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

Gather Information Adapt to Your Audience Produce the Message

Select the Right Medium Compose the Message Proofread the Message
Organize the Information Distribute the Message

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

 Adapting to Your
Audience
•Being Sensitive to Your Audience’s Needs

•Building Strong Relationships with Your

•Audience

•Controlling Your Style and Tone

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

 Composing Report and
Proposals
• Introduction : boarder context tying with problem,
introduce subject purpose and its important, main idea and order, tone
of document and writer relationship with audience

• Body : analyze, interpret information gathered during

investigation, detail proof support your conclusion and recommendation

• Close : main point reiterate the logic behind conclusion

and recommendation, summarize the benefits, give detail who
should do, what, when, where, and how

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

 The Introduction

Context Subject
or Problem or Purpose

Overall
Main Ideas
Tone

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

 The Body Chapters

Present

Analyze

Interpret

Support
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 6
 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 - 7
 Choosing an Approach

Direct Approach Indirect Approach

Receptive Hostile

Open-Minded Skeptical

Audience
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 8
 Structuring
Informational Reports

Importance Sequence Chronology

Spatial
Geography Category
Orientation

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

 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 - 10
 Structuring Proposals

Solicited Unsolicited

Receptive Audience Skeptical Audience

Recognized Problem Unrecognized Problem

Identified Solution Proposed Solution

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

 Composing Reports
and Proposals
Text and Content

Degree of Formality

Time Perspective

Navigational Clues
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 12
 Successful Reports
• Accurate

• Complete

• Balanced

• Structured

• Documented
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 13
 Report Introduction
• Authorization
• Problem/ opportunity/
purpose
• Scope
• Background
• Source and Method
• Definitions
• Limitations
• Report Organization
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 14
 Report Body
•Explanation of a problem or an opportunity
•Facts, statistical evidence, and trends
•Results of studies or investigations
•Discussion and analyses of potential courses of action
•Advantages, disadvantages, costs and benefits of a particular course
of action
•Procedures or steps in a process
•Method and approaches
•Criteria for evaluating alternatives and options
•Conclusion and recommendation (in direct reports)
•Supporting reasons for conclusions and recommendations
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 15
 Report Close

The content and length of a report’s close

depend on you choice of direct or indirect
approach.

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

 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 - 17
 Proposal Introduction

•Background or statement
of the problem or opportunity
•Solution
•Scope
•organization
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 18
 Proposal Body

•Proposed Solution
•Work Plan
•Statement of Qualifications
•Costs

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

 Proposal Close

•Emphasizes the benefits

•Summarize merits of
your approach
•Persuade readers to accept
your proposal
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 20
 Completing Reports
and Proposals
Revising

Producing

Proofreading
© Prentice Hall, 2004 Business Communication Essentials Chapter 11 - 21
 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 - 22
 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 - 23

 Text of the Report

Introduction

Body

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

Appendixes Bibliography Index

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

 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 - 26

 Text of the Proposal

Solicited

Informal
Formal

Introduction Body Closing

Unsolicited

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