Chapter 13
Completing Business Proposals
and Business Reports
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Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 13.1 Explain how completed
reports affect your credibility.
Learning Objective 13.2 Create specific and persuasive
proposals.
Learning Objective 13.3 Demonstrate excellent
thinking by applying a precision-oriented style
to reports.
Learning Objective 13.4 Design your reports to aid in
decision making.
Learning Objective 13.5 Project objectivity in reports.
Learning Objective 13.6 Review reports for
effectiveness and fairness.
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Chapter Overview
• How reports affect credibility
• Specific and persuasive proposals
• Precision-oriented reports
• Reports that aid in decision making
• Objective reports
• Effective and fair reports
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How Completed Reports Affect Your Credibility
As a report writer, your personal credibility is tied to
how well you provide facts, conclusions, and positions
that help decision making (competence), involve
decision makers and address their needs (caring), and
report information honestly and transparently
(character).
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Developing Business Proposals
Most successful proposal
writers speak to decisionmakers before submitting
an official proposal.
By negotiating some of
the details ahead of time,
proposal writers have a
better sense of what
decision-makers want and
expect.
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Jump to Appendix 1 long image
description
Figure 13.2 Excellence in Thinking for Reports
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Demonstrating Excellent Thinking by Applying a PrecisionOriented Style (1 of 2)
The most basic and critical component of any report is
precision in thinking as reflected in style—meaning that
it offers accurate, well-documented facts; good
reasoning for conclusions; and a solid basis for
recommendations.
The foundation for these facts, conclusions, and
recommendations must be a well-stated business
problem or challenge.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Demonstrating Excellent Thinking by Applying a PrecisionOriented Style (2 of 2)
• Start with a clear statement of the business problem
or challenge.
• Use fact-based language.
• Document secondary research and avoid plagiarism.
• Base recommendations on facts and conclusions in
the report.
• Provide specific and actionable recommendations.
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Table 13.1
Less
Effective
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Problem Statement or Business Challenge (1 of 3)
Since 2011, our revenues from
conventions and meetings have
declined by roughly 23 percent.
One reason that we may not have
rebounded is that we still do not
provide options for clients who
want green meetings.
This brief statement does suggest
one reason revenues may have
dropped. However, it lacks
contextual details that provide the
urgency to solve this problem.
Table 13.1
Problem Statement or Business Challenge (2 of 3)
More
Since 2011, our revenues from conventions and meetings have declined by
Effective roughly 23 percent. Since meetings constitute nearly 60 percent of our total
revenues and form the basis for our reputation as a high-class provider of events,
we may need to seek new ways of rebuilding our conventions and meetings
business.
The Great Recession that began in late 2007 led to lost revenue for nearly all
hotels and organizations dependent on business travel. However, by 2011, the
hotel industry had recovered. Since 2011, nationwide growth in revenue for
conventions and meetings has increased by an average of 2.8 percent per year
(Morea, 2016). Unlike other hotel venues in the conventions and meetings
industry, the Prestigio has not rebounded in the past few years.
One reason we may not have rebounded is we still do not provide options for
clients who want green meetings. Our director of conventions and meetings,
Barbara Brookshire, has noticed that many meeting planners inquire about green
meeting options. She is certain that we have lost business because we do not
provide such meetings, and she expects that meeting planners will increasingly
request these options.
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Table 13.1
More
Effective
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Problem Statement or Business Challenge (3 of 3)
This problem statement provides sufficient context to communicate the
severity of the situation. Not only has the Prestigio lost revenue in
meetings, but also meetings constitute the most important element of
its business, and the recession cannot be used as an explanation for the
continued fall in revenue. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests a
reason for the lost revenue.
Use Fact-Based Language
You can raise the credibility of your report by:
– Supplying the facts with precision
– Providing supporting details for your conclusions
– Carefully dealing with predictions and cause/effect
statements
– Responsibly citing your research sources
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Table 13.2
Using Fact-Based Language
Less
Effective
Nearly all of our respondents reported
satisfaction with their conference
experiences.
More
Effective
Overall, the vast majority (84 percent) of By providing the exact percentage in
our respondents reported satisfaction
parentheses, this fact is precise.
with their conference experiences.
Less
Effective
One of the strongest indicators that
meeting planners expect green meeting
options is that they increasingly inquire
about such meetings in RFPs.
Without a supporting fact, this
conclusion may be viewed as
unsubstantiated or merely the writer’s
opinion.
