PLANNING REPORTS

AND PROPOSALS
Chapter
12 - 1

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e

 WORKPLACE WRITING

• Informational reports
• data, facts, feedback, and other types of information without analysis or
recommendations.
• Analytical reports
• both information and analysis and can also include recommendations.
• Proposals
• special category of reports that combine information delivery and
persuasive communication.

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 2

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 3
 THREE-STEP WRITING PROCESS

• Planning
• Writing
• Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 4

 ANALYZING THE SITUATION

• Define the purpose

• Inform
• Persuade
• Recommend
• Confirm
• Analyze
• Summarize

• Prepare the work plan

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 5

 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, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 6

 GATHERING INFORMATION

• Purpose
• Audience
• Priorities

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 7

 SELECTING THE MEDIUM

• Hardcopy
• Digital format
• Multimedia

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 8

 ORGANIZING THE INFORMATION

• Direct approach
• State conclusions and recommendations
• Introduce findings
• Include support
• Indirect approach
• Introduce findings
• Discuss support
• State conclusions and recommendations

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 9

 USING OUTLINE HEADINGS

Descriptive Informative
(Topical) Outline (Talking) Outline

I. Industry Characteristics I. Flour milling is a mature industry.

A. Annual sales A. Market is large
B. Profitability B. Profit margins are narrow
C. Growth rate C. Growth is modest.
1. Sales 1. Sales growth less than 3%
2. Profit 2. Profit growth is flat.

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 10

 INFORMATIONAL REPORTS

• Monitor and control operations

• Implement policies and procedures
• Document compliance
• Record overall progress

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 11

 ORGANIZING
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
• Comparison
• Importance
• Sequence or time
• Category
• Geography
• Spatial orientation

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 12

 PLANNING ANALYTICAL REPORTS

• Assess opportunities
• Solve problems
• Support decisions

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 13

 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, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 14

 ORGANIZING
ANALYTICAL REPORTS
• Logical arguments
• Feasible recommendations
• Bottom-line conclusions

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 15

 FOCUS ON CONCLUSIONS

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

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 16

 FOCUS ON RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Establish the need for action

2. Introduce benefits
3. List the steps
4. Explain each step
5. Summarize

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 17

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 18
 FOCUS ON LOGICAL ARGUMENTS

• 2 + 2 = 4 approach
• Approach to logical arguments convinces readers of your point of view
by demonstrating that everything adds up
• Scientific method
• Yardstick approach
• Compares a solution or several solutions to a set of predetermined
criteria.

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 19

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 20
© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 21
© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 22
 PLANNING PROPOSALS

• Internal
• Funding
• Management support
• General projects
• External
• Investments
• Grants
• Sales

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 23

 STRUCTURING PROPOSALS

• Solicited
• Direct approach
• Interested audience
• Unsolicited
• Indirect approach
• Uninterested audience

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 12 - 24