Writing and Completing

Reports and Proposals

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 1

 Reports and Proposals

Long Message
Long Message
Formats
Formats

Effective
Effective
Visual Support
Visual Support

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 Adapting to the Audience

The “You”
The “You”Attitude
Attitude

Message Tone
Message Tone

CulturalAwareness
Cultural Awareness

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 3

 Composing Reports
and Proposals
Introduction Body Conclusion

Report Context Presentation Main Points

Subject/Purpose Analysis Benefits

Main Ideas Interpretation Structure

Overall Tone Support Action Items

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 4
 Drafting Report Content

Accurate
Accurate Complete
Complete

Clear
Clear and
and Documented
Documented
Balanced
Balanced Logical
Logical Properly
Properly

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 5

 Report Introduction
Authorization Opportunity or Purpose

Scope of Coverage Background

Sources and Methods Terms and Definitions

Limitations Report Organization

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 The Report Body
 Explanations of problem or opportunity
 Facts, statistics, and trends
 Results of studies or investigations
 Discussion and analysis of potential actions
 Advantages, disadvantages, costs, and
benefits
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 7
 The Report Body
 Procedures or steps in a process
 Methods and approaches
 Criteria for evaluating options
 Conclusions and recommendations
 Support for conclusions and recommendations

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 8

 The Report Closing

Summary
Summary

Conclusions
Conclusions

Recommendations
Recommendations

Action
Action Plans
Plans
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 9
 Strategies for
Successful Proposals
• Demonstrate your knowledge
• Provide examples and information
• Research the competition
• Prove your proposal is feasible
• Relate your proposal to the reader
• Package the proposal attractively
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 10
 Drafting Proposal Content
Introduction Body Conclusion

Background The Solution Key Points

Solution Work Plan Benefits

Scope Qualifications Merits and Qualities

Organization Detailed Costs Commitment

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 11

 Drafting Online Content
1. Build trust with intended audiences
2. Adapt content for global audience
3. Include reader-oriented content
4. Use a concise, skimmable format
5. Include effective links

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 12

 Guiding the Readers
Headings Transitional Previews
and Links Devices and Reviews

Readability
Readability Words
Words Introductions
Introductions

Frameworks
Frameworks Sentences
Sentences Summaries
Summaries

Relationships
Relationships Paragraphs
Paragraphs Overviews
Overviews

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 13

 Technology for
Reports and Proposals
Templates Linking and Embedding

Electronic Forms Electronic Documents

Multimedia Documents Proposal-Writing Software

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 14

Consistency
Consistency Interpret Images Emphasis
Emphasis

Contrast
Visual Convention
Contrast Convention
Literacy

Balance
Balance Create Images Simplicity
Simplicity

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Pick the Right Visuals

Data and
Data and
Information
Information

Concepts
Concepts
and Ideas
and Ideas

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 The Parts of a Table
Multicolumn Head*
Column
Subhead Subhead Subhead Subhead Head
Row head XXX XXX XX XX
Row head
Subhead XX XXX XX XX
Subhead XX XXX XX XX
Total XXX XXX XX XX
Source: (In the same format as a text footnote).
*Footnote (for explanation of elements in the table).
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 17
Preparing Data Tables

Use Common
Use Common Units
Units

Round Numbers
Round Numbers

Label Columns
Label Columns

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Preparing Data Tables

Rows and
Rows and Columns
Columns

Limit Information
Limit Information

Document Sources
Document Sources

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 Line and Surface Charts
100%

Trends
Trends
80%

60% Variables
Variables

40%

Relationships
Relationships
2006 2007 2008 2009

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 Average Kiln Temps
Temperature °F

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 Home Game Ticket Sales
90,000

80,000

70,000
Average Per Game

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Other Students Families Alumni Staff

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 Using Bar Charts
Compare Items

Show Changes

Indicate Composition

Show Relative Sizes

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 CommuniCo
Staff Computer Skills

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 CommuniCo Preferred
Communication Media

