Chapter 14

Chapter 14Chapter 14

Proposals and Formal Proposals and Formal ReportsReports

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Copyright © 2006


Ch. 14, Slide 2

Writing ProposalsWriting Proposals


Ch. 14, Slide 3

• Proposals are written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment.

• An RFP is a request for proposal.



Ch. 14, Slide 4

• Introduction• Explain why the proposal is being

made.

• Develop a persuasive “hook.” Suggest excellent results, low cost, or exclusive resources. Identify a problem or name a key issue or benefit.



Ch. 14, Slide 5

• Background, Problem• Discuss the significance of the proposal

and its goals or purposes.

• For unsolicited proposals, convince the reader that a problem exists.

• For solicited proposals, show that you fully understand the problem and its ramifications.



Ch. 14, Slide 6


• Proposal, Plan• Present your plan for solving the problem.

• Describe implementation and evaluation.

• Outline a schedule showing dates.


Ch. 14, Slide 7

• Staffing• Explain the specific credentials and

expertise of the key personnel for the project.

• Show that your support staff and resources are superior to those of the competition.



Ch. 14, Slide 8

• Budget• Itemize costs carefully. Proposals are

contracts.

• Present a deadline for the bid figures.



Ch. 14, Slide 9

• Authorization• Ask for approval. Make it easy to reply.



Ch. 14, Slide 10

• Copy of RFP• Letter of transmittal• Abstract or summary• Title page• Table of contents• List of figures• Introduction• Background, problem, etc.• Schedule• Staffing• Budget• Authorization• Appendix

Generally appearing in formal proposals

Components in Formal Components in Formal and Informal Proposalsand Informal Proposals


Ch. 14, Slide 11

• Copy of RFP• Letter of transmittal• Abstract or summary• Title page• Table of contents• List of figures• Introduction• Background, problem, etc.• Schedule• Staffing• Budget• Authorization• Appendix

Generally optional in informal proposals

Generally appearing in informal proposals

Components in Formal Components in Formal and Informal Proposalsand Informal Proposals


Ch. 14, Slide 12

Creating Business PlansCreating Business Plans

A business plan is a form of proposal that

(a) Helps secure funding and

(b) Provides a detailed road map for a new business to follow


Ch. 14, Slide 13

Components in Typical Components in Typical Business PlansBusiness Plans

• Letter of transmittal and/or executive summary

• Table of contents

• Company description

• Product/service description

• Market analysis

• Operations and management

• Financial analysis

• Appendixes


Ch. 14, Slide 14

Business Plan Basics:Business Plan Basics:Questions to AskQuestions to Ask

• What is you company’s mission?

• What makes your concept better than that of the competition?

• Is your management team able to implement the business plan?

• What monetary, human, physical, and technical resources do you need?

• Do your financial projections make sense?


Ch. 14, Slide 15

Preparing Formal Preparing Formal ReportsReports


Ch. 14, Slide 16

• Analyze the report problem and purpose• Develop a problem question

Are customers satisfied with our service?

• Develop a purpose statementThe purpose of this report is to investigate customer satisfaction and to recommend areas for improvement.



Ch. 14, Slide 17

• Anticipate the audience and the issues• Consider primary and secondary

audiences. (What do they already know? What do they need to know?)

• Divide the major problem into subproblems for investigation.



Ch. 14, Slide 18

• Prepare a work plan• Include problem and purpose

statements.

• Describe sources and methods of collecting data.

• Prepare a project outline and work schedule.



Ch. 14, Slide 19

• Collect data• Search secondary sources.

• Gather primary data.



Ch. 14, Slide 20

• Document data sources• Prepare note cards or separate sheets

citing all references (author, date, source, page, and quotation).

• Use one documentation format consistently.



Ch. 14, Slide 21

• Interpret and organize the data• Arrange the collected data in tables,

grids, or outlines that help you visualize relationships and interpret meanings.



Ch. 14, Slide 22

• Prepare the graphics• Make tables, charts, graphs, and

illustrations – but only if they serve a function. Use graphics to clarify, condense, simplify, or emphasize your data.



Ch. 14, Slide 23

• Compose the first draft• Write the first draft at a computer. Use

appropriate headings as well as transitional expressions to guide the reader.



Ch. 14, Slide 24

• Revise and proofread• Revise to eliminate wordiness,

ambiguity, and redundancy.

• Look for ways to improve readability, such as using bulleted or numbered lists.

• Proofread three times: (1) word or sentence meaning, (2) grammar and mechanics, and (3) formatting.



Ch. 14, Slide 25

• Evaluate the product• Ask yourself, “Will this report achieve

its purpose”?

• Encourage feedback so that you can improve future reports.



Ch. 14, Slide 26

Formal Report Formal Report ComponentsComponents


Ch. 14, Slide 27

• Title page• Balance the following lines:

• Name of the report in all caps• Receiver’s name, title, and organization• Author’s name, title, and organization• Date submitted



Ch. 14, Slide 28

• Letter or memo of transmittal• Announce the topic and explain who

authorized it.• Briefly describe the project and preview

the conclusions – if the reader is supportive.

• Close by expressing appreciation for the assignment, suggesting follow-up actions, acknowledging the help of others, and offering to answer questions.



Ch. 14, Slide 29

• Table of contents• Show the beginning page number where

each report heading appears in the report.

• Connect page numbers and headings with dots.



Ch. 14, Slide 30

• List of illustrations• Include a list of tables, illustrations, or

figures.

• Place the list on the same page as the table of contents if possible.



Ch. 14, Slide 31

• Executive summary or abstract• Summarize the report purpose, findings,

conclusions, and recommendations.

• Gauge the length of the summary by the length of the report and by the organization’s practices.



Ch. 14, Slide 32

• Introduction• Explain the problem motivating the report.• Describe the problem’s background and

significance.• Clarify the scope and limitations of the

report.• Consider reviewing relevant literature.• Consider describing data sources,

methods, and key terms.• Close by previewing the report’s

organization.



Ch. 14, Slide 33

• Body• Discuss, analyze, and interpret the

research findings or proposed solution to the problem.

• Arrange the findings in logical segments that follow your outline.

• Use clear, descriptive headings.



Ch. 14, Slide 34

• Conclusions and recommendations• Explain what the findings mean in

relation to the problem.

• Make enumerated recommendations, if requested.

• Suggest actions for solving the problem.



Ch. 14, Slide 35

• Appendix• Include items of interest to some, but

not all, readers, such as data-gathering tools like questionnaires.



Ch. 14, Slide 36

• References and bibliography• If footnotes are not provided, list all

references in a section called “Notes,” “Works Cited,” or “References.”

• Optionally, include a bibliography showing all the works cited (and perhaps consulted) arranged alphabetically.



Ch. 14, Slide 37

• Cover• Title page• Letter of transmittal• Table of contents• List of figures• Executive summary or

abstract• Introduction• Body• Conclusions• Recommendations• Appendix• Notes• Bibliography

Generally appearing in formal reports

Components in Formal Components in Formal and Informal Reportsand Informal Reports


Ch. 14, Slide 38

• Cover• Title page• Letter of transmittal• Table of contents• List of figures• Executive summary or

abstract• Introduction• Body• Conclusions• Recommendations• Appendix• Notes• Bibliography

Generally optional in informal reports

Generally appearing in informal reports

Components in Formal Components in Formal and Informal Reportsand Informal Reports


Ch. 14, Slide 39

EndEnd