More
Effective
One of the strongest indicators that
meeting planners expect green meeting
options is that they increasingly inquire
about such meetings in RFPs. A recent
survey showed that 71 percent of
meeting planners already do or plan to
inquire about green initiatives on RFPs
for meeting venues (Shapiro, 2009).
This conclusion is immediately
substantiated with a supporting
statistic (fact). Because the author
provides a citation, decision makers
can view the original research if they
want to.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
This fact is imprecise and open to
interpretation.
Document Secondary Research and Avoid Plagiarism
(1 of 3)
You should provide a reference list at the end of the
report that contains all your sources.
Throughout your document, you should provide
citations to indicate the information you have drawn
from other sources.
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Document Secondary Research and Avoid Plagiarism
(2 of 3)
Plagiarism
– To “steal and pass off (the ideas of another) as one’s own”
– “To commit literary theft”
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Document Secondary Research and Avoid Plagiarism
(3 of 3)
Direct quotations
– Verbatim restatements from another source
Paraphrasing
– Involves using your own words to express the meaning of
the original speaker or writer
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.3
References in APA and MLA Documentation
Styles (1 of 4)
APA
MLA
Book
Zavada, N., & Spatrisano, A. J.
(2007).
Simple steps to green meetings
and events: The professional’s
guide to saving money and the
earth. Portland, OR: Meeting
Strategies Worldwide.
Zavada, Nancy, and Amy Spatrisano.
Simple Steps to Green Meetings and
Events: The Professional’s Guide to
Saving Money and the Earth. Meeting
Strategies Worldwide, 2007.
Report from an
organization
(white paper)
Simons, A., & Unterkofler, C.
(2015). Green venue report
2015: The state of convention &
exhibition center sustainability.
Portland, OR: Greenview.
Simons, Amanda, and Cara
Unterkofler. Green venue report 2015:
The state of convention & exhibition
center sustainability. Greenview,
2015.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.3
References in APA and MLA Documentation
Styles (2 of 4)
APA
MLA
Scholarly or
scientific journal
Gao, Y. L., & Mattila, A. S.
(2014). Improving consumer
satisfaction in green hotels: The
roles of perceived warmth,
perceived competence, and CSR
motive. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 42,
20-31.
Gao, Yixing (Lisa), and Anna S. Mattila.
"Improving consumer satisfaction in
green hotels: The roles of perceived
warmth, perceived competence, and
CSR motive." International Journal of
Hospitality Management, vol. 42,
Sept. 2014, pp. 20-31
Magazine/
periodical
Lowe, M. C. (2010, October).
The greening of hotels: A look at
what major chains are doing to
support eco-friendly meetings.
Meetings & Conventions,
45(10), 45–56
Lowe, Michael C. “The Greening of
Hotels: A Look at What Major Chains
Are Doing to Support Eco-Friendly
Meetings.” Meetings & Conventions,
Oct. 2010, pp. 45–56.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.3
References in APA and MLA Documentation
Styles (3 of 4)
APA
MLA
Newspaper
White, M. C. (2010, August 16).
For hotels, eco-friendly ideas
await a friendlier economy. The
New York Times, p. B5
White, Martha C. “For Hotels, EcoFriendly
Ideas Await a Friendlier Economy,”
The New York Times 16 Aug. 2010: B5.
Webpage
Edelstein, L. G. (2015,
November 1). Green meetings:
Low priority? Retrieved from
http://www.meetingsconventions.com/News/Researc
h/Green-Meetings-policyrecycling-survey/
Edelstein, Loren G.
“Green Meetings: Low Priority?”
Meeting & Conventions, 1 Nov. 2015,
meetingsconventions.com/News/Research/Gre
en-Meetings-policy-recycling-survey/
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.3
References in APA and MLA Documentation
Styles (4 of 4)
APA
MLA
Personal
interviews
(J. Hardaway, personal
communication, October 14,
2016)*
*Not included in reference list;
used as in-text citation only.
Hardaway, Jack. Personal Interview,
14 Oct. 2016.
In-text citations
(Gao & Matilla, 2014)
(Gao and Matilla)
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Figure 13.3
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Basing Recommendations on Facts and
Conclusions
Jump to Appendix 2 long image
description
Table 13.5
Less
Effective
Making Recommendations Specific and Actionable (1 of 4)
Gain certification as a green meetings provider.
