11

Writing and
Completing
Reports and
Proposals
L e a rn i n g O b jec tiv es
After studying this chapter, you will be able to

❶ List the topics commonly covered in the introduction, body, and close of informa- Ti ps f or Success
tional reports, analytical reports, and proposals.
“A good proposal reflects
❷ Identify six guidelines for drafting effective website content, and offer guidelines for whether the writer has a
becoming a valuable wiki contributor. clear idea of the project being
❸ Discuss six principles of graphic design that can improve the quality of your visuals proposed: why it is needed,
and identify the major types of business visuals. why it is important, and how
❹ Summarize the four tasks involved in completing business reports and proposals. it will benefit the community.”
—Sidney Sawyer,
Manager,
Community Programs,
The Vancity Community Foundation in Vancouver provides grants and lending advice Vancity Community Foundation
to nonprofit organizations proposing initiatives to improve communities through com-
munity economic development. Sidney Sawyer is part of a team that assesses these
proposals, evaluating many of them each year. “Proposal writers,” says Sawyer, “create
positive impressions by providing clear answers, using plain language, and providing
facts to support the proposal.” Proposals should be concise but contain enough detail to
convince the audience that the idea is valuable, practical, and desirable. Proposals must
contain a compelling argument—the key to a successful report.1

Writing Reports and Proposals Learning Objective ➊

List the topics commonly covered
This chapter focuses on writing and completing reports, along with creating content for web- in the introduction, body, and
close of informational reports,
sites, collaborating on wikis, and creating graphical elements to illustrate messages of all kinds.
analytical reports, and proposals.
All the writing concepts and techniques you learned in Chapter 4 apply to the longer
format of business reports. However, the length and complexity of reports call for special
attention to several issues, starting with adapting to your audience.

Adapting to Your Audience

Reports and proposals can put heavy demands on your readers, so the “you” attitude is
especially important with these long messages. In general, try to strike a balance between
overly informal (which can be perceived as trivializing important issues) and overly for- The “you” attitude is especially
mal (which can put too much distance between writer and reader). If you know your important with long or complex
reports because they demand a lot
readers reasonably well and your report is likely to meet with their approval, you can
from readers.
generally adopt an informal tone. To make your tone less formal, speak to readers in the
[258] P ART 4: l onger b us ine s s m e s sa ge s

first person: refer to them as you, and refer to yourself as I (or we if there are multiple
You can adjust the formality of your
writing through your word choices and
report authors) (see Figure 11.1).
writing style. To make your tone more formal, use the impersonal journalism style: emphasize objec-
tivity, avoid personal opinions, and build your argument on provable facts. Eliminate all
personal pronouns (including I, you, we, us, and our). Avoid humour, and be careful with
your use of similes, metaphors, and particularly colourful adjectives or adverbs. However,
don’t go so far as to make the writing monotonous. For example, you can still create inter-
est by varying the types of sentences you use to create a pleasing rhythm.
Take into account that communicating with people in other cultures often calls for
more formality in reports, both to respect cultural preferences and to reduce the risk of
miscommunication. Informal elements such as humour and casual language tend to
translate poorly from one culture to another.

FIGURE 11.1 Effective Problem-Solving Report Focusing on Recommendations

MEMO

TO: Board of Directors, Executive Committee members

FROM: Alycia Jenn, Business Development Manager
DATE: July 6, 2016
SUBJECT: WEBSITE EXPANSION

Reminds readers In response to your request, my staff and I investigated the potential for expanding our website
of the origin and from its current “brochureware” status (in which we promote our company and its products but
purpose of the don't provide any way to place orders online) to full e-commerce capability (including placing
report orders and checking on order delivery status). After analyzing the behaviour of our customers and
major competitors and studying the overall development of electronic retailing, we have three
recommendations. We should

1. Expand our online presence from “brochureware” to e-commerce capability within Clarifies the
the next 6 months. recommendation
by listing the
2. Engage a firm that specializes in online retailing to design and develop the new necessary actions
e-commerce capabilities.
in clear, direct
3. Integrate online retailing with our store-based and mail-order operations. language

1. EXPANDING THE WEBSITE TO FULL E-COMMERCE CAPABILITY

First, does e-commerce capability make sense today for a small company that sells luxury
Presents logical housewares? Even though books and many other products are now commonly sold online, in
reasons for most cases, this enterprise involves simple, low-cost products that don't require a lot of hands-on
recommending inspection before purchasing. As we've observed in our stores, shoppers like to interact with our
that the firm products before purchasing them. However, a growing number of websites do sell specialty
products, using “virtual product tours” (in which shoppers can interactively view a product in
expand its website to
three dimensions, rather than simply looking at a static photograph) and generous return policies
include e-commerce
(to reduce the perceived risk of buying products online).

