© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 1

Writing and Writing and Completing Business Completing Business

Reports and Reports and ProposalsProposals

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 2

Three-Step Writing Three-Step Writing ProcessProcess

• Planning

• Writing

• Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 3

Organizing ReportsOrganizing Reportsand Proposalsand Proposals

• Format

• Length

• Order

• Structure

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 4

Selecting FormatSelecting Formatand Lengthand Length

• Preprinted form

• Letter

• Memo

• Manuscript

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 5

Choosing an ApproachChoosing an Approach

• Direct approach

– Receptive audience

– Open-minded audience

• Indirect approach

– Skeptical audience

– Hostile audience

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 6

Structuring Structuring Informational ReportsInformational Reports

• Importance

• Sequence

• Chronology

• Spatial orientation

• Geography

• Category

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 7

Structuring Structuring Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports

• Audience members

– Receptive

– Skeptical

• Focus

– Conclusions

– Recommendations

– Logical arguments

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 8

Structuring ProposalsStructuring Proposals

• Solicited (direct approach)– Receptive audience

– Recognized problem

– Identified solution

• Unsolicited (indirect approach)– Skeptical audience

– Unrecognized problem

– Proposed solution

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 9

Selecting Visual AidsSelecting Visual Aids

• Tables

• Line or bar charts

• Pie or area charts

• Bar charts

• Pie charts

• Line or dot charts

• Maps

• Flow charts

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 10

The Parts of a TableThe Parts of a Table

Stub head Subhead

SingleColumn

Head

SingleColumn

Head

Row headRow head Subhead Subhead

Total

XXX

XXXXXX

XXX

XX

XXXX

XX

XX

XXXX

XX

Subhead

XXX

XX XX

XXX

Multicolumn Head*

Source: (In the same format as a text footnote).*Footnote (for explanation of elements in the table).

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 11

Preparing TablesPreparing Tables

• Use common, clearly identified units

• Use the same units for all items in columns

• Label column headings

• Separate rows and columns

• Document data sources

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 12

Using Line Using Line and Surface Chartsand Surface Charts

• Show changes

• Indicate relationships

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 13

Using Bar ChartsUsing Bar Charts

• Compare items

• Show changes

• Indicate relationships

• Show relative sizes

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 14

Using Pie ChartsUsing Pie Charts

• Limit the number of slices

• Arrange slices clockwise

• Use a variety of colors

• Show numbers or percentages

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 15

Illustrating RelationshipsIllustrating Relationships

• Organization charts– Positions– Units– Functions

• Flow charts– Processes– Procedures– Sequences

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 16

Using Computers Using Computers to Create Visualsto Create Visuals

• Advantages– Speed– Accuracy– Versatility

• Challenges– Training– Artistic skills– Time requirements

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 17

Composing ReportsComposing Reportsand Proposalsand Proposals

• Text and content

• Degree of formality

• Time perspective

• Navigational clues

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 18

Successful ReportsSuccessful Reports

• Accurate

• Complete

• Balanced

• Structured

• Documented

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 19

Successful ProposalsSuccessful Proposals

• Demonstrate your knowledge

• Provide concrete examples

• Research the competition

• Prove that your proposal is workable

• Adopt a “you” attitude

• Package your proposal attractively

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 20

The IntroductionThe Introduction

• Context or problem

• Subject or purpose

• Main ideas

• Overall tone

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 21

The Body ChaptersThe Body Chapters

• Present

• Analyze

• Interpret

• Support

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 22

The Closing SectionThe Closing Section

• Emphasizes main points

• Summarizes benefits

• Reinforces structure

• Brings together action items

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 23

Additional Additional Report-Writing TasksReport-Writing Tasks

• Formality

• Time frame

• Overall structure

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 24

Completing ReportsCompleting Reportsand Proposalsand Proposals

• Revising

• Producing

• Proofreading

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 25

Components Components of Formal Reportsof Formal Reports

• Prefatory parts

• Text of the report

• Supplementary parts

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 26

Prefatory PartsPrefatory Parts

• Letter of

authorization

• Cover page

• Letter of acceptance

• Title fly or title page

• Synopsis or

abstract

• Table of contents

• Letter of transmittal

• Executive summary

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 27

Text of the ReportText of the Report

• Introduction

• Body

• Closing

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 28

Supplementary PartsSupplementary Parts

• Appendixes

• Bibliography

• Index

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 29

Components of Components of Formal ProposalsFormal Proposals

• Cover

• Title fly

• Title page

• Table of contents

• List of illustrations

• Proposal request

• Executive summary

• Letter of transmittal

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 30

Text of the ProposalText of the Proposal

• Introduction

• Body

• Closing