This recommendation is somewhat specific, but not actionable. It does
not provide any clear steps to take.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.5
More
Effective
Making Recommendations Specific and Actionable (2 of 4)
Gain recognition and certification from organizations creating green
meeting standards. Gaining certification will immediately place us in a
select group of venues. The process of gaining certification will help us
develop further knowledge about providing green meetings. Moreover,
this effort allows us to meet evolving industry standards and promote
ourselves with these third-party endorsements. We seek to deliver the
following in the upcoming year:
A. Achieve Level 1 compliance for each of the nine standards in the
APEX/ASTM green meeting standards.
B. Gain Green Seal certification as a green meetings provider.
C. Gain recognition as a green hotel on websites such as Travelocity.
D. Join the Green Meeting Industry Council.
This recommendation contains a rationale as well as specific steps that
decision makers would view as actionable.
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Table 13.5
Less
Effective
Making Recommendations Specific and Actionable (3 of 4)
Focus on energy-efficient transportation for our guests.
This recommendation is vague. It can refer to many types of actions
and indicates a superficial, nonthorough effort to provide advice.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.5
More
Effective
Making Recommendations Specific and Actionable (4 of 4)
Get a fleet of hybrid or alternative fuel vans. Many meeting planners on
RFPs request that hotels provide energy-efficient transportation
options. Doing so can significantly lower the overall carbon footprint of
the conference and serves as a high-profile illustration of our
commitment to eco-friendly meetings. Our initial estimates suggest
that we could replace our four-van fleet for roughly $100,000 (after
trade-in or sale of our existing fleet).
This recommendation is specific and provides elaboration about a
detail all decision makers are interested in: cost.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Designing Your Reports to Help Decision Makers
Assume that decision makers may not read your report
from start to end, and design it so they can navigate the
information rapidly.
One way to make your report easy to navigate is to
provide a structure that decision makers are familiar
with.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Figure 13.4 Common Structures for Business Reports (1 of 3)
Components of a Survey
Report
• Executive Summary
• Introduction and
Background
• Methodology
• Findings
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• References
• Appendixes
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Components of a Trend
Report
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Executive Summary
Introduction
Background
Trend Analysis
Recommendations
References
Appendixes
Components of a Business
Proposal
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cover Page
Executive Summary
Current Situation
Specific Objectives
Deliverables Overview
Timeline
Results Enhancers
Pricing
Figure 13.4 Common Structures for Business Reports (2 of 3)
Components of a Business
Plan
• Cover Page
• Executive Summary
• Business Description and
Vision/General Company
• Business Objectives
• Description of the
Market/Market Analysis
• Description of the
Products and Services
• Organization and
Management
• Marketing and Sales
Strategy
• Financial Management
• Appendixes
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Components of a Strategic
Plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cover Page
Executive Summary
SWOT Analysis
Vision, Mission, Values
Strategic Objectives
Action Items
Implementation Process
Evaluation
Components of a Progress
Report
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Executive Summary
Introduction
Background
Accomplishments
Problems
Future Plans/Timeline
Conclusion
References
Appendixes
Figure 13.4 Common Structures for Business Reports (3 of 3)
Components of an Annual
Report
• Cover
• Narrative Statements
(letter to stockholders
from the CEO—functions
as executive summary,
company overview,
mission statement,
history)
• Financial Statements
(income statement,
balance sheet, cash flow,
auditor’s report)
• References
• Appendixes
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Components of a SWOT
Analysis
Components of a Marketing
Plan
Executive Summary
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Recommendations
References
Appendixes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Executive Summary
Market Research
Product
Competition
Mission Statement
Marketing Strategies
Pricing
Positioning/Branding
Budget
Marketing Goals/
Objectives
Figure 13.5
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Components of a Formal Report
Jump to Appendix 3 long image
description
Tell the Story of Your Report with an Executive Summary
Executive Summary
– Purpose is to summarize the most important contents,
including key findings, conclusions, and recommendations,
so that busy executives and other decision makers can
quickly understand and act on the report
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Table 13.6 Providing Clear Headings That Support a Story Line (1 of 2)
Heading structure
(should stay
consistent
throughout
document)
Title (14-pt bold)
Title is descriptive
Should the Prestigio Hotel Develop and Market Green
Meetings?
