© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 11 - 1 Planning Reports and Proposals.
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© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 1
Planning Planning Reports and Reports and ProposalsProposals
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 2
Writing for the Writing for the WorkplaceWorkplace
• Informational reports
• Analytical reports
• Proposals
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 3
The Three-Step ProcessThe Three-Step Process
• Planning
• Writing
• Completing
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 4
Analyzing the SituationAnalyzing the Situation
• Define the purpose
• Prepare the work plan
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 5
Statement of PurposeStatement of Purpose
• Inform
• Persuade
• Recommend
• Confirm
• Analyze
• Summarize
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 6
Preparing the Work PlanPreparing 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, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 7
Gathering InformationGathering Information
• Purpose
• Audience
• Priorities
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 8
Selecting the MediumSelecting the Medium
• Hardcopy
• Digital format
• Multimedia
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 9
Organizing the Organizing the InformationInformation
• Direct approach• State conclusions and recommendations• Introduce findings• Include support
• Indirect approach• Introduce findings• Discuss support• State conclusions and recommendations
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 10
Supporting Your Supporting Your MessagesMessages
• Plan your research
• Locate data and information
• Process data and information
• Apply your findings
• Manage information
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 11
Plan Your ResearchPlan Your Research
• Learn about the subject
• Identify information gaps
• Prioritize research needs
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 12
Ethics and Etiquette in Ethics and Etiquette in Business ResearchBusiness Research
• Don’t skew results
• Respect privacy of participants
• Document sources
• Respect intellectual property
• Don’t distort information
• Don’t misrepresent
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 13
Data and InformationData and Information
• Secondary research
• Primary research
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 14
Purpose ofPurpose ofthe Materialthe Material
IndependentIndependentVerificationVerification
Logic andLogic andGood SenseGood Sense
Honesty andHonesty andReliabilityReliability
The AuthorThe Author
TimelinessTimeliness
PotentialPotentialBiasBias
Data CollectionData CollectionMethodsMethods
CompletenessCompleteness
Evaluating SourcesEvaluating Sources
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 15
Secondary ResearchSecondary Research
• Inside the company
– Company documents
– Knowledge management systems
• Outside the company
– Hardcopy resources
– Online resources
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 16
Finding Information Finding Information at the Libraryat the Library
BusinessBusinessBooksBooks
ElectronicElectronicDatabasesDatabases NewspapersNewspapers PeriodicalsPeriodicals
DirectoriesDirectories AlmanacsAlmanacs StatisticalStatisticalResourcesResources
GovernmentGovernmentPublicationsPublications
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 17
Using Search EnginesUsing Search Engines
• Advantages– Keyword searching
– Scanning webpages
– Ranking results
• Disadvantages– No human editors
– Inconsistent results
– Restricted access
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 18
Alternate Search Alternate Search MethodsMethods
• Web directories
• Metasearch engines
• Online databases
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 19
Search TechniquesSearch Techniques
• Keywords
• Boolean operators
• Natural language
• Forms-based
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 20
Fine Tune Search Fine Tune Search
MethodsMethods• Read instructions
• Review your options
• Observe the details
• Vary search terms
• Adjust the search scope
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 21
Innovative Search Innovative Search MethodsMethods
• Desktop search engines
• Enterprise search engines
• Research managers
• Content managers
• Social bookmarking sites
• Newsfeeds
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 22
Documenting Documenting SourcesSources
• Credit sources
• Support your message
• Help your readers
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 23
Primary ResearchPrimary Research
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Experiments
• Observations
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 24
Conducting SurveysConducting Surveys
• Representative sample
• Effective questions
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 25
Effective QuestionnairesEffective Questionnaires
• Provide clear instructions
• Keep questionnaire short and easy to answer
• Seek answers that are easy to analyze
• Avoid leading questions
• Avoid ambiguous questions
• Ask one question at a time
• Make the survey adaptive
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 26
Effective Internet Effective Internet
SurveysSurveys• Minimize cost
• Reach more people
• Boost response rate
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 27
Conducting InterviewsConducting Interviews
• Types of questions
• Sequence of questions
• Subject’s background
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 28
Processing InformationProcessing Information
• Gather your thoughts
• Review your notes
• Organize the material
• Transcribe recordings
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 29
Using Research ResultsUsing Research Results
• Mean, median, and mode
• Overall trends
• Cause and correlation
• Cross-tabulation
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 30
Processing Processing Data and InformationData and Information
• Quoting
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 31
Applying Your FindingsApplying Your Findings
• Drawing conclusions
• Making recommendations
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 32
Planning Planning Informational ReportsInformational Reports
• Monitor and control operations
• Implement policies and procedures
• Demonstrate compliance
• Report progress
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 33
Organizing Organizing Informational ReportsInformational Reports
• Comparison
• Importance
• Sequence
• Chronology
• Spatial orientation
• Geography
• category
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 34
Website ContentWebsite Content
• Web readers are demanding
• Reading online can be difficult
• Nonlinear, multidimensional format
• Multiple purposes
• Diverse audiences
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 35
Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture
• Vertical hierarchy of pages
• Horizontal division of pages
• Links that tie pages together
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 36
Organizing the SiteOrganizing the Site
• Plan your navigation first
• Let your readers be in control
• Break the information into chunks
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 37
Planning Analytical Planning Analytical ReportsReports
• Assess opportunities
• Solve problems
• Support decisions
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 38
Challenges of Writing Challenges of Writing
Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports• Quality of reasoning
• Clarity of writing
• Responsibility of persuasion
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 39
Organizing Organizing Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports
• Logical arguments
• Feasible recommendations
• Bottom-line conclusions
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 40
Focus on ConclusionsFocus on Conclusions
• Advantages– Ease of use– Bottom-line driven
• Disadvantages– Possible resistance– Oversimplification
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 41
Focus on Focus on RecommendationsRecommendations
1. Establish the need for action
2. Introduce the overall benefits
3. List the required steps
4. Explain each step more fully
5. Summarize the recommendations
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 42
Focus on Logical Focus on Logical ArgumentsArguments
• 2 + 2 = 4 approach– Problem/opportunity– Reasons for conclusions– Reasons for
recommendations– Evidence behind reasons
• Yardstick method– Problem/opportunity– Alternatives– Decision criteria– Alternatives vs. criteria
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 43
Planning ProposalsPlanning Proposals
• Internal requests
– Funding
– Management support
– General projects
• External requests– Investments
– Grants
– Sales
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 44
Structuring ProposalsStructuring Proposals
• Solicited
– Direct approach
– Interested audience
• Unsolicited
– Indirect approach
– Uninterested audience
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