proposal and formal reports

Chapter 10:Proposals and Formal Reports

Objectives: pg 267

Identify and explain the parts of informal and formal proposals.

Describe the preparatory steps for writing a formal report.

Learn to collect data from secondary sources including print and electronic sources.

Understand the need for accurate documentation of data.

Describe how to organize report data, create an outline, and make effective headings.

Illustrate data using tables, charts, and graphs. Describe and sequence the parts of a formal report. Mary Ellen Guffey’s: Essentials of Business

Communications

Understanding Business Proposals: pg 267 Proposals are written offers to solve problems,

provide services, or sell equipment. Most proposals, however, are external and are a

critical means of selling equipment and services that generate income for many companies.

External proposals may be divided into two categories: solicited and unsolicited.

Enterprising companies looking for work might submit unsolicited proposals, but most proposals are solicited.

Read first two paragraphs on page 268 for an example of using business proposals.

Mary Ellen Guffey’s: Essentials of Business Communications

Informal Proposals: pg 268 Informal proposals are often presented in short

(two- to four-page) letters. …they contain six principal parts: introduction,

background, proposal, staffing, budget, and authorization request.

Figure 10.1 illustrates all six parts of a letter proposal.


Introduction: pg 268

Although writers may know what goes into the proposal introduction, many face writer’s block before they get started.

Mary Piecewicz, former employee of Hewlett-Packard states: “ To conquer writer’s block, begin with a bulleted list of what the customer is looking for. This is like a road map; it gets you started and keeps you headed in the right direction.”


Individual Research: David White

We talk at 200-250 wpm (words per minute) but can listen at 300-500 wpm. Thus when the other person is talking, we get side-tracked by our own thoughts (which may well be triggered by one thing that the speaker says). When we come back into the room, we find that we have lost track of the conversation. Rather than lose face and become embarrassed by this, we nod, smile and hope nobody will notice. http://changingminds.org/techniques/listening/why_not_listening.htm

Therefore, the following minutes will be reading and response by the students in order to enhance active listening skills.

Background, Problem, Purpose: pg 269

Please find the most important fact(s) from this heading.


Proposal, Plan, Schedule: pg 269



Staffing: pg 270



Budget: pg 271



Authorization Request: pg 271 Please find the most important

fact(s) from this heading.


Formal Proposals: pg 272

Formal proposals differ from informal proposals not in style but in tone, structure, format, and length.

Format proposals respond to big projects and may range from 5 to 200 more pages.

In addition to the six basic parts just described, formal proposals contain some or all of the following additional parts: copy of the RFP, letter or memo of transmittal, abstract and/or executive summary, title page, table of contents, list of figures, and appendix. In addition, the tone used in formal proposals is often more formal than the tone used in informal proposals.


Preparing To Write Formal Reports: pg 272

Formal reports are similar to formal proposals in length, organization, and serious tone. Instead of making an offer, however, formal reports represent the end product of thorough investigation and analysis.

Like proposals and informal reports, formal reports begin with a definition of the project.

Once you have defined the project and limited its scope, write a statement of purpose…because it defines the focus of the report and provides a standard that keeps the project on target.


Let’s Just Fish!: pgs 273-302 Fishing through the text is simply taking the important facts

from each major paragraph.

LETS BEGIN…

Researching Secondary Data:

Print Resources:

Electronic Databases:

The World Wide Web:


Fishing Through The Text(cont.): pgs 273-302 Weblogs (Blogs):

Generating Primary Data:

Surveys:

Interviews:

Observation and Experimentation:


Fishing Through The Text(cont.): pgs 273-302 Documenting Data:

Purposes of Documentation:

Learning What to Document:

Developing Good Research Habits:

Developing the Fine Art of Paraphrasing:


Fishing Through The Text(cont.): pgs 273-302

Knowing When and How to Quote:

Using Citation Formats:

Organizing And Outlining Data:

Organizational Strategies:

Outlines and Headings:



Illustrating Data:

Matching Graphics and Objectives:

Tables:

Bar Charts:

Line Charts:



Pie Charts:

Flowcharts:

Organization Charts:

Photographs, Maps, and Illustrations:

Incorporating Graphics in Reports:



Using Your Computer to produce Charts:

Prefatory Parts (Preceding the Body of Report):

Body of Report:

Supplementary Parts of Report:


Summary: pg 302

Proposals are written to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment…businesses today write proposals to generate income.

Informal proposals may be as short as 2 pages; formal proposals may be 200 pages or more.

Formal reports present well-organized information systematically…In addition, formal reports often contain tables, charts, and graphs, to illustrate data.

Written reports are vital to decision makers!


References

Guffey M. E., (2007). Essentials of Business Communications. Ohio: Cengage Learning.

WWW Why People Do Not Listen. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2009, from

http://changingminds.org/techniques/listening/why_not_listening.htm

proposal and formal reports

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