There are several differences between a business letter and a memorandum, most notably a memorandum is most often used for inter-office communications while a business letter is more formal and used for communications with persons and companies outside of the office. Business letters are also more often written in a standard format.
There are two general styles of business letters, a full block style where all elements are aligned to the left, and a modified block style where the elements such as return address are aligned down the center of the page. A business letter contains many elements such as the sender's name and address, the date the letter was written, a greeting, the main message, and a signature.
A memorandum may have any number of formats or the format may be specific to an individual institution. In the law profession, it is a record of the terms of a transaction or a contract. There are several other types of memorandums such as a policy briefing note, which informs employees of a change or an update to existing company policy. There are also bench memorandums, memorandums of agreement, a memorandum of association, and a private placement memorandum.
Both business letters and memorandums have a place in today's business world, and if you plan on working in today's office you need to have a thorough understanding of both, and know exactly what they are used for. A business letter is a formal communication that has a standard format that is well known and used in businesses all over the country. A memorandum is used to inform employees of a company of any changes in policy and it rarely sent outside the business except in the legal profession. Knowing the format and use of each of these will help you to succeed in today's competitive and fast-moving international business world.
There are two general styles of business letters, a full block style where all elements are aligned to the left, and a modified block style where the elements such as return address are aligned down the center of the page. A business letter contains many elements such as the sender's name and address, the date the letter was written, a greeting, the main message, and a signature.
A memorandum may have any number of formats or the format may be specific to an individual institution. In the law profession, it is a record of the terms of a transaction or a contract. There are several other types of memorandums such as a policy briefing note, which informs employees of a change or an update to existing company policy. There are also bench memorandums, memorandums of agreement, a memorandum of association, and a private placement memorandum.
Both business letters and memorandums have a place in today's business world, and if you plan on working in today's office you need to have a thorough understanding of both, and know exactly what they are used for. A business letter is a formal communication that has a standard format that is well known and used in businesses all over the country. A memorandum is used to inform employees of a company of any changes in policy and it rarely sent outside the business except in the legal profession. Knowing the format and use of each of these will help you to succeed in today's competitive and fast-moving international business world.
