Business Communication: Chapter 14 Writing Reports and Proposals

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Explain how to adapt to your audiences when writing reports and proposals.

· Long and complex reports demand a lot from readers, making the “you” attitude especially important.

· Your reports may continue to be read for months or years after you write them –and they may reach audiences you never envisioned.

· Adjust the level of formality to match the situation and your audience’s expectations.

· Before you start writing, review your outline one more time and verify the wording of your headings and subheadings.

· The introduction needs to provide context for the reader, introduce the subject, preview main ideas, and establish the tone of the document.

· The body of a report presents, analyzes, and interprets the information you gathered during your investigation.

· The close of your report should emphasize the main message, summarize audience benefits, gather together all the action items (if any), and indicate responsibilities for each one.

Name five characteristics of effective report content

Effective report content is accurate, complete, balanced, clear, logical, and properly documented.

List the topics commonly covered in the introduction, body, and close of formal reports.

Carefully select the elements to include in your introduction; don’t include anything your audience doesn’t need.
The report body should contain only enough information to convey your message convincingly; don’t overload the body with excessive details.
The nature of your close depends on the type of report (informational, analytical, or proposal) and the approach (direct or indirect).
For long reports, you may need to divide your close into separate sections for conclusion, recommendations, and actions.
The AIDA model you learned in Chapter 10 works well for proposals, although you may nee dto adapt it if you are responding to an RFP.

List Six strategies to strengthen a proposal argument.

Business proposals need to provide more than just attractive ideas; readers look for evidence of practical, achievable solutions.
In an unsolicited proposal, your introduction may need to convince readers that a problem or an opportunity exists.
Readers understand that a proposal is a persuasive message, so they’re willing to accommodate a promotional style ---as long as it is professional and focused on their needs.
The work plan indicates exactly how you will accomplish the solution presented in the proposal.
The close is your last chance to convince the reader of the merits of your proposal, so make especially sure it is clear, compelling, and audience oriented.

Identify five charactistics of effective writing in online reports.

Localizing web content involves both translating the content and adapting it to local cultural norms and practices.
Effective links in online reports let readers know exactly what to expect before they click on them.
If you rely on search engines for a significant portion of your website traffic, you need to optimize your site to increase the chances that search engines will give your site high ranks in relevant searches.
Becoming an effective wiki collaborator requires a shift in your mindset from the approach you use for individual writing.
Whenever you add content to a wiki, make sure it fits in smoothly with the organization of the existing content.
Help your audiences navigate through your reports by providing clear directions to key pieces of content.

Briefly describe three report elements that can help readers find their way in long documents.

Transitions connect ideas by helping readers move from one thought to the next.
Previews help readers prepare for upcoming information, and reviews help them verify and clarify what they have just read.

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