Second, do we need to establish a presence now in order to remain competitive in the future? The
answer is an overwhelming “yes.” The initial steps taken by our competitors are already placing us
at a disadvantage among those already comfortable buying online, and every trend indicates our
minor competitive weakness today will turn into a major weakness in the next few years:

• Several of our top competitors are implementing full e-commerce, including virtual
product tours. Our research suggests that their online sales are growing.

• Younger consumers who grew up with the internet will soon be reaching their peak
earning years (ages 35–54). This demographic segment expects e-commerce in nearly every
product category, and we'll lose them to the competition if we don't offer it.

• The web has erased geographical shopping limits, presenting both a threat and an opportunity. Supports the
Even though our customers can now shop websites anywhere in the world (so that we have reasoning with
thousands of competitors instead of a dozen), we can now target customers anywhere in the evidence
world.

(Continued)
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 259]

FI GU RE 11.1 (Continued)

Website expansion 2 July 6, 2016

2. ENGAGING A CONSULTANT TO IMPLEMENT THE SITE Goes beyond the

basic recommendation
Implementing a competitive retailing site can take anywhere from 1000 to 1500 hours of design of what to do by
and programming time. We have some of the expertise needed in-house, but the marketing and suggesting how to
information systems departments have only 300 person-hours available in the next 6 months. I do it
recommend that we engage a web design firm to help us with the design and to do all the
programming.

3. INTEGRATING THE WEBSITE INTO EXISTING OPERATIONS Addresses some

important concerns
The studies we reviewed showed that the most successful web retailers are careful to integrate that must be dealt
their online retailing with their store- and mail-based retailing. Companies that don’t integrate with if the
carefully find themselves with higher costs, confused customers, and websites that don’t generate recommended
much business. Before we begin designing our website, we should develop a plan for integrating the action is taken
web into our existing marketing, accounting, and production systems.The online site could affect
every department in the company, so it’s vital that everyone has a chance to review the plans before
we proceed.

SUMMARY

Concludes with 1. Begin working immediately to expand our website to include full e-commerce capability. Even
a concise summary though the financial returns might be minimal in the near term, every sign indicates they will
of the recommended grow in the future. Moreover, we will start to lose customers to other e-commerce sites if we
action don’t expand.

2. Use the services of a web designer because we don’t have enough person-hours available
in-house.

3. Integrate the website with existing operations, particularly in marketing, accounting, and
production.

Drafting Report Content

You can simplify report writing by breaking the job into three main sections: an introduc-
tion (or opening), a body, and a close. Table 11.1 summarizes the goals of each section
and lists elements to consider including in each as well. You can use this table as a handy
reference whenever you need to write a report in school or on the job.
At a minimum, an effective introduction:
• Helps the reader understand the context of the report by tying it to a problem or an
The introduction needs to put the
assignment. report in context for the reader,
• Introduces the subject matter and indicates why it is important. introduce the subject, preview main
• Previews the main idea (if you’re using the direct approach). ideas, and establish the tone of the
• Establishes the tone and the writer’s relationship with the audience. document.

The body presents, analyzes, and interprets the information gathered during your
investigation and supports your recommendations or conclusions. The length and con- The body of your report presents,
tent of the body can vary widely based on the subject matter. analyzes, and interprets the
The close has three important functions: information you gathered during your
investigation.
• It summarizes your key points.
• It emphasizes the benefits to the reader if the document suggests a change or some
other course of action.
• It brings all the action items together in one place. Your close is often the last
To serve the needs of your readers and build your reputation as a careful and opportunity to get your message
across, so make it clear and
insightful professional, make sure your content in every section is accurate, complete,
compelling.
­balanced, clear, and logical. As always, be sure to properly document all your sources
(see Appendix B).
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TABLE 11.1 Content Elements to Consider for Reports and Proposals

