Similarities & Differences Among / Between Letter, Memo And Email

A Memo is a way to communicate internally within an organization for getting feedback and giving messages to members of the organization. A memo provides informal messages, briefs for meetings, recommendations, suggestions, etc., that flow upward, downward and horizontally within an organization.

A Letter is usually an external communication channel outside the organization. It is a formal and an informal way to convey the messages to concerned parties. However, formal letters can also be written and sent within organization to various members or departments for example, letters sent to employees due to emergency, for promotions, for hiring and firing, etc. Sometimes, letters are issued or written internally within an organization such as internal employment cover letter, internal position cover letter, internal promotion cover letter, internal job relocation letter, etc. Types of letters are formal letter, informal letters, business letters, etc.

An Email is an electronic way to send and receive messages in an organization or in the daily business life of an individual. An email is flowing either in an organization or outside i.e., it flows both internally and externally. Email is the fastest method to send messages to a large number of people within a few seconds.

Similarities Among / Between Letter, Memo And Email

All of these are important for effective business communication process and required necessary skills for a businessman who wants to convey message effectively to his audience in order to get feedback from their customers i.e., positive or negative so that expected results such as sales made, solution of a problem solved, etc. are achieved at the end.

All of these are written either on printed paper or composed on the word document in order to send messages to concerned individuals or group of people.

All of these have specific subject matter or main topic for which letter, memo and email is sent to the relevant receivers.

So, a memo is only an internal, letter is an external (usually) and email is both an internal and external way of communication and all of these play an important role for effective communication process. Sometimes within and sometime outside the organization.