© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9eChapter 13 - 1 Planning Reports and Proposals.

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 1

Planning Reports Planning Reports and Proposalsand Proposals

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 2

Effective Reports and Effective Reports and ProposalsProposals

Reports Categories:• Informational: Offer data facts, feedback

without analysis or recommendation.

• Analytical: Offer information & analysis and can include recommendations.

• Proposals: Offer structured persuasion for internal and external audiences.

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 3

Three-Step Writing Three-Step Writing ProcessProcess

• Planning / Investigation

• Writing / Drafting

• Completing / Revising

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 4

1. Analyzing the 1. Analyzing the SituationSituation

a) Define the purpose

b) Prepare the work plan

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 5

a) Defining the Purposea) Defining the Purpose

• To Inform

• To Persuade

• To Recommend

• To Confirm

• To Analyze

• To Summarize

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 6

b) Preparing the Work b) Preparing the Work PlanPlan

1. Statement of the problem / opportunity

2. Specific statement of the purpose and scope

3. Discussion of tasks to be accomplished

4. Description of final products or outcomes

5. Review of schedules and requirements

6. Plans for following up

7. Working outline

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 7

Gathering InformationGathering Information

Collect all the information you need –

and only the information you need.

•Focus on the audience

•Plan carefully

•Establish priorities

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 8

Selecting the MediumSelecting the Medium

• Hardcopy

• Digital format

• Multimedia

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 9

Organizing the Organizing the InformationInformation

• Direct approach receptive audience• State conclusions and recommendations• Introduce findings• Include support

• Indirect approach skeptical audience• Introduce findings• Discuss support• State conclusions and recommendations

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 10

Organization Organization ConsiderationsConsiderations

• Understand and meet audience expectations

• Use a task-appropriate format

• Keep it as short and simple as possible KISS

• “Talk” your way through the outline

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 11

Planning Planning Informational ReportsInformational Reports

• Monitor and control operations

• Implement policies and procedures

• Demonstrate compliance

• Document progress

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 12

Organizing Organizing

Informational ReportsInformational Reports

• Topical organization

– Comparison

– Importance

– Sequence

– Chronology

– Spatial orientation

– Geography

– Category

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 13

Creating Business PlansCreating Business Plans

• Summary

• Mission and objectives

• Company and industry

• Products or services

• Market and competition

• Management

• Marketing strategies

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 14

Creating Business PlansCreating Business Plans

• Design and development plans

• Operations plan

• Overall schedule

• Critical risks and problems

• Financial projections

• Financial requirements

• Exit strategy

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 15

Website ContentWebsite Content

• Online communication is unique–Web readers are demanding– Reading online can be difficult– The Internet is a nonlinear medium– The Internet is multidimensional –Websites have multiple purposes– Internet audiences are diverse

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 16

Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture

• Vertical hierarchy of pages

• Horizontal division of pages

• Internal and external links

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 17

Organizing the SiteOrganizing the Site

• Plan navigation first

• Let readers be in control

• Break information into “chunks”

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 18

Planning Analytical Planning Analytical ReportsReports

• Assess opportunities

–Market analysis and due diligence

• Solve problems

– Troubleshooting and failure analysis

• Support decisions

– Feasibility and justification

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 19

Defining the ProblemDefining 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, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 20

Organizational Organizational StrategiesStrategies

• Receptive audiences – Direct approach• Focus on conclusions• Focus on recommendations

• Skeptical audiences – Indirect approach• Focus on logical arguments

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 21

Organizing Organizing Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports

• Logical arguments

• Feasible recommendations

• Bottom-line conclusions

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 22

Focus on ConclusionsFocus on Conclusions

• Advantages– Ease of use– Bottom-line driven

• Disadvantages– Possible resistance– Oversimplification

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 23

Focus on Focus on RecommendationsRecommendations

1. Establish the need for action

2. Introduce benefits

3. List steps needed to get benefits

4. Explain each step more fully

5. Summarize your recommendations

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 24

Focus on Logical Focus on Logical ArgumentsArguments

• 2 + 2 = 4 approach– Problem or opportunity– Main reasons behind conclusions– Main reasons behind recommendations– Support reasons with evidence

• Yardstick approach– Problem or opportunity– List alternatives– List decision-making criteria– Evaluate alternatives against criteria

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 25

Planning ProposalsPlanning Proposals

• Internal

– Funding

– Management support

– General projects

• External

– Investments

– Grants

– Sales

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 13 - 26

Organizing ProposalsOrganizing Proposals

• Solicited

– Direct approach

– Interested audience

• Unsolicited

– Indirect approach

– Uninterested audience