Reports Proposals
Introduction: Introduction:
Establish the context, identify the subject, preview main ideas (if Identify the problem you intend to solve or the opportunity you want
using the direct approach), and establish tone and reader relationship. to pursue.
•  A
 uthorization. Reiterate who authorized the report, if applicable. •  Background or statement of the problem. Briefly review the
•  Problem/purpose. Explain the reason for the report’s existence situation at hand, establish a need for action, and explain how
and what the report will achieve. things could be better. In unsolicited proposals, convince readers
•  Scope. Describe what will and won’t be covered in the report. that a problem or an opportunity exists.
•  Background. Review historical conditions or factors that led up to •  Solution. Briefly describe the change you propose, highlighting
the report. your key selling points and their benefits to show how your
•  Sources and methods. Discuss the primary and secondary proposal will solve the reader’s problem.
sources consulted and methods used. •  Scope. State the boundaries of the proposal—what you will and
•  Definitions. List terms and their definitions, including any terms will not do.
that might be misinterpreted. Terms may also be defined in the •  Report organization. Orient the reader to the remainder of the
body, explanatory notes, or glossary. proposal and call attention to the major divisions of thought.
•  Limitations. Discuss factors beyond your control that affect report
quality (but do not use this as an excuse for poor research or a
poorly written report).
•  Report organization. Identify the topics to be covered and in
what order.
Body: Body:
Present relevant information and support your recommendations Give complete details on the proposed solution and describe
or conclusions. anticipated results.
•  Explanations. Give complete details of the problem, project, •  Facts and evidence to support your conclusions. Provide
or idea. explanations, specific examples, and concrete details to back up
•  Facts, statistical evidence, and trends. Lay out the results of your main points.
studies or investigations. •  Proposed approach. Describe your concept, product, or service.
•  Analysis of action. Discuss potential courses of action. Stress reader benefits and emphasize any advantages you have
•  Pros and cons. Explain advantages, disadvantages, costs, and over your competitors.
benefits of a particular course of action. •  Work plan. Describe how you’ll accomplish what must be done
•  Procedures. Outline steps for a process. (unless you’re providing a standard, off-the-shelf item). Explain the
•  Methods and approaches. Discuss how you’ve studied a steps you’ll take, their timing, the methods or resources you’ll use,
problem (or gathered evidence) and arrived at your solution and the person(s) responsible. State when work will begin, how it
(or collected your data). will be divided into stages, when you’ll finish, and whether follow-
•  Criteria. Describe the benchmarks for evaluating options and up will be needed.
alternatives. •  Statement of qualifications. Describe your organization’s
•  Conclusions and recommendations. Discuss what you believe experience, personnel, and facilities—relating it all to readers’
the evidence reveals and what you propose should be done needs. Include a list of client references.
about it. •  Costs. Prove that your costs are realistic—break them down so
•  Support. Give the reasons behind your conclusions or that readers can see the costs of labour, materials, transportation,
recommendations. travel, training, and other categories.
Close: Close:
Summarize key points, emphasize benefits of any recommendations, Summarize key points, emphasize the benefits and
list action items; label as “Summary” or “Conclusions and advantages of your proposed solution, ask for a decision
Recommendations.” from the reader.
•  For direct approach. Summarize key points (except in short •  Review of argument. Briefly summarize the key points.
reports), listing them in the order in which they appear in the body. •  Review of reader benefits. Briefly summarize how your
Briefly restate your conclusions or recommendations, if appropriate. proposal will help the reader.
•  For indirect approach. If you haven’t done so at the end of the •  Review of the merits of your approach. Briefly summarize why
body, present your conclusions or recommendations. your approach will be more effective than alternatives.
•  For motivating action. Spell out exactly what should happen next •  Restatement of qualifications. For external proposals, briefly
and provide a schedule with specific task assignments. reemphasize why you and your firm should do the work.
•  Request. Ask for a decision from the reader.
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 261]

Helping Readers Find Their Way  To help today’s time-pressed readers find what
they’re looking for and stay on track as they navigate through your documents, learn to
make good use of headings or links, smooth transitions, and previews and reviews:
• Headings or links. Readers should be able to follow the structure of your document
and pick up the key points of your message from the headings and subheadings (see Help your readers find what they want
Figure 11.3). For online reports, make generous use of hyperlinks to help your read- and stay on track with headings or
links, transitions, previews, and
ers navigate the reports and access additional information.
reviews.
• Transitions. Chapter 4 defines transitions as words or phrases that tie together ideas
and show how one thought is related to another. In addition, in a long report, an
entire paragraph might be used to highlight transitions from one major section to
the next.

