos

· use of Times New Roman font, 12 pt. size

· must be at least 3 paragraphs with indented list within 1 of the paragraphs

DATE: October 3, 2017

TO: Sam Student

FROM: Jane Doe

SUBJECT: Memo Format and Guidelines

The ability to write a good memo is an invaluable business asset. Your memo will be competing with countless other pieces of paper. Keep in mind the following guidelines as you write memos for this class and for "real life" business situations.

The following can help your readers get through your message quickly and easily:

· handwrite your initials using blue or black ink directly after your name

· space memos as you do letters: single space the text, double space between paragraphs and items in a list (if there is one); do not indent paragraphs – start all lines at the left margin.

· set off important ideas by listing them and preceding each item with dashes, letters, "bullets," or asterisks (numbers can be used, but they suggest that the most important item is number one, the second numbered item is the next important, and so on – use numbers only if the order of the items is extremely important)

· highlight words and phrases (but rarely complete sentences ) by underlining, bolding, or italicizing, but avoid putting phrases/sentences in all capital letters; keep highlighting devices to no more than two at any one time

· create "white" space (space not covered by words) by providing adequate left and right margins (but no more than 1 1/2 inches), by writing short paragraphs to set off your important ideas, and by listing parallel items – the first word of each item on a list should be the same type of word (all simple verbs, nouns, adjectives – in this list, I have used present tense verb forms)

· establish an equal top and bottom margin

· write a specific subject line of no more than ten words (never a sentence)

· capitalize the first and last words of the subject line and all words within except for a, an, the, and prepositions and conjunctions fewer than five letters (for example: and, or, but, for, to, from, with)

Sam Student

October 3, 2017

Page 2

· avoid further, unnecessary correspondence/calls about the message and save words/space by not issuing an invitation to write or call (there should be no questions if you have written a complete message)

· maintain an appropriate tone for the message and audience

· end on a positive note (a reminder or a "forward-looking" ending)

Follow the guidelines (spacing and capitalization especially) that you see on this model.

Most messages can be written in three short paragraphs. Provide a quick overview in the introductory paragraph, state the details/specifics of the memo in the second paragraph, and wrap up the message in the third paragraph with a reminder or a "forward-looking" ending (for example, "I look forward to seeing you on November 1 at 12 p.m. in Conference Room A").

You might need a second page (length depends on the message and audience; there are no set rules about length), but most messages can be more precisely rewritten to fit one page. If your information does not fit onto one page, no matter how concisely you've rewritten the message, follow the heading format at the top of this page.