This document discusses planning reports and proposals. It covers informational reports, analytical reports, and proposals. For each type of document, it discusses the purpose, organization, challenges, and planning considerations. Key steps in the planning process include defining the purpose, preparing a work plan, analyzing the situation, gathering information, and selecting the appropriate document structure and organization.

1. Planning Reports
and Proposals
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

2. Workplace Writing
• Informational reports
• Analytical reports
• Proposals
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

3. Three-Step Writing
Process
• Planning
• Writing
• Completing
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

4. Analyzing the Situation
• Define the purpose
• Prepare the work plan
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

5. Defining the Purpose
• Inform
• Persuade
• Recommend
• Confirm
• Analyze
• Summarize
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

6. Preparing the Work Plan
• Statement of the problem
• Statement of the purpose and scope
• Discussion of tasks to be accomplished
• Description of final products or outcomes
• Review of schedules and requirements
• Plans for following up
• Working outline
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

7. Gathering Information
• Purpose
• Audience
• Priorities
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

8. Selecting the Medium
• Hardcopy
• Digital format
• Multimedia
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

9. Organizing the Information
• Direct approach
• State conclusions and recommendations
• Introduce findings
• Include support
• Indirect approach
• Introduce findings
• Discuss support
• State conclusions and recommendations
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

10. Using Outline Headings
Descriptive Informative
(Topical) Outline (Talking) Outline
I. Industry Characteristics I. Flour milling is a mature industry.
A. Annual sales A. Market is large
B. Profitability B. Profit margins are narrow
C. Growth rate C. Growth is modest.
1. Sales 1. Sales growth less than 3%
2. Profit 2. Profit growth is flat.
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

11. Informational Reports
• Monitor and control operations
• Implement policies and procedures
• Document compliance
• Record overall progress
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

12. Organizing
Informational Reports
• Comparison
• Performance
• Sequence or time
• Category
• Geography
• Spatial orientation
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

13. Planning Analytical
Reports
• Assess opportunities
• Solve problems
• Support decisions
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

14. Challenges of Writing
Analytical Reports
• Quality of reasoning
• Clarity of writing
• Persuasive elements
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

15. Defining the Problem
• What needs to be determined?
• Why is this issue important?
• Who is involved in the situation?
• Where is the trouble located?
• How did the situation originate?
• When did it start?
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

16. Organizing
Analytical Reports
• Logical arguments
• Feasible recommendations
• Bottom-line conclusions
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

17. Focus on Conclusions
• Advantages
– Ease of use
– Bottom-line driven
• Disadvantages
– Possible resistance
– Oversimplification
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

18. Focus on
Recommendations
• Establish the need for action
• Introduce benefits
• List the steps
• Explain each step
• Summarize
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

19. Focus on Logical
Arguments
• 2 + 2 = 4 approach
• Scientific method
• Yardstick approach
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

20. Planning Proposals
• Internal
– Funding
– Management support
– General projects
• External
– Investments
– Grants
– Sales
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter

21. Structuring Proposals
• Solicited
– Direct approach
– Interested audience
• Unsolicited
– Indirect approach
– Uninterested audience
© Business Communication Today 8e 12 -
Chapter