Principle Media of Written Communication: Letter, Memo and Report
Letter, memorandum and report are the most widely used means of written communication. Among them, the letter is probably the oldest method of written communication. We write letters on our various personal and business affairs. With the advent of electronic devices, particularly telephone and e-mail, the importance of letter in interpersonal communication have decreased. However, letter plays a vital role in business communication. The business letter is considered as an indispensable part of a business. In business, letters are used to sell the products, make the inquiry about customers or prices of goods, seek information and advice, maintain good public relation, increase goodwill and perform a variety of other business functions. Presenting all these, letters requires careful thinking and structured presentation. Another important tool of written communication is memo is a short piece of a written document drafted for internal communication within the organization. Large organizations may write numerous memos every day to inform the internal operational matters to the internal participants. Top-level management usually writes the memo. However, it may also move upward and horizontally. By its nature, memo tends to be less formal than many other modes of communication in business. Some organizations use printed memo format. The printed format of memo speeds up the communication process.
