Planning Reports

and Proposals

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 1

Effective Reports and Proposals
• Reports are written accounts that objectively
communicate information about some aspect of a
business
• The purpose and content of business reports
varies widely; in some cases you’ll follow strict
guidelines, but in others the organization and
format will be up to you
• Many of your reports will be written for internal
audiences, but you may also write reports for a
wide range of outside readers
• An opportunity to demonstrate your
understanding of business challenges
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 2
Effective Reports and Proposals
• Informational Reports:
Offer data, facts,
feedback, and other types of information, without
analysis or recommendations
• Analytical Reports: Offer both information and
analysis and can also include recommendations
• Proposals: Are a special category of reports that
combine information delivery and persuasive
communication
• All these reports vary in length and complexity
• Some reports only once in your career; others are
weekly, monthly and annualy

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 3

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 4
 Common Examples of Reports
 A progress report
 A strategic plan
 A marketing plan
 A Sales and Costs Review Report
 Operating report
 Personal activity report
 Policy implementation report
 Compliance report
 E.g: Report for SECP

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 5

Applying the Three-Step Writing
Process to reports and Proposals

• Planning
• Writing
• Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 6

Applying the Three-Step Writing
Process to reports and Proposals
1. Analyzing the Situation
Given the length and complexity of many
reports, it’s crucial to clearly define your
purpose so you don’t waste time with
avoidable rework
a) Define the purpose
b) Prepare the work plan

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 7

 a) Defining the Purpose
• Identify exactly what will be covered by the final
report and research
• In some cases you’ll be told the purpose of the
report; in others, it’s up to you to identify the purpose
• To plan effectoively, address the problem
oropportunity with a clear Statement of Purpose
• The most useful way to phrase your purpose
statement is to begin with an infinitive (to plus a verb)
– For Example
• To develop goals and objectives for the coming year (strategic plan)
• To submit required information to the Securities and Exchange
Commission (compliance report)

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 8

 a) Defining the Purpose
• Inform
• Persuade
• Recommend
• Confirm
• Analyze
• Summarize

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 9

b) Preparing the Work Plan
• Statement of the problem
• Statement of the purpose and scope
• Discussion of tasks to be accomplished
• Description of final products or outcomes
• Review of schedules and requirements
• Plans for following up
• Working outline

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 10

 Applying the Three-Step Writing Process
to reports and Proposals
2. GATHERING INFORMATION
•Focus on the audience
•Plan carefully
•Establish priorities
•Information can be gathered from
• Internal Records
• Stakeholders
• Industry Publications
• Separate research project
• Existing information to save time
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 11
 Applying the Three-Step Writing
Process to reports and Proposals
3. Selecting the Right Medium
•Hardcopy
•Digital format
•Multimedia

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 12

Applying the Three-Step Writing Process
to reports and Proposals
4. Organizing the Information
a. Direct approach
• State conclusions and recommendations
• Introduce findings
• Include support
•Most business reports use the direct approach
•When an audience is likely to be receptive or at
least open-minded
•It saves time and makes the rest of the report
easier to follow
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 13
 Applying the Three-Step Writing Process
to reports and Proposals
4. Organizing the Information
b. Indirect approach
• Introduce findings
• Discuss support
• State conclusions and recommendations
Use the indirect approach when you need to build support for
your main idea or you want to avoid coming across as
arrogant
Consider length before choosing the direct or indirect
approach
Long reports sometimes combine direct and indirect
approaches, building support for interim conclusions or
recommendations along the way.
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 14
Organization Considerations

• Understand and meet audience

expectations
• Use a task-appropriate format
• Keep it as short as possible
• “Talk” your way through the outline
• use informative (“talking”) headings rather
than simple descriptive (“topical”) headings

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 15

 Planning
Informational Reports
• Monitor and control operations
• Implement policies and procedures
• Demonstrate compliance
• Document progress

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 16

 Organizing
Informational Reports
• Topical organization
– Comparison
– Importance
– Sequence
– Chronology
– Spatial orientation
– Geography
– Category
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 17
 Creating Business Plans

• Summary
• Mission and objectives
• Company and industry
• Products or services
• Market and competition
• Management
• Marketing strategies
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 18
 Creating Business Plans

• Design and development plans

• Operations plan
• Overall schedule
• Critical risks and problems
• Financial projections
• Financial requirements
• Exit strategy
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 19
 Website Content

• Online communication is unique

– Web readers are demanding
– Reading online can be difficult
– The Internet is a nonlinear medium
– The Internet is multidimensional
– Websites have multiple purposes
– Internet audiences are diverse

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 20

 Information Architecture

• Vertical hierarchy of pages

• Horizontal division of pages
• Internal and external links

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 21

 Organizing the Site

• Plan navigation first

• Let readers be in control
• Break information into “chunks”

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 22

Planning Analytical Reports

• Assess opportunities
– Market analysis and due diligence
• Solve problems
– Troubleshooting and failure analysis
• Support decisions
– Feasibility and justification

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 23

 Defining the Problem

• What needs to be determined?

• Why is this issue important?
• Who is involved in the situation?
• Where is the trouble located?
• How did the situation originate?
• When did it start?

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 24

 Organizational Strategies

• Receptive audiences
– Direct approach
• Focus on conclusions
• Focus on recommendations
• Skeptical audiences
– Indirect approach
• Focus on logical arguments

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 25

 Organizing
Analytical Reports
• Logical arguments
• Feasible recommendations
• Bottom-line conclusions

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 26

 Focus on Conclusions

• Advantages
– Ease of use
– Bottom-line driven
• Disadvantages
– Possible resistance
– Oversimplification

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 27

Focus on Recommendations

1. Establish the need for action

2. Introduce benefits
3. List steps needed to get benefits
4. Explain each step more fully
5. Summarize your recommendations

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 28

Focus on Logical Arguments
• 2 + 2 = 4 approach
– Problem or opportunity
– Main reasons behind conclusions
– Main reasons behind recommendations
– Support reasons with evidence
• Yardstick approach
– Problem or opportunity
– List alternatives
– List decision-making criteria
– Evaluate alternatives against criteria

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 29

 Planning Proposals
• Internal Proposals:
– Funding
– Management support
– General projects
• External Proposals:
– Investments
– Grants: Request funds from government agencies
and other sponsoring organization
– Sales Proposals: Suggest individualized solutions for
potential customers
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 30
 Organizing Proposals
• Solicited
– Direct approach
– Interested audience
• RFPs: Includes instructions that specify exactly the
type of work to be performed or products to be
delivered, along with budgets, deadlines, and other
requirements
» Buyers often solicit proposals by publishing a
request for proposals (RFP)

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 31

 Organizing Proposals
• Unsolicited Proposals:
– Indirect approach
– Uninterested audience
• Attempting to obtain business or funding without a specific
invitation from a potential client
• Unsolicited proposals require additional persuasive elements
because the audience isn’t expecting the proposal and might
not even be conscious of the problem you propose to solve
• Every proposal competes for something: money, time,
attention, and so on
• The indirect approach following AIDA or a similar model is
often the best way to build your case in an unsolicited
proposal.

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 32