Completing Reports and Proposals © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Three-Step Writing Process Planning Writing Completing © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Business Communication Today 8e Completion Process Revising Producing Proofreading Distributing As the last step in the three-step writing process, completing reports and proposals involves four tasks: revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing. With careful planning and a bit of luck, you still have enough time in your schedule to address each of these tasks thoroughly. Compared to your research and writing efforts, some of these final activities may seem minor, but they can make or break your success in report writing. If at all possible, leave yourself double or triple the amount of time you think you'll need to complete your project. With interruptions, system glitches, and last-minute corrections, you'll probably need all that time and then some. By the time you’re ready to complete your report or proposal, the amount of work you have left to do depends on your project's formality, length, and complexity. Most of the discussion in this chapter applies to formal reports and proposals, those documents that require an extra measure of polish and professionalism—whether because of audience expectations, company tradition, or even marketing needs. © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Revising Reports and Proposals Style and tone Organization Readability Content © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Producing Reports and Proposals Design elements Report-writing teams Computer resources Audience expectations © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Components of Formal Reports Prefatory parts Text of the report Supplementary parts © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Business Communication Today 8e Prefatory Parts Authorization letter Cover page Letter of acceptance Title fly or title page Synopsis/abstract Table of contents Letter of transmittal Executive summary © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Business Communication Today 8e Text of the Report Introduction Body Closing © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Business Communication Today 8e Supplementary Parts Appendixes Bibliography Index © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Components of Formal Proposals Cover Title fly Title page Table of contents List of illustrations Proposal request Executive summary Letter of transmittal © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Business Communication Today 8e Text of the Proposal Introduction Body Closing © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Proofreading Reports and Proposals Inconsistencies Errors Missing components © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Distributing Reports and Proposals Physical Electronic Web-based © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Business Communication Today 8e Reactions to Reports Positive response Half-hearted praise No action Serious criticism © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e
Composing Requests for Proposals Company background Project description Overall requirements Decision-making criteria Proposal requirements Submission/contact information © Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e