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Chapter 10

Chapter 10. Proposals and Formal Reports. Understanding Business Proposals. Definition Proposal: a persuasive offer to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition. Chapter 10, Slide 2.

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Chapter 10

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  1. Chapter 10 Proposals and Formal Reports

  2. Understanding Business Proposals Definition Proposal:a persuasive offer to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 2

  3. Understanding Business Proposals • Kinds • InternalMay take the form of justification/ recommendation reports • External • Solicited: responding to RFP • Unsolicited: prospecting for business Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 3

  4. Understanding Business Proposals Kinds Formallong, many parts Informalshorter, six main parts Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 4

  5. Introduction Background Proposal Staffing Budget Authorization request Informal Proposals Informal proposals are usually presented in 2- to 4-page letters or memos and have six main parts. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 5

  6. Introduction: explains purpose, introduces author, and captures reader’s interest Background: identifies problems and goals of project Proposal: discusses planand schedule for solvingexisting problem Informal Proposals: Six Parts Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 6

  7. Staffing: describes credentials and expertise of project leaders Budget: indicates project costs Authorization: asks for approval to proceed Informal Proposals: Six Parts Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 7

  8. Formal proposals include all the basic parts of informal proposals but may have additional parts. Formal Proposals Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 8

  9. Possible additional parts: Copy of RFP Letter or memo of transmittal Abstract and/or executive summary Title page Table of contents List of figures Appendix Formal Proposals Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 9

  10. Parts of Formal and Informal Proposals Appendix Authorization Budget Staffing Schedule Background, problem, purpose Introduction List of figures Table of contents Title Page Abstract or summary Letter of transmittal Copy of RFP (optional) Generally appear in both formal and informal proposals: Optional in informal proposals: Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 10

  11. Understanding Business Reports • Definition • Business Report • Product of thorough investigation and analysis • Presents vital information to decision makers in business, industry, government, and education Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 11

  12. Understanding Business Reports Report Writing Process • Prepare to write. • Research secondary data. • Generate primary data. • Document data. • Organize, outline, anddiscuss data. • Illustrate data. • Present final report. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 12

  13. Preparing to Write • Define the purpose of the project. • Limit the scope of the report. • What constraints influence the range of your project? • How will you achieve your purpose? • How much time and space do you have? • How accessible is your data? • How thorough should your research be? Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 13

  14. Preparing to Write • Write a statement of purpose to describe the following: • Goal • Significance • Limitations • Use action verbs. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 14

  15. Statement of Purpose The purpose of this report is to explore possible locations for expansion. The report will consider economic data, general costs, consumer demand, and local competition. This research is significant because for our company to survive, we must grow. This report won’t consider specific start-up costs or traffic patterns, which will require additional research. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 15

  16. Primary v. Secondary Data Primary Data: come from firsthand experience and observation Secondary Data: come from reading what others have experienced or observed and written down Nearly every research projectbegins with investigatingsecondary data. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 16

  17. Researching Secondary Data Electronic Databases Collections of information accessible by computer and digital searchable Examples: ABI/Inform Factiva LexisNexis EBSCO Print Resources • Books • Periodicals • Bibliographic indexes such as Reader’s Guide Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 17

  18. Researching Secondary Data The Web Product/service information Public relations materials Mission statements Staff directories Press releases Company news Article reprints Stock and financial data Employment records Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 18

  19. Web Search Tips and Techniques Use two or three search tools. Know your search tool. Understand case sensitivity in keyword searches. Use nouns as search wordsand as many as eight wordsin a query. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 19

  20. Web Search Tips and Techniques • Combine keywords into phrases. • Omit articles and prepositions. • Use wildcards. • Proofread your search words. • Save the best. • Keep trying. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 20

  21. Blogs and Microblogs • Used by business researchers, students, politicians, and the media to share and gather information • Can provide honest consumer feedback fast and inexpensively Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 21