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 CommuniCo Employee
Training Costs
16,000 $8,000

14,000 $7,000

12,000 $6,000

10,000 $5,000

Training Costs
Head Count

8,000 $4,000

6,000 $3,000

4,000 $2,000

2,000 $1,000

0 $0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Head Count Training Costs

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 26

 Using Pie Charts
The Number of Slices

Logical Arrangement

Contrasting Colors

Numbers or Percents
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Percentage of Time Spent Online
By Age Group

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 Data Visualization

CountlessData
Countless DataPoints
Points

WideGraphical
Wide Graphical Variety
Variety

ComplexDynamic
Complex DynamicData
Data

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 29

 Flow
Flow Chart
Chart of
of the
the Report
Report Writing
Writing Process
Process

Keyboard
Keyboard First
First Next
Next
Input Hard
Hard Copy
Copy Hard
Hard Copy
Copy

Edit
Edit OK?
OK? Yes
Yes
Edit
Edit
No Submit
Submit
Report
Add?
Add?
Keyboard
Keyboard Keyboard
Keyboard
Input/Edit Input/Edit
No

Style
Style and
and Style
Style and
and
Spelling
Spelling Spelling
Spelling

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 30

Organization
Organization Chart:
Chart: The
The Chain
Chain of
of Command
Command

Chief
Chief Executive
Executive
Officer
Officer

Executive
Executive Executive
Executive
President
President
Vice
Vice President
President Vice
Vice President
President

Vice
Vice Vice
Vice Vice
Vice Vice
Vice Vice
Vice
President
President President
President President
President President
President President
President

Region
Region Region
Region Region
Region Region
Region Region
Region
11 22 33 44 55

District
District District
District District
District District
District District
District District
District District
District
AA BB CC DD E
E FF GG

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Other Business Graphics

Maps Drawings

Diagrams Photographs

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 Animation and Video
Shapes
Shapes and
and Text
Text

Computer
ComputerAnimation
Animation

Digital
Digital Video
Video

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Designing Effective Visuals

Templates Body Text Accuracy

Design
Design Position
Position Appearance
Appearance

Consistency
Consistency Title/Number
Title/Number Documentation
Documentation

Efficiency
Efficiency Caption/Legend
Caption/Legend Honesty
Honesty

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 34

 Completing Reports and
Proposals

Revising

Producing

Proofreading

Distributing

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 35

 Revising
Reports and Proposals
Content
Content

Readability
Readability

Organization
Organization

Style and
Style and Tone
Tone
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 36
 Producing Formal Reports

Type of Report
Audience Needs

Report Length
Prefatory
Prefatory Text
Text of
of the
the Supplementary
Supplementary
Parts
Parts Report
Report Parts
Parts

Type of Company

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 37

 The Prefatory Parts

Cover
Cover Title
TitleFly
Fly Title
TitlePage
Page

Letter
Letterof
of Letter
Letter of
of Table
Table of
of
Authorization
Authorization Transmittal
Transmittal Contents
Contents

List
List of
of Synopsis
Synopsisoror Executive
Executive
Illustrations
Illustrations Abstract
Abstract Summary
Summary

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 38

 The Text of the Report

Introduction
Introduction

Body
Body

Closing
Closing
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 Supplementary Parts

Appendixes
Appendixes

Bibliography
Bibliography

Index
Index
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 40
 Formal Proposals
Unique Prefatory Elements

Copy of
Copy ofthe
theRFP
RFP

Synopsis/ExecutiveSummary
Synopsis/Executive Summary

TransmittalDocument
Transmittal Document

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 41

 Text of a Proposal

Introduction
Introduction

Body
Body Section
Section

Conclusion
Conclusion
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 42
 Proofreading

Inconsistencies
Inconsistencies

Errors and
Errors and Omissions
Omissions

Missing Elements
Missing Elements

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 11 - 43

 Distribution of
Reports and Proposals
Physical Electronic Web-Based

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