10.1 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Chapter 10 Writing Business Reports and Proposals.

10.1

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

Chapter 10Writing Business Reports

and Proposals

10.2


Chapter 10 Objectives

Discuss why businesses need reports and how these documents can be classified.

Distinguish between informational and analytical reports.

Explain the difference between a problem statement and a statement of purpose, and then identify five other elements included in a formal work plan.

Describe six tasks necessary to investigating business reports.

Define business interviews, and list four types of interview questions.

Clarify what it means to adapt your report to your audience.

10.3


The Purpose of Reports

To make sound decisions and find effective solutions

To provide a formal, verifiable link between people, places, and times

To serve as permanent records To solve immediate problems To provide complete, accurate,

objective information

10.4


Electronic Reports

The paperless office is coming true for many organizations: People in the United States can now file their

tax returns electronically. The SEC requires corporations to file reports

electronically. Thousands of firms get electronic reports from

employees, customers, and suppliers. Electronic reports fall into two categories:

Those that essentially replace paper reports Those that are unique to the electronic format

10.5


Electronic Reports

Electronic reports offer advantages such as Cost savings Space savings Faster distribution Multimedia

communication Easier maintenance

Electronic reports offer disadvantages such as Hardware and

software costs Computer system

incompatibility Training needs Risks to data

security and integrity

10.6


Classifying Reports

Reports are commonly classified by these factors: Source–who initiates it? Frequency—how often is it generated? Destination—where is it being sent? Length – how long is it? Formality – how formal is it?

A report’s medium, format, style, and organization are dictated by its classification.

10.7


Types of Business Reports

Informational reports focus on facts and are intended to educate readers

Analytical reports provide data analyses, interpretation, and conclusions. In analytical reports, information plays a supporting role.

10.8


Informational Reports

Summary reportsSummary reports

Progress reportsProgress reports

Compliance reportsCompliance reports

Policy and procedures reportsPolicy and procedures reports

Monitor/control reportsMonitor/control reports

10.9


Monitor/Control Reports

Help managers find out what’s happening to the operations under their control

Focus on data Require special attention to accuracy,

thoroughness, and honesty Balance accomplishments with bad news

10.10


Monitor/Control Reports

Plans: Guidelines for future action (strategic plans, business plans, marketing plans, communication plans, annual budgets, etc.)

Operating reports: Detailed information and statistics (usually computerized) from a management information system (MIS) (related to sales, production, inventory, shipments, backlogs, costs, personnel, etc.)

Periodic operating reports: Summary of what’s happened during a certain period

Personal activity reports: Summary of what occurred during a specific activity, such as a conference, convention, or trip (sales-call reports, expense reports, recruiting reports)

10.11


Policy/Procedure Reports

Help employees find the answers to questions about operational policies and procedures

Present information in a straightforward manner

Should keep the policies broad and the procedures simple

10.12


Policy/Procedure Reports

Examples include: Lasting guidelines: Rules of an organization

that define how to do things in a certain way (how to apply for company-sponsored leave of absence, what to include in an end-of-the-month accounting report, how to appeal a negative performance review, etc.)

Position papers: Rules regarding less permanent issues (increasing security after a rash of burglaries, parking accommodations during renovations, etc.)

10.13


Compliance Reports

Are written in response to regulations Are usually required by government

agencies that issue instructions Must be honest, thorough, and accurate The most common compliance reports are

annual reports such as tax returns, annual reports from corporations that have a pension plan, and annual shareholder reports.

10.14


Progress Reports

Vary in importance and complexity Must anticipate readers’ needs and then provide

the required information both clearly and tactfully Are usually submitted on a regular basisProgress reports include: Interim reports: Details that give others an idea

of the work that has been accomplished, identify any problems, outline future steps, and summarize important findings

Final reports: The permanent record of what was accomplished, focusing on results rather than on progress

10.15


Analytical Reports

Reports for solving problemsReports for solving problems

Proposals for obtaining new business or fundingProposals for obtaining new business or funding

Reports for justifying a projectReports for justifying a project

10.16


Problem-Solving Reports

Problem-solving reports, such as troubleshooting reports, often require research or internal information on topics such as product demand, growth projections, competitor profiles, company strengths and weaknesses, and so on.

