MEMO TIPS

Want memos and e-mails they’ll really read? Try these:

• Discuss one topic per memo. Your message gets watered down with more.

• Write paragraphs no longer than 6-8 lines. This makes the memo easy to scan.

• Use bullet points to emphasize a list.

• Formatting: Use only 2-3 bold/italics/underlines per page for maximum effect.

• Don’t repeat yourself; be direct.

• Keep it to a page even if you have to widen margins.

• Be ruthless: Cut out every extraneous word and get rid of any hedging.