Summary Page 292 - 301

SUMMARY PAGE 292 - 301
1. Proposal and formal Reports

a. Types of Business Proposals
- All types of proposals share two significant characteristics:
+ easy-to-understand language
+ show the value and benefits of the product or service being recommended.
- Informal or Formal.
+ Informal proposals are short reports, often formatted as memos or letters.
+ Include the following parts: (a) an introduction or description of the problem, (b)
pertinent background information or a statement of need, (c) the proposal
benefits and schedule for completion, (d) the staffing requirements, (e) a budget
analysis, and (f) a conclusion that may include an authorization request.
+ Formal proposals differ from informal proposals not in style but in size and
format. Formal proposals respond to big projects and may range from 5 to 200 or
more pages.
+ Formal proposals may contain some or all of these additional parts: (a) a copy of
a request for proposal (RFP), (b) a letter of transmittal, (c) an abstract or
executive summary, (d) a title page, (e) a table of contents, (f) a list of figures,
and (g) an appendix. Figure 10.1 shows the typical sections included in informal
and formal proposals.
- Internal or External:
+ Internal proposals may resemble justification and recommendation reports.
+ External proposals are addressed to clients and customers outside the company.
An external sales proposal to a client would show how the company’s goods or
services would solve a problem or benefit the client.
+ Grant proposal, written to obtain funding from agencies that support worthwhile
causes.
- Solicited (RFP) or Unsolicited:
+ A solicited proposal is the response to a request for proposal. Government
agencies as well as private businesses use RFPs to invite competitive bids from
Vendors.
+ Enterprising companies looking for work or special challenges might submit
unsolicited proposals, that is, bids that had not been explicitly requested.
b. Components of Informal Proposals

- Informal proposals may be presented in manuscript format, or short letters.
- Contain six principal components: introduction, background, proposal, staffing, budget,
and authorization.
- Introduction:
+ Hint at extraordinary results with details to be revealed shortly.
+ Promise low costs or speedy results.
+ Mention a remarkable resource (e.g., well-known authority, new computer
program, well-trained staff) available exclusively to you.
+ Identify a serious problem (worry item) and promise a solution, to be explained
later.
+ Specify a key issue or benefit that you feel is the heart of the proposal.
- Background, Problem, and Purpose: The background section identifies the problem
and discusses the goals or purposes of the project.
+ In an unsolicited proposal, your goal is to convince the reader that a problem
exists.
+ In a solicited proposal, your aim is to persuade the reader that you understand
the problem completely and that you have a realistic solution.
- Proposal, Plan, and Schedule:
+ Proposal: explain your plan for solving the problem and include an
implementation plan. The proposal might even promise specific deliverables—
tangible things your project will produce for the customer (eg: a new Web design
or a digital marketing plan.
- Staffing: introduces all participating staff members and their qualifications. This section is
a good place to endorse and promote your staff.
- Budget: a list of proposed project costs.
- Conclusion and Authorization:
+ remind the reader of the proposal’s key benefits and make it easy for the reader
to respond.
+ include a project completion date as well as a deadline.
2. Preparing Formal Business reports

a. Steps to follow in writing formal business reports
- Determine the Purpose and Scope of the Report:
+ Purpose statement defines the focus of the report and provides a standard that
keeps the project on target.
+ Scope statement defines which problem or problems will be researched and
analyzed.
+ Limitations further narrow the subject by focusing on constraints or exclusions.
- Anticipate the Needs of the Audience: present key findings that are relevant to your
audience.
- Decide on a Work Plan and Appropriate Research Methods: A work plan is a tentative
schedule that guides the investigation.
- Conduct Research Using Primary and Secondary Sources:
+ Mostly use secondary sources - information that has been previously published.
+ Primary sources—information and data they gather themselves from firsthand
experience
- Organize, Analyze, and Draw Conclusions:
+ Organize information logically and base recommendations on solid facts to
impress decision makers.
+ As you sort through your information, decide what information is substantiated
and credible.
+ Conclude the report by summarizing your findings, drawing conclusions, and
making recommendations.
- Design Graphics to Clarify the Report’s Message: Presenting numerical or quantitative
data visually helps your reader understand information readily: drawings, graphs, maps,
charts, photographs, and tables.
b. Reviewing and Editing Formal Business Reports
- Format. Look at the report’s format and assess the report’s visual appeal.
- Consistency. Review the report for consistency in margins, page numbers, indents,
line spacing, and font style.
- Graphics. Make sure all graphics have meaningful titles, are clear, and are placed in
the report near the words that describe them.
- Heading levels. Check the heading levels for consistency in font style and placement.
Headings and subheadings should be meaningful and help the reader follow the
report’s logic.
- Accuracy. Review the content for accuracy and clarity. Make sure all facts are
documented.
- Mechanics. Correct all grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and usage errors. Such
errors could damage your credibility and might cause the reader to mistrust the
report’s content.

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SUMMARY PAGE 292 - 301

1. Proposal and formal Reports

b. Components of Informal Proposals

2. Preparing Formal Business reports

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