Problem-solving reports Usually start with background

information Analyze alternative solutions Finally recommend the best approach

10.17


Justification Reports

Are used to persuade management to approve a project or course of action

Must be unbiased

Justification reports explain: Why a project or course of action is needed What the project or course of action will involve How much it will cost What the benefits will be

10.18


Proposals

A proposal is a special type of analytical report designed to get products, plans, or projects accepted by outside business or government clients.

Although similar to justification reports, proposals have important differences: Proposals are legally binding. Proposals often compete for a client’s

business.

10.19


Proposals

Proposals can be of two types: Solicited proposals are prepared at the

request of clients who need something done.

Unsolicited proposals are initiated by organizations attempting to obtain business or funding without a specific invitation from a potential client.

10.20


Proposals

Solicited proposals Are invited via a request for proposal

(RFP) Lay out the requirements of a project,

the scope of work, the methods and procedures to be used, time requirements, personnel requirements, and costs

Follow the exact format required in the RFP and respond to every point the RFP raises

10.21


Proposals

Unsolicited proposals Must convince the audience of the

benefits of buying the product or service being offered

Vary widely in form, length, and purpose Are very much a sales pitch and much

more difficult to write.

10.22


Planning Business Reports

Begin with a problem statementBegin with a problem statement

Limit your scopeLimit your scope

Outline issues to investigateOutline issues to investigate

Develop a statement of purposeDevelop a statement of purpose

Prepare work planPrepare work plan

10.23


Defining the Problem

Start with a problem statement, a definition of the problem you need to resolve (i.e., what you’re going to investigate)

Distinguish between a topic (campus parking) and a problem (the lack of campus parking)

Focus on your audience Be ready to convince your readers that a

problem exists

10.24


Limiting the Scope

What needs to be determined? Why is this issue important? Who is involved in the situation? Where is the trouble located? When did it start? How did the situation originate? Also limit your scope by problem factoring—

breaking the problem down into a series of logically connected questions that try to identify cause and effect .

10.25


Outlining Issues

Speculate on the causes of the problem and outline them so that you can collect information that will confirm or disprove each reason

Use the same grammatical form for outline headings of the same level

Choose between descriptive (topical) headings and informative (talking) headings

Remember that the outline of your investigation may differ quite a bit from your final report outline

10.26


Developing the Statement of Purpose

Define the objective of your report (why you are preparing the report)

Begin with an infinitive phrase (to plus a verb)

Make sure your statement reflects the complexity of your report

Make your statement as specific as possible

Double-check your statement with the person who authorized the report

10.27


Developing a Work Plan

Prepare a work plan by including the following elements:Statement of problem

Statement of purpose

Tasks to be done

Products that will result

Project assignments

Working outline

Follow-up activities

10.28


Planning Business Reports - Investigation

Adopt an organized approach to research by completing six tasks: Find and access secondary information. Gather any necessary primary

information. Evaluate and finalize your sources. Process your information. Analyze your data. Interpret your findings.

10.29


Secondary Information

To successfully find and access secondary information, you Locate information that has already been

collected (books, periodicals, reports, etc.)

Learn something about your subject before you begin your research in earnest

10.30


Secondary Information

As you begin your research for secondary information, you must know what to look for:

If you need information about a specific company, find out whether the company is public or private.

If you need information about a particular industry, find out the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code or the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

If you need information on company and industry statistics, economic forecasts, business concerns, and so on, check sources online and in the library.

10.31


Secondary Information Resources in a Library

Business books Almanacs Newspapers Periodicals Directories Electronic databases Government publications

10.32


Secondary Information Resources On-line

The Internet Public Library provides a carefully selected collection of links to high-quality business resources.

Company Web sites provide detailed information (although probably not for smaller companies).

News release sites such as PRNewswire and Business Wire offer free databases of news releases from companies that subscribe to their service.

10.33


Searching a Database

Select appropriate databases.

Use multiple search engines.

Use key words and phrases.

Use short phrases.

Don’t use stopwords. Do not use words contained in the name of the

database. Use variations of your terms.

10.34


Searching a Database

Specify a logical relationship between key words.

Evaluate the precision and quality of your results.

Use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.

Use proximity operators

Use wildcards

continued

10.35


Primary Information

Five methods of collecting primary information are Examining documents Making observations Conducting experiments Surveying people Conducting interviews

10.36


Primary Information

The most useful primary references are often internal sources: company reports, memos, contracts, income statements, and other documents.