  22. Social Media • Used by businesses to communicate with customers, generate customer feedback, provide information to customers, and market products and services • Inexpensive source ofdata and research Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 22

  23. Experimenting Surveying Observing Interviewing Generating Primary Data Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 23

  24. Generating Primary Data • Surveying • Advantages: • Economical and efficient way to gather data • Ability to reach large audiences • Data collected tends to be accurate • Disadvantages: • Response rate is generally low • Responders may not represent general population • Some responses are not truthful Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 24

  25. Generating Primary Data • Interviewing • Locate an expert. • Prepare for the interview. • Maintain a professional attitude. • Ask objective, friendly questions. • Watch the time. • End graciously. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 25

  26. Generating Primary Data • Observing • Plan ahead. • Get necessary permissions. • Be objective. • Quantify observations. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 26

  27. Generating Primary Data • Experimenting • Develop rigorous research design. • Pay attention to matching experimental and control groups. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 27

  28. Documenting Data Why document data? • To strengthen your argument • To instruct the reader • To project yourself againstcharges of plagiarism Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 28

  29. Documenting Data What to Document • Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or theory • Any facts, statistics, and graphics that are not common knowledge • Quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words • Paraphrases of another person's spoken or written words Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 29

  30. Documenting Data How to Paraphrase • Read original material until you comprehend its full meaning. • Write your own version without looking at the original. • Avoid using grammatical structure of the original. • Reread to make sure you have covered all main points. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 30

  31. Documenting Data Using Citation Formats • Modern Language Association (MLA) • American Psychological Association (APA) See Appendix A to learnhow to use these formats. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 31

  32. Organizing Report Data Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 32

  33. Organizing Report Data Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 33

  34. The main points used to outline a report often become the main headings of the written report. Major headingscentered and typed in bold font Second-level headingsstart at the left margin Third-level headingsindented, becoming part of the paragraph Outlining Report Data Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 34

  35. Illustrating Report Data Why use visual aids? • To clarify data • To create visual interest • To make numerical data meaningful • To make information more understandable and easierto remember Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 35

  36. Illustrating Report Data Most common types of visual aids • Tables • Charts • Graphs • Photographs Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 36

  37. Table To show exact figures and values Matching Visuals With Objectives Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 37

  38. Bar Chart To compare one item with others Matching Visuals With Objectives 2009 Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 38

  39. Line Chart To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time Matching Visuals With Objectives Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 39

  40. Pie Chart To visualize a whole unit and the proportions of its components Matching Visuals With Objectives Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 40

  41. Flowchart To display a process or procedure Matching Visuals With Objectives Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 41

  42. Organization Chart To define a hierarchy of elements or a set of relationships Matching Visuals With Objectives Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 42

  43. Photograph, Map, Illustration To achieve authenticity, to spotlight a location, or to show an item in use Matching Visuals With Objectives Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 43

  44. Incorporating Graphics in Reports • Evaluate the audience. • Use restraint. • Be honest and ethical. • Introduce a graphic meaningfully. • Choose an appropriate caption or title style. • Give credit to source if appropriate. Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 44

  45. Presenting the Final Formal Report Prefatory Parts • Title page • Letter or memo of transmittal • Table of contents • List of figures • Executive summary Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 45

  46. Presenting the Final Formal Report Body of Report • Introduction Background Problem or purpose Significance and scope Sources and methods Organization • Discussion of findings • Summary, conclusions, recommendations Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 46

  47. Presenting the Final Formal Report Supplementary Parts of a Formal Report • Footnotes or endnotes • Works Cited, References, or Bibliography • Appendix Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 47

  48. Parts of Formal Reports Bibliography Appendix Recommendations Conclusions Body Introduction Executive summary List of figures Table of contents Letter of transmittal Title page Cover Generally appear in both formal and informal reports: Optional in informal reports: Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 48

  49. “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.” --Conrad HiltonAmerican hotelier Mary Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Essentials of Business Communication, 9th Edition Chapter 10, Slide 49

  50. END

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