Memos are a standard form of business correspondence. They are written to be informative or request an action. You can write internal or external memos. External memos are sent to people outside your organization. For example, you might send a consulting memo to professional consultants requesting a proposal for a certain project. You might be requesting the consultants send a bid for the project, a time frame for completion and some samples of work through the memo.

Write a heading for your consulting memo. The heading contains four lines, each with a specific label: To, From, Date and Subject. Your name and the name of your company go in the first line. The second line contains the names of all the professional consultants you’re sending the memo to. The third line is the date you plan to send it out and the fourth line should explain the subject of the memo in just a few words, such as “Web Design Proposal Request.”

Explain the purpose of your consulting memo in the first paragraph. Memos are generally concise and to the point. Let the consultants know what type of project you need completed and that you are looking for proposals from qualified professionals.

Discuss the details of your project in the next few paragraphs. These details might include any budget or deadline you have, by what date you would like to receive the proposals, what you would like included in the proposals and the process you will use to select a consultant.

List your contact information at the beginning of the closing paragraph. Let the consultants know what the best way to contact you is and how you prefer to receive the information you’re requesting, such as through the mail or by email. Remind the consultants of the deadline to respond. Don’t forget to thank the consultants for their time.