FIG URE 11.2 A Solicited Proposal

3240 Richard Road SW • Calgary, AB T3E 6R2

(403) 240-8845 • Fax: (403) 240-8846 • Email: jwr@telus.net

October 29, 2016

Mr. Daniel Yurgren

Data Dimensions
15 Foothills Lane
Calgary, AB T4M 1X2

Dear Mr. Yurgren:

PROPOSAL FOR HOME OFFICE CONSTRUCTION

Timing
Acknowledges JWR Remodelling Solutions would be happy to convert your existing living room area
into a home office according to the specifications discussed during our October 15 Uses introduction
scope of project meeting. We can schedule the project for the week beginning November 12, 2016 (two
weeks from today). The project will take roughly three weeks to complete.
to grab the reader’s
attention with
Benefits expedited comple-
Our construction approach is unique. We provide a full staff of licensed trades people tion date—a key
and schedule our projects so that when one trade finishes, the next trade is ready to
selling point
begin. To expedite this project, as you requested, we have agreed to overlap several
trades whose work can be done concurrently.

Specifies exactly Services Provided

what contractor will JWR Remodelling Solutions will provide the following work:
and won’t do
• Remove baseboard, door casing, fluted casing, and sheetrock to prepare for con-
struction of new partition wall at north end of living room.
• Partition and finish walls to create two separate storage closets at north end of Uses body to
living room with access through two 3'0" six-panel door units. Replace all disturbed explain how
sheetrock.
• Hang and trim new door units and replace all disturbed baseboards and door company will
casings. expedite schedule,
• Install 5'0" double French door unit in location of current cased opening at the outline approach,
SW entrance to living room adjacent to foyer. Trim appropriately. provide work plan,
• Provide all rough and finished electrical using recessed lighting in the ceiling and
appropriate single pole switches and duplex outlets. and (on the next
• Move cold air return from west wall to east wall of living room. page) list quali-
• Paint or finish all surfaces/trim to match specs used throughout house. fications and state
costs
Exceptions
The work does not include custom office cabinetry, carpeting, or phone or
cable wiring. We would be happy to bid on these projects in the future.

(Continued)
[262] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F igu re 11.2 (Continued)

Mr. Daniel Yurgren October 29, 2016 Page 2

Qualifications
JWR Remodelling Solutions has been in business in the Calgary area for more than 17 years.
We have a strong reputation for being a quality builder. We take great pride in our work Increases
and we treat all projects with the same high-level attention, regardless of their size or desire by
scope. Our trades people are all licensed, insured professionals with years of experience
in their respective crafts. Enclosed is a copy of our company brochure discussing our
highlighting
qualifications in greater detail, along with a current client list. Please contact any of the qualifications
names on this list for references.

Costs
Justifies cost by The total cost for this project is $6800, broken down as follows:
providing detail
Materials and supplies $3300
Labour 2700
Overhead 800
Total $6800

An initial payment of $3800 is due upon acceptance of this proposal. The remaining
$3000 is due upon completion of the work.

Uses brief closing Hiring JWR

to emphasize fast If you would like to have JWR Remodelling Solutions complete this work, please sign
this letter and return it to us with your deposit in the enclosed envelope. We currently
turnaround and anticipate no construction delays, since the materials needed for your job are in stock
immediate call for and our staff of qualified workers is available during the period mentioned. If you have
action any questions regarding the terms of this proposal, please call me at (403) 946-8845.

Sincerely,

Jordan W. Spurrier
President

Enclosures

Pointers for Developing Proposals

• Carefully review and follow all requirements listed in the RFP (if applicable).
• Define the scope of work you intend to complete.
• Determine the methods and procedures to be used.
Makes letter a Accepted by:
binding contract, if • Carefully estimate requirements for time, personnel, and costs.
_______________________ • Write, format, and deliver the proposal exactly as the RFP specifies.
signed Daniel Yurgren
• Open by stating the purpose of the proposal, defining the scope of work, presenting
helpful background information, and explaining any relevant restrictions or limitations.
• In the body, provide details and specify anticipated results, including methods,
schedule, facilities, quantities, equipment, personnel, and costs.
• Close by summarizing key selling points and benefits, then ask for a decision
from the audience.

