Writing and Completing

Business Reports and

Proposals

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

Three-Step Writing Process

Planning Writing Completing

Analyze the Situation Revise the Message

Organize the Message
Investigate the Topic Produce the Message
Compose the Message
Adapt to the Audience Proofread the Message

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

 Organizing Reports
and Proposals
Format
Format

Length
Length
Collected
Collected Business
Business
Material
Material Document
Document
Order
Order

Structure
Structure
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 3
 Selecting
Format and Length
• Preprinted Form

• Letter

• Memorandum

• Manuscript
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 4
 Choosing an Approach

Direct Approach Indirect Approach

Receptive Hostile

Open-Minded Skeptical

Audience
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 5
 Structuring
Informational Reports

Importance
Importance Sequence
Sequence Chronology
Chronology

Spatial
Spatial Geography
Geography Category
Category
Orientation
Orientation

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

 Structuring
Analytical Reports
Audience

Receptive Unreceptive

Focusing on Focusing on Focusing on

Conclusions Recommendations Logical Arguments

Direct Indirect
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 7
 Structuring Proposals

Solicited Unsolicited

Receptive Audience Skeptical Audience

Recognized Problem Unrecognized Problem

Identified Solution Proposed Solution

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

 Selecting Visual Aids
Line
Line and
and
Tables
Tables Surface
Surface Charts
Charts

Bar
Bar Charts
Charts Pie
Pie Charts
Charts

Organization
Organization
Flowcharts
Flowcharts Charts
Charts
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 9
 The Parts of a Table
Multicolumn Head* Single Single
Column Column
Stub head Subhead Subhead Head Head

Row head XXX XXX XX XX

Row head
Subhead XX XXX XX XX
Subhead XX XXX XX XX
Total XXX XXX XX XX
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 - 10

 Preparing Tables
• Use common, clearly identified units

• Use the same units for all items in a column

• Label column headings

• Separate rows and columns

• Document data sources

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 11
 Line Chart: Net Operating Income/Loss of Santa Monica Studios

40

30

20

10
Millions $

-10

-20

-30

-40
1995 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 2002

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

 Surface Chart: Average Monthly Sales at Computer Land

$160,000

$140,000

$120,000

$100,000

$80,000

$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
Store 1 Store 2 Store 3 Store 4

Computers Printers Software Supplies

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

 Bar Chart: Total Internet Sales 1997-2003

$1,400

$1,200

$1,000

$800
Billions $

$600

$400

$200

$0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

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

 Usage of Business
Communication Channels
9%

16%
Listening
45% Speaking
Reading
Writing

30%

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

 Flow Chart: The Report Writing Process

Keyboard First Next

Input Hard Copy Hard Copy

Yes Edit Edit OK? Yes

No Submit
Report
Keyboard Keyboard
Add?
Input/Edit Input/Edit
No

Style and Style and

Spelling Spelling

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

 Organization Chart
Chief Executive
Officer

Executive Executive
President
Vice President Vice President

Vice Vice Vice Vice Vice

President President President President President

Region Region Region Region Region

1 2 3 4 5

District District District District District District District

A B C D E F G

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

 Using Computers
to Create Visuals

Advantages
Advantages Challenges
Challenges

Speed
Speed Image
Image

Accuracy
Accuracy Message
Message

Ease
Ease of
of Use
Use Audience
Audience

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

 Composing Reports
and Proposals
Text and Content

Degree of Formality

Time Perspective

Navigational Clues
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 19
 Successful Reports
• Accurate

• Complete

• Balanced

• Structured

• Documented
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 20
 Successful 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 - 21
 The Introduction

Context
Context Subject
Subject
or
or Problem
Problem or
or Purpose
Purpose

Overall
Overall
Main
Main Ideas
Ideas Tone
Tone

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

 The Body Chapters

Present

Analyze

Interpret

Support
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 23
 The Closing Section

Emphasizes the Main Points

Summarizes the Benefits

Reinforces the Structure

Brings Action Items Together

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 24
 Additional
Report-Writing Tasks
Formality

Time Frame

Overall Structure
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 25
 Completing Reports
and Proposals
Revising

Producing

Proofreading
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 26
 Components
of Formal Reports
Type of
Report
Audience

Prefatory Text of Supplementary

Length
Report
Needs

Parts the Report Parts

Type of
Company
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 27
 Prefatory Parts
Letter of List of
Cover
Authorization Illustrations

Title Fly Letter of Synopsis

or Title Page Transmittal or Abstract

Letter of Table of Executive

Authorization Contents Summary

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

 Text of the Report

Introduction

Body

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

Appendixes Bibliography Index

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

 Components of
Formal Proposals

Proposal Table
Title Fly Title Page
Cover of Contents

List of Request Executive Letter of

Illustrations for Proposal Summary Transmittal

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 31

 Text of the Proposal

Solicited

Informal
Formal

Introduction Body Closing

Unsolicited

© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 32