1. WRITING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS
INTRODUCTION
Good communication should oil the wheels of organizational activity and facilitate action. Much of the
confusion arising from unclear communication is due to lack of thought; always engage the brain before
the mouth. Business writing, whether reports or proposals must earn a reading; that’s why you must
always consider writing with your reader’s hat on by always placing yourself in their shoes. Good writing
is not necessarily something that is easy to read and understand. Though rules are made to be broken,
they can act as useful guides and pointers to what can/cannot be done; that is to say that there is no
rigid way of writing reports and proposals.
REQUIREMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE WRITING
♦ CLARITY-know exactly what a report plans to achieve; why are you writing the report? Have a
clear purpose for it. Reports may: inform; recommend; motivate; prompt or play a part in a
debate; persuade; impress; record; reinforce or build on existing situations or beliefs; instruct.
♦ READERS EXPECTATIONS-brief, clear, precise, in our language, simple, descriptive, well
structured and logical. What gives readers the feeling both at first glance and as they get further
into it, that a report is not to be avoided on principle.
WHY REPORTS
Reports are written to lead to action, to make things happen, or play a part in so doing. It is usually a
tool to create an image of the writer/organization in the mind of the reader. Communication influences
people, and hence, the intention is clear; a report usually has a case to present, one that will act so as to
play a part in the thinking that follows. Preparation is the foundation upon which report writing is based.
The ultimate measure of a good report is whether it achieves the required outcome. Research prior to
writing is necessary as more time spent on research and preparation means less on writing because the
writing flows more smoothly. Consult people and books in researching.
Apply a systematic approach to preparation.
-Listing: utilize mind mapping, a process in which ignoring order or structure, every significant point that
may be desirable is listed.
-Sorting: rearrange what you noted, bringing some logic and organization to it. It raises questions and
answers.
-Arranging: note into a final order of contents, deciding the precise sequence and arguments you will
follow
-Review: add things, delete things, move things
Write: choose your moments, when you easily flow to write.

2. -Edit: leave the draft a while, then reread it, possibly out loud. Get a second opinion as well.
CREATING A GOOD REPORT
♦ What makes it work for the reader?
♦ What assists you to compile it quickly and easily
♦ Set clear objectives: what is it for? (Intention- informs, motivates, or prods?) Objectives should
be defined from the standpoint of readers, who or which group is it for, do they have
homogenous interests? Why do they want/need the report? What do they want in it? What
result do they look for? What do they not want?
♦ Knowledge about the would-be recipients of the report: what kind of people are they
(male/female, young/old, etc.), how well do you know them? What is their experience with the
reports topic? What is their level of knowledge regarding the topic? What is their likely attitude
to it (welcoming/hostile), what is their personal involvement (how do the issues affect them),
how do they rate the importance of the subject? Are they likely to find the topic interesting? Are
they likely to act as a result of reading it?
REPORT’S STRUCTURE
A good report should be structured as follows: setting out the situation; describing the implications;
reviewing the possibilities; making recommendations. However, it still has to fit into introduction, body,
and summary as shown in the table below:
Beginning Introduction Situation
Implications
Middle Body
Possibilities
End Summary Recommendation
Recommendations need to be specific, addressing exactly what should be done, by whom, when,
alongside such details as cost and logistics.
In the few lines of a report, a view is adopted that colors the reading of the rest of the document. The
introduction of the report is therefore very crucial.

3. The body must have a logical structure, be able to signpost or make the reader know what is coming,
e.g., “we will review the project in terms of three key factors: timing, cost, and staffing. First timing….”
headings and sub headings should be appropriately employed, utilize appropriate language, use graphics
and illustrations.
To gain acceptance, relate to specific groups, provide proof, and anticipate objections.
Readers want documents to be understandable and readable (SMART), as well as straightforward (KISS),
and natural.
Your writing should be BRISP (Brief, Relevant, In our language, Succinct, Precise).
PROPOSAL CONTENT
-Contents page
-Introduction
-the statement of need
-the recommendations or solutions
-areas of detail such as timing, logistics, technical specifications
-closing statement/summary
-additional information as an appendix
QUALITIES OF GOOD PROPOSALS
-They must earn a reading, hold and develop interest
- Well structured and utilize appropriate language
-must not just persuade, but work to obtain positive decisions to the business
-proposals should follow a cumulative process, being a key link in the stages of moving prospects from
little or no interest in your product or service to stimulating positive action to subscribe
-it has great visibility: makes the buyer remember you
-differentiates: makes a more powerful and distinct case
DONTS: you should not

4. -Be too clever-it is the argument not your flowery phrases or elegant quotations/ clever approach that
wins the reader round
-Be too complicated- be simple
-Be pompous-don’t say too much about you, your organization/product. Focus instead on what the
reader has to gain/ what it means to them
-Over claim-don’t fill it with too much superlatives
-Offer opinions-focus on facts, ideally, substantiated facts
-Lead into points with negatives, e.g. “if this is not the case, we will….”
-Assume your reader lacks knowledge e.g. “instead of saying, you probably might not know, rather say,
many people have not heard”
-Overdo humor-never use humor unless you are sure of its success
-Use up benefits early-it must end on a high note, still talking in terms of benefits
THE DOS: You should do the following
-Concentrate on facts-your case must be credible and factual
-Use captions
-Use repetitions-but for key points
-Keep changing the language
-Say what is new
-Keep the recipient reading-subtly break sentences at page end to make the reader turn over
-Link paragraphs (…..now let’s look at how that works)
-Be descriptive
-Involve people-don’t say, the Director, PRS, say Engineer Obiora, the Director PRS
-Add credibility by being specific