 
• Previews and reviews. Preview sections introduce important topics by helping readers
get ready for new information. Review sections come after a body of material and
­summarize the information for your readers, helping them absorb details.
Creating lengthy reports and proposals can be a huge task, so take advantage of all avail-
Look for ways to use technology to
reduce the mechanical work involved
able productivity tools. For example, the size and complexity of many reports make tem-
in writing long reports. plates and style sheets particularly helpful. If you include graphics, spreadsheets, or database
records produced in other programs, make sure you know how your writing software
handles the file connection. You might have the choice to maintain a “live” c­ onnection with
these included files, so that any changes in the original automatically show up in your
report. And be sure to explore your multimedia options with electronic d ­ ocuments.
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 263]

FIGURE 11.3  Heading Format for Reports and Proposals

TITLE
The title is centred at the top of the page in all-capital letters, usually bold-
faced, often in a large font (for example, 14 point), and often using a sans
serif typeface. When the title runs to more than one line, the lines are
usually arranged as an inverted pyramid (longer line on the top).

FIRST-LEVEL HEADING Headings allow readers

A first-level heading indicates what the following section is about, perhaps by to scan a report and
describing the subdivisions. All first-level headings are grammatically parallel, choose which sections
with the possible exception of such headings as “Introduction,” “Conclusions,” to read
and “Recommendations.” Some text appears between every two headings,
regardless of their levels. Still boldfaced and sans serif, the font may be smaller
than that used in the title but larger than the typeface used in the text
(for example, 12 point) and still in all-capital letters.

Second-Level Heading Headings and subheadings

Like first-level headings, second-level headings indicate what the following show the content at a
material is about. All second-level headings within a section are grammatically glance
parallel. Still boldfaced and sans serif, the font may either remain the same
or shrink to the size used in the text, and the style is now initial capitals with
lower case. Never use only one second-level heading under a first-level head-
ing. (The same is true for every other level of heading.)

Third-Level Heading

A third-level heading is worded to reflect the content of the material that fol-
lows. All third-level headings beneath a second-level heading should be gram-
matically parallel.

Fourth-Level Heading. Like all the other levels of headings, fourth-level head- Subheading levels are
ings reflect the subject that will be developed. All fourth-level headings within distinguished by font size
a subsection are parallel. and style and by alignment
Fifth-level headings are generally the lowest level of heading used. However,
you can indicate further breakdowns in your ideas by using a list:

1. The first item in a list. You may indent the entire item in block format to
set it off visually. Numbers are optional.
2. The second item in a list. All lists have at least two items. An introduc-
tory phrase or sentence may be italicized for emphasis, as shown here.

Video clips, animation, presentation slides, screencasts (recordings of on-screen activity),

and other media elements can enhance the communication and persuasion powers of the
written word.

Drafting Proposal Content

All of the guidelines for writing reports apply to proposals as well, but these persuasive
messages also have some unique considerations. As Chapter 10 notes, the most important
factor is whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited, because this can affect your orga-
nization, content, and tone.
The general purpose of any proposal is to persuade readers to do something, so your
writing approach is similar to that used for persuasive messages, perhaps including the
use of the AIDA model or something similar to gain attention, build interest, create desire,
and motivate action. To convince your reader to accept your proposal, you will need to:
Approach proposals the same way
• Know your product’s features.
you approach persuasive messages.
• Identify how those features can benefit the readers and relate exactly to their needs.
[264] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

Business proposals need to provide

• Provide concrete facts and examples.
evidence of practical, achievable • Show how your proposal favourably compares to the competition.
solutions. • Prove that your proposal is feasible.
Moreover, make sure your proposal is error-free, inviting, and readable. Readers will
prejudge the quality of your products, services, or capabilities by the quality of the pro-
posal you submit. Errors, omissions, and inconsistencies will work against you—and
might even cost you important career and business opportunities.
In addition to the productivity tools listed on page 262, consider using proposal-
writing software if you and your company need to submit proposals as a routine part of
doing business. These programs can automatