Business Communication

JTW/JUW 106E
Planning Reports and Proposals
Chapter 14

Dr. Wan Afezah

 Applying the Three-Step Writing Process for
Reports and Proposals
1 2 3
Plan Write Complete

Analyze the Situation Revise Message

Adapt to
the Audience
Gather Information Produce Message

Choose the Medium Proofread Message

Compose the
Message
Get Organized Distribute Message
Applying the Three-Step Writing Process for Reports and Proposals

1. Informational reports
 offer data, facts, feedback without analysis or
recommendations.
2. Analytical reports
 offer both information and analysis and can
also include recommendations.
3. Proposals
 special category of reports that combine
information delivery and persuasive
communication.
 Applying Three-steps Writing Process
to Reports and Proposals
Analyze the situation(complexity of most reports
enhance the need to analyze the situation carefully).
1. Pay attention to statement of purpose (SOP).
2. Define the purpose and scope (the reason why you
prepare the report).
3. Informational reports-need to address and meet
specific reader/audience.
4. Analytical reports-to address problem and
opportunity.
 Continue….
Gather information-audience needs, obtain necessary
information, adapt existing information.
Select the right medium:
 The best medium?
 Feedback on your report/proposal?
Organizing the information:
 Emphasize on clear, organize, easy to understand
reports/proposals.
 Direct/indirect approach.

*Direct- start with main idea, followed by evidence (receptive audience).

*Indirect-start with evidence, build the case, then main idea (skeptical audience).
Planning the Informational Reports
Four categories why you need the reports:
1. To monitor and control operations.
2. To implement policies and procedures.
3. To demonstrate the compliance.
4. To document the progress.
 Organizing Strategies
For informational report, you should organize the
material based on:
1. Comparison
2. Importance
3. Sequence
4. Chronology
5. Geography
6. Category

*Effective reports: clear, organized, audience-

centered.
Creating Successful Business Plans
Business plan-is a comprehensive document that
describes a company’s mission, structure, objectives,
and operation.
1. Summarize the business model.
2. Explain the purpose of business mission and
objectives.
3. Discuss the company and industry.
4. Describe products and services.
5. Analyze the market and competition.
6. Present qualifications of management.
Creating Successful Business Plans
7. Discuss the marketing strategy.
8. Reveal design and development plans.
9. Provide information on operations.
10.Present schedule and critical risks.
11.Include financial projections.
12.Present an exit strategy.
 Planning Analytical Reports
Three categories why you need the reports:
1. To assess opportunities.
2. To solve the problems.
3. To support decisions.
 Analytical Reports
Writing analytical reports is more challenging than writing
informational reports, for three reasons.
• Analysis
• Persuasion
• Responsibility

1. You’re not simply delivering information. You’re also analyzing

a situation and presenting your conclusions.
2. When the analysis is complete, you need to present your
thinking in a compelling and persuasive manner.
3. Analytical reports often convince others to make significant
financial and personnel decisions. Thus, these reports carry the
added responsibility of the consequences of such decisions.
Analytical Reports
1. Organizational strategies:
2. When the audience agree with you, use direct approach;
a. Focus on conclusions.
b. Focus on recommendations.
c. Focus on logical arguments.
a. Use the 2 + 2 =4 approach to convince point of views
b. Yard stick approach to compares several solutions.
3. Effective reports: fix the problem and meet the solutions.

*2 + 2 = 4 approach is a logical argumentation approach that convinces readers of your point of

view by demonstrating how everything “adds up”.
*Yard stick approach is a logical argumentation approach that uses a number of criteria to
evaluate one or more possible solutions.
 Effective Analytical Reports
4 factors in effective analytical reports:
• Analyze
• Understand
• Explain
• Persuade

1. The purpose of analytical reports is to analyze, understand, and

explain; to think through a problem or opportunity, understand
how it affects the company, and determine how the company
should respond.
2. A significant challenge in writing these reports is that you must
persuade your readers to make significant business decisions.
 Planning Proposals
1. Internal proposals –request from managers within the
organization.
2. External proposals-request from parties outside the
organization.
3. For complex products or services, called for a request
for proposals (RFP).
4. Review the requirements (e.g. action needed, cost,
benefits)

*RFP = a formal invitation to bid on a contract.

 Organizational Strategies
• Direct Plan
• Indirect Plan

• Depends on (1) whether the proposal is solicited and (2) whether

the readers are receptive to the recommendation. Direct plan- the
audience is likely to be more receptive with solicited proposals
because the problem and the solution have already been
identified.
• Indirect plan-often better for unsolicited proposals when you need
to convince the audience that a problem exists and establish your
credibility. Follow the AIDA model or a similar approach to grab
the reader’s attention quickly.
 Effective Proposals
Four factors for effective proposals:
-needs, costs, features and benefits.

*A good proposal explains why a project/course of

action is needed, what it will involve, how much it
will cost, and how the recipient will benefit.
Questions & Answers
Answers…..