© prentice hall, 2007 excellence in business communication, 7echapter 10 - 1 planning reports and...

© 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