Planning Reports and Proposals Prentice Hall 2005 Business

Planning Reports and Proposals © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 1

Workplace Writing • Informational reports • Analytical reports • Proposals © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 2

Three-Step Writing Process • Planning • Writing • Completing © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 3

Analyzing the Situation • Define the purpose • Prepare the work plan © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 4

Defining the Purpose • • • Inform Persuade Recommend Confirm Analyze Summarize © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 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 8 e 6

Gathering Information • Purpose • Audience • Priorities © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 7

Selecting the Medium • Hardcopy • Digital format • Multimedia © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 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 8 e 9

Using Outline Headings Descriptive (Topical) Outline I. Industry Characteristics Informative (Talking) Outline 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 growth less than 3% 2. Profit growth is flat. © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 10

Informational Reports • Monitor and control operations • Implement policies and procedures • Document compliance • Record overall progress © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 11

Organizing Informational Reports • Comparison • Performance • Sequence or time • Category • Geography • Spatial orientation © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 12

Planning Analytical Reports • Assess opportunities • Solve problems • Support decisions © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 13

Challenges of Writing Analytical Reports • Quality of reasoning • Clarity of writing • Persuasive elements © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 14

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 8 e 15

Organizing Analytical Reports • Logical arguments • Feasible recommendations • Bottom-line conclusions © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 16

Focus on Conclusions • Advantages – Ease of use – Bottom-line driven • Disadvantages – Possible resistance – Oversimplification © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 17

Focus on Recommendations • • • Establish the need for action Introduce benefits List the steps Explain each step Summarize © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 18

Focus on Logical Arguments • 2 + 2 = 4 approach • Scientific method • Yardstick approach © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 19

Planning Proposals • Internal – Funding – Management support – General projects • External – Investments – Grants – Sales © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 20

Structuring Proposals • Solicited – Direct approach – Interested audience • Unsolicited – Indirect approach – Uninterested audience © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8 e 21