Informal observations Help you study objects, physical activities,

processes, the environment, and human behavior

Can be expensive and time consuming Depend on the reliability of the observer for

their success and effectiveness

10.37


Primary Information

Conducting experiments Is far more common in technical fields

than in general business Requires extensive, accurate, and

measurable manipulation of the factors involved

Is often very expensive

10.38


Primary Information

Surveys – just ask! Surveys tell you what a cross section of people

think about a given topic. Surveys include everything from the one-time,

one-on-one interview to the distribution of thousands of questionnaires.

Surveys are reliable if they produce identical results when repeated.

Surveys are valid if they measure what they are intended to measure.

The most crucial element of a survey is the questionnaire.

10.39


Preparing Effective Surveys

Provide clear instructionsProvide clear instructions

Keep it short and easy to answerKeep it short and easy to answer

Use questions that are easily tabulatedUse questions that are easily tabulated

Avoid leading questionsAvoid leading questions

Ask only one thing at a time Ask only one thing at a time

Pretest the questionnairePretest the questionnaire

10.40


Primary Information

Interviews are planned conversations (with a predetermined purpose) that involve asking and answering questions.

When planning an interview, Determine whether an interview is really the

quickest and most efficient way to get the information that you need

Analyze your purpose Learn about the other person Formulate your main idea Decide on the length, style and organization of

the interview

10.41


Preparing Interview Questions

Use the appropriate type of question to get the information you need.

Think about the sequence of questions. Identify the questions you really

need answers to. Ask smart questions. Use a mix of question types. Limit the number of your questions. Edit questions for neutrality and

objectivity.

10.42


Processing InformationYou Have Gathered

Read the material and take notes.

Know when to quote and when to paraphrase.

Document your sources so you can avoid plagiarism.

Use a note card method to help in organizing material.

10.43


Processing InformationYou Have Gathered

Use direct quotation sparingly, only when The original language will enhance your

argument Rewording the passage would lessen its

impact Plagiarism is quoting or paraphrasing

someone else’s words or ideas without proper credit.

10.44


Analyzing Data

When analyzing your data, you search for relationships among the facts and the bits of evidence you’ve compiled.

Statistical information (raw numerical data) must be manipulated so that you and your readers can interpret its significance.

10.45


Analyzing Data

One useful way to look at numerical data is to find the average (the number that represents a group of numbers):

The mean is the sum of all the items in the group divided by the number of items in that group.

The median is the “middle of the road” average, or the midpoint of a series (with an equal number of items above and below).

The mode is the number that occurs more often than any other in your sample

10.46


Analyzing Data

Another useful way to look at numerical data is to look for a trend (a steady upward or downward movement in a pattern of events taking place over time).

Once you identify a trend, you look for a correlation—a statistical relationship between two or more variables (which causes the trend).

10.47


Drawing Conclusions

After your data is in a form that you and your readers can understand, you must draw conclusions; that is, you must make a logical interpretation of the facts in your report.

A sound conclusion Fulfills the original statement of purpose Is based strictly on the information

included in the rest of the report Is logical

10.48


Making Recommendations

A recommendation suggests what to do about the facts. A conclusion interprets the facts.

To be credible, recommendations must be Based on logical analysis and sound

conclusions Practical and acceptable to your readers Followed by the steps that come next

10.49


Planning Business Reports - Adaptation

To establish a good relationship with your audience in business reports, Use the “you” attitude Emphasize the positive Establish your credibility Be polite Use bias-free language Project the company’s image

Select the best format for conveying your report, such as a letter, a memo, an e-mail, a formal report, or an oral presentation.

10.50


What are the six classification of business reports?

How do informational reports differ from analytical reports?

What is a problem statement, and how does it differ from a statement of purpose?

What is included in a work plan for a report, and why is it important?

How does primary information differ from secondary information?

Let’s Discuss

Test Your Knowledge

10.51


What four types of questions can be posed during an interview?

What is paraphrasing, and what is its purpose?

What are the characteristics of a sound conclusion?

How does a conclusion differ from a recommendation?

Why do writers use the “you” attitude in their reports?

Let’s Discuss

Test Your Knowledge continued

10.1 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Chapter 10 Writing Business Reports and Proposals.

Documents

reports reports

purpose of reports

file reports

paper reports

reports medium

writing business reports

business communication

readers analytical reports