Story of the report
Executive Summary
Business problem or
challenge
Introduction to Green Meetings
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Level-1 Heading (11-pt bold)
Level-2 Heading (11-pt italicized)
Table 13.6 Providing Clear Headings That Support a Story Line (2 of 2)
Opportunities and
risks
Market Demand for Green Meetings
Many Public Sector Organizations Are Required To Hold Green
Meetings
Many Private Sector Organizations Seek Green Meetings As
Part of CSR Efforts
Many Organization Are Pursuing More Local and Hybrid
Options for Meetings
Conference Attendees Are Increasingly Expecting Green
Meetings
Risks of Marketing Green Meetings
Best practices
Best Practices and Standards for Green Meetings
Certifications for Green Meeting Standards
Standards for the Public Sector and Major Hotel Venues
Most Sought After Standards by Meeting Planners
Potential rewards
Return on Investment for Green Meetings
Advice
Recommendations
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.7
Creating Headings to Help Decision Makers
Navigate the Document
Less
Effective
A Report of the Current Market
Situation for Green Meetings with
Related Recommendations
This title is difficult to process with a
variety of noun clusters.
More
Effective
Should the Prestigio Hotel Develop
and Market Green Meetings?
This title is more intriguing and signals to
the decision maker the central direction
of the report.
Less
Effective
Best Practices
This brief heading in isolation tells little
about the contents of the section.
More
Effective
Standards and Best Practices for
Green Meetings
The addition of just a few words clarifies
what will be included in this section.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.8
Providing Clear Preview Statements
Less
Effective
In our research, we found several
trends that we discuss in the
upcoming pages.
This short, abrupt statement leaves
readers with no direction about the
trends. If the readers do no read further,
they will not have any indication of the
key takeaway messages.
More
Effective
In our research, we found the
following trends regarding green
meetings: (a) many public sector
organizations are required to hold
green meetings; (b) many private
sector organizations seek green
meetings as part of corporate
social responsibility (CSR) efforts;
and (c) many organizations are
pursuing local options for
meetings: and (d) conference
attendees are increasingly
expecting green meetings.
This preview statement—in just a few
sentences—creates the mental map for
decision makers as they read further and
groups the takeaway messages all in one
place.
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Table 13.9
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Using Charts to Support the Story Line of the
Report
Jump to Appendix 4 long image
description
Table 13.10
Less
Effective
Applying Bulleting (1 of 2)
Within the past few years, surveys show that the majority of meeting
planners strongly consider green meeting options. For example, the
following survey results are typical: In a 2009 survey, 51 percent of
meeting planners reported increasing efforts to run green meetings
(Drammeh, 2009); in a 2010 survey, 93 percent of meeting planners
stated that they would at least occasionally use green meetings
(Richard K. Miller & Associates, 2010); and in a 2011 survey, 51 percent
said green meetings were more highly prioritized than before (Green
Meetings Portland, 2011).
This passage is too dense to read and process quickly.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Table 13.10
More
Effective
Applying Bulleting (2 of 2)
Within the past few years, surveys show that the majority of meeting
planners expect green meeting options or discuss green meeting
options during pre-event planning. For example, the following survey
results are typical over the past few years:
• 60 percent of meeting planners reported that green policies were
very important or somewhat important when selecting a meeting
venue (Edelstein, 2015).
• 64 percent of meeting professionals stated that green meeting
options were fairly important or critically important in their venue
choices (Mason, 2014).
• 86 percent of meeting planners discussed green meeting options
during pre-event planning with sales teams at conference and
exhibition centers (Simons & Unterkofler, 2015)
By using bullets, readers can much more quickly digest the information.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Create a Cover Page, a Table of Contents, and Appendixes (1 of 2)
Reports of more than ten pages often include a cover
page.
At a minimum, the cover page should include a title,
names of those who wrote and/or are submitting the
report, and a date.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Create a Cover Page, a Table of Contents, and Appendixes (2 of 2)
A table of contents is expected for nearly any report
over ten pages long.
Reports also frequently include appendixes to provide
reference materials.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Achieving Objectivity and Positivity through Tone
Achieving a positive, can-do tone in your
communications is appropriate in nearly all business
situations.
However, more so than positivity, you should project
objectivity—the sense that you are providing
information, analysis, and advice that is sound, reliable,
and unbiased.
Ensure that your enthusiasm and strong positive
emotion do not appear to cloud your judgment.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Assessing Key Features of a Completed Report
• Value to decision makers
• Precision
• Documentation
• Easy navigation
• Objectivity
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Reviewing Your Reports for Fairness and Effectiveness
When possible, discuss the report with the ultimate
decision makers so that you can best tailor the final
product to their needs.
As you review the report by yourself and with others,
run through it numerous times, each time considering a
different perspective.
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter Takeaways
• How reports affect credibility
• Specific and persuasive proposals
• Precision-oriented reports
• Reports that aid in decision making
• Objective reports
• Effective and fair reports
©McGraw-Hill Education.
Business Communication
Chapter 13
The End
The End
©McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.