ESSENTIALS OF
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
7th Canadian Edition Mary Ellen Guffey
Richard Almonte
Chapter 9
Proposals and Formal Reports
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Learning Objectives
1. Identify and explain the parts of informal and formal proposals.
2. Describe the preparatory steps for writing a formal report.
3. Collect data from secondary sources, including print and electronic sources.
4. Understand how to use the Web and online databases to locate reliable data.
5. Discuss how to generate primary data from surveys, interviews, observation, and
experimentation.
6. Understand the need for accurate documentation of data and the consequences
of plagiarism.
7. Describe how to organize report data, create an outline, and write effective titles.
8. Illustrate data using tables, charts, and graphs.
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9. Sequence 13 parts of a formal report.
Informal Proposals
Proposals are persuasive offers to solve
problems, provide services, or sell
equipment.
They act as a legal contract of work.
Many companies use requests for
proposals (RFPs) to solicit competitive
bids on projects.
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Informal Proposals
Introduction
Hint at extraordinary results with details to
be revealed shortly.
Promise low costs or speedy results.
Mention a remarkable resource (well-known
authority, new computer program, well-
trained staff) available exclusively to you.
Identify a serious problem (worry item) and
promise a solution, to be explained later.
Specify a key issue or benefit that you feel is
the heart of the proposal.
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Informal Proposals
Background
Identifies the problem, goal, or purposes of
a project
Convinces the reader that you understand
the problem
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Informal Proposals
Plan
Discusses methods for solving the problem
Must give enough information to secure the
contract but not so much detail that the
services are not needed
Sometimes includes a schedule of activities
or events
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Informal Proposals
Staffing
Describes the credentials and expertise of
the project leaders and the company
Identifies the size and qualifications of the
support staff
Lists resources needed, such as computer
facilities and special programs for analyzing
statistics
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Informal Proposals
Budget
Lists project costs
Represents a contract
Should include a deadline for acceptance
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Informal Proposals
Authorization
Requests approval
Must not appear too needy or greedy
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Informal Proposals
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Formal Proposals
A written solution to a business issue or
problem
Response to big projects
May be 200 or more pages
Includes all components listed in previous
slides
May also include a copy of the RFP, letter
of transmittal, abstract and/or executive
summary, title page, table of contents,
figures, and appendixes
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Preparing to Write Formal
Reports
Determine the boundaries or scope of
the topic
Write a statement of purpose
Includes goal and limitations
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Researching Secondary
Data
Primary data comes from firsthand
experience and observation.
Secondary data comes from reading
what others have written about their
experiences/observations.
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Researching Secondary
Data
Print Resources
Books (library or computer)
Periodicals (magazines, newspapers, or
journals)
Online Databases
Information in electronic format
Web
Web browsers and URLs
Search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN)
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Researching Secondary
Data
Blogs, Wikis, and Social Networks
Online journal
Allow visitors to leave comments
Facebook and Twitter
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Generating Primary Data
Surveys
Close-ended, quantifiable questions
Interviews
Locate an expert (word of mouth, online).
Prepare (research topic).
Make questions objective and friendly.
Watch the time.
End graciously.
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Gathering Primary Data
Observation and Experimentation
Observation prone to subjectivity
Expand observations to quantify them
Experimentation examines progress, cause
and effect
Requires a research design
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Documenting Data and
Plagiarism
Documentation needed for direct
quotations, paraphrasing, and
summaries
Strengthens your argument
Protects you from consequences
Instructs the reader (if they want to read
the source)
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Organizing and Outlining
Data
Organizational Strategies
If reader is supportive, recommendation
first
If not, facts first
Organize findings according to nature of
information
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Organizing and Outlining
Data
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Organizing and Outlining
Data
More Organizational Strategies
Outline: not included in report, but helpful
for the writer
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Organizing and Outlining
Data
More Organizational Strategies
Outlines help decide headings
Must follow logical formatting
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Illustrating Data
Visual aids clarify data for the reader.
Place the visual aid as close as possible
to the data.
Tables arrange information in rows and
columns.
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Illustrating Data
Bar charts show changes in data over
time.
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Illustrating Data
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Illustrating Data
Line charts show/compare changing
trends.
Pie charts help readers visualize
components that make up a whole.
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Illustrating Data
Flow charts represent procedures.
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Illustrating Data
Organization charts show a company’s
chain of command, including a manager
and employees.
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Presenting the Final Report
Prefatory Parts
Title fly (only title)
Title page (all names and dates)
Letter/e-mail/memo of authorization
Letter/memo of transmittal (briefly
describes findings)
Table of contents
Executive summary/abstract (states
purpose)
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Presenting the Final Report
Body of Report
Introduction (background, purpose, scope,
summary)
Findings (facts, data, their visual aids)
Conclusions and recommendations (course
of action)
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Presenting the Final Report
Supplementary Parts
Footnotes or endnotes (additional
information)
Works cited
Appendix (supplementary information)
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