Chapter 10

Proposals and Formal

Reports

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-1

 Organizing Proposals

• Introduction must provide "hook" to

capture reader's interest.
• Background section identifies problems
and goals of project.
• Proposal discusses plan for solving
existing problem.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-2

 Organizing Proposals

• Staffing section describes credentials and

expertise of project leaders.
• Budget indicates project costs.
• Authorization asks for approval to
proceed.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-3

 Researching Secondary Data

• Print Resources
• Books
• Periodicals
• Bibliographic indexes (print, CD-ROM, and
Web-based)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-4

 Researching Secondary Data

• Electronic Databases
• Magazine, newspaper, and journal articles
• Newsletters, business reports,company
profiles, government data, reviews, and
directories

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-5

 Researching Secondary Data

• The Web
• Product data, mission statements, staff
directories, press releases, current
company news, government information,
article reprints, scientific reports, and
employment information

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-6

 How to Become a Savvy Web
Researcher
• Use two or three search tools.
• Understand the importance of case
sensitivity in keyword searches.
• Understand the AND/OR default and the
significance of quotation marks.
• Prefer uncommon words as search terms.
• Omit articles and prepositions.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-7

 How to Become a Savvy Web
Researcher
• Use wild cards (e.g., cent** will retrieve
center and centre).
• Know your search tool; use FAQs and
"How to Search" sections.
• Bookmark the best.
• Be persistent.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-8

 Organizing Report Data

• Direct strategy (main ideas first)

• Indirect strategy (facts and discussion
first)
• Chronological sequence (historical data)
• Geographical or spatial arrangement (e.g.,
East, West, South, North, etc.)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e Ch. 10-9

 Organizing Report Data

• Topical or functional arrangement (e.g.,

duties of CEO, duties of general manager,
etc.)
• Compare and contrast
• Journalistic pattern (who, what, when,
where, why, how)

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 10
 Organizing Report Data

• Value/size
• Importance (most to least or least to
most)
• Simple to complex
• Best case/worst case

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 11
 Illustrating Report Data

• Reasons for using visual aids

• To clarify data
• To summarize important ideas
• To emphasize facts and provide focus
• To add visual interest

Ch. 10-
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 Illustrating Report Data

• Most common types of visuals aids

• Tables
• Charts
• Graphs
• Photographs, maps, illustrations

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 13
 Matching Visual Aids With
Objectives
• Table
To show exact figures and values
• Bar Chart
To compare one item with others
• Line Chart
To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over
time

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 14
 Matching Visual Aids With
Objectives
• Pie Chart
To visualize a whole unit and the proportions of its
components
• Flow Chart
To display a process or procedure
• Organization Chart
To define a hierarchy of elements or a set of
relationships

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 15
 Matching Visual Aids With
Objectives
• Photograph
To achieve authenticity
• Map
To spotlight a location
• Illustration
To show an item in use

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 16
 Tips for Effective Use of
Visual Aids
• Choose an appropriate visual aid to
illustrate your objective.
• Clearly identify the contents of the visual
aid with a meaningful title and appropriate
labels.
• Refer the reader to the visual aid by
discussing it in the text and mentioning its
location and figure number.
Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 17
 Tips for Effective Use of
Visual Aids
• Locate the visual aid close to its
reference in the text.
• Strive for vertical placement of visual
aids.
• Give credit to the source if appropriate.

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 18
 Parts of a Formal Report

• Prefatory Parts
• Title page
• Letter of authorization
• Letter of transmittal
• Table of contents
• Executive summary, abstract, synopsis, or
epitome

Ch. 10-
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 6e 19
 Parts of a Formal Report

• Body of Report
• Introduction or background
• Discussion of findings
• Summary, conclusions, recommendations
• Supplementary Parts
• Footnotes or endnotes
• Bibliography
• Appendix
Ch. 10-
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 End

Ch. 10-
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