Activity 7: Select Strategies to Have the Impact You Want
Activity 1

Use the information that follows to plan and write a short memo. Copy the statements about your strategies and paste them into a Word document. Write your explanation for each strategy below the statement. Then write the memo in the same Word document and send the document attached to an e-mail to assignments@businesswriting.com.

You are in charge of the Internal Audit Department of Springfield Rentals. The company rents merchandise such as televisions and furniture to customers and allows the customers to apply the rental money toward purchase of the merchandise. It is actually a store selling merchandise with high-interest credit payments.

The company has five stores. It appears that the cashiers may have become lax in following company regulations. They may be "borrowing" money from sales tax money for use in purchasing supplies. You receive the following e-mail from the corporate attorney:

We've learned that the cashiers at the five branch stores may be using some unacceptable cash-processing activities. We need for you to write a memo to all the cashiers telling them they must follow company regulations. Be firm.

Frank Benjamin
Corporate Attorney

Plan your memo. Your objectives follow:

  1. The cashiers will realize there is a problem.
  2. The cashiers will know they must follow company cash-processing procedures.

  3. The cashiers will understand that they could be disciplined if they do not follow procedures.
  4. You are supportive of them and value their work.

Copy this list of statements about your strategies and paste them into a Word document. Write your descriptions of your strategies below each statement.

Explain Your Strategies

Explain your strategies in each of these areas:

Using beginnings to your advantage (cordial beginning, buffer, memory components)

 

Using endings to emphasize your points

 

Selecting the appropriate difficulty or technical level

 

Ensuring that readers remember important information

 

Deciding how formal to be and what stance to take with the reader

 

Considering requirements for the document and legal issues

 

Considering reader expectations

 

 

Activity 2

Write the memo in a Microsoft Word document below your description of your strategies you wrote for Activity 1. Make up information if you want to add detail. Send the e-mail to us at assignments@businesswriting.com.

 
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