© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 1
Planning Planning Reports and Reports and ProposalsProposals
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 2
Basic Report CategoriesBasic Report Categories
• Informational reports
• Analytical reports
• Proposals
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 3
Applying the Applying the Three-Step ProcessThree-Step Process
• Analyze the situation
• Gather information
• Select the right medium
• Organize your information
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 4
Analyzing the SituationAnalyzing the Situation
• Define the purpose
• Prepare the work plan
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 5
Defining the PurposeDefining the Purpose
• Inform
• Persuade
• Recommend
• Confirm
• Analyze
• Summarize
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 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, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 7
Gathering InformationGathering Information
• Purpose
• Audience
• Priorities
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 8
Selecting the MediumSelecting the Medium
• Hardcopy
• Digital format
• Multimedia
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 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, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 10
Using Outline HeadingsUsing Outline Headings
I. Industry Characteristics
A. Annual sales
B. Profitability
C. Growth rate
1. Sales
2. Profit
I. Flour milling is a mature industry.
A. Market is large
B. Profit margins are narrow
C. Growth is modest.
1. Sales growth less than 3%
2. Profit growth is flat.
Descriptive(Topical) Outline
Informative(Talking) Outline
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 11
Supporting Your Supporting Your MessagesMessages
• Plan your research
• Locate data and information
• Process data and information
• Apply your findings
• Manage information
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 12
Plan Your ResearchPlan Your Research
• Learn about the subject
• Identify information gaps
• Prioritize research needs
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 13
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 misquote
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 14
Data and InformationData and Information
• Secondary research
• Primary research
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 15
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, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 16
Secondary ResearchSecondary Research
• A specific company
• An entire industry
• Statistics and trends
• Business issues
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 17
Finding Information Finding Information at the Libraryat the Library
BusinessBusinessBooksBooks
ElectronicElectronicDatabasesDatabases NewspapersNewspapers PeriodicalsPeriodicals
DirectoriesDirectories AlmanacsAlmanacs StatisticalStatisticalResourcesResources
GovernmentGovernmentPublicationsPublications
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 18
Internet Search ToolsInternet Search Tools
• Search engines
– Web directories
– Online databases
– Meta-search engines
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 19
Search TechniquesSearch Techniques
• Keywords
• Boolean operators
• Natural language
• Forms-based
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 20
Fine Tune Search Fine Tune Search
MethodsMethods• Read instructions
• Review your options
• Adjust search scope
• Understand details
• Vary search terms
• Employ search agents
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 21
Documenting Documenting SourcesSources
• Credit sources
• Build credibility
• Help your readers
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 22
Primary ResearchPrimary Research
• Administer surveys
• Conduct interviews
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 23
Survey QuestionsSurvey Questions
• Ask easy-to-analyze questions
• Avoid leading questions
• Ask one question at a time
• Pretest all questionnaires
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 24
Effective Internet Effective Internet
SurveysSurveys• Minimize cost
• Reach more people
• Boost response rate
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 25
Planning InterviewsPlanning Interviews
• Purpose
• Audience
• Main ideas
• Structure
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 26
Types of QuestionsTypes of Questions
• Close-ended
• Restatement
• Direct open-ended
• Open-ended
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 27
Processing Interview Processing Interview InformationInformation
• Write down your ideas
• Review notes
• Organize the material
• Transcribe recordings
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 28
Analyzing the DataAnalyzing the Data
• Mean, median, and mode
• Overall trends
• Cause and correlation
• Cross-tabulation
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 29
Processing Processing Data and InformationData and Information
• Quoting
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 30
Applying Your FindingsApplying Your Findings
• Drawing conclusions
• Making recommendations
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 31
Planning Planning Informational ReportsInformational Reports
• Monitor and control operations
• Implement policies and procedures
• Demonstrate compliance
• Report progress
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 32
Structuring Structuring Informational ReportsInformational Reports
• Comparison
• Importance
• Sequence
• Chronology
• Spatial orientation
• Geography
• category
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 33
Effective Effective Informational ReportsInformational Reports
• Audience-centered
• Logical
• Focused
• Easy-to-follow
• Concise
• Honest and objective
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 34
Planning Analytical Planning Analytical ReportsReports
• Assess opportunities
• Solve problems
• Support decisions
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 35
Challenges of Writing Challenges of Writing
Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports• Quality of reasoning
• Clarity of writing
• Persuasive elements
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 36
Organizing Organizing Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports
• Logical arguments
• Feasible recommendations
• Bottom-line conclusions
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 37
Focus on ConclusionsFocus on Conclusions
• Advantages– Ease of use– Bottom-line driven
• Disadvantages– Possible resistance– Oversimplification
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 38
Focus on Focus on RecommendationsRecommendations
1. Establish the need for action
2. Introduce benefits
3. List the steps
4. Explain each step
5. Summarize
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 39
Focus on Logical Focus on Logical ArgumentsArguments
• 2 + 2 = 4 approach
• Scientific method
• Yardstick approach
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 40
Planning Business Planning Business ProposalsProposals
• Internal
– Funding
– Management support
– General projects
• External
– Investments
– Grants
– Sales
© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 10 - 41
Structuring ProposalsStructuring Proposals
• Solicited
– Direct approach
– Interested audience
• Unsolicited
– Indirect approach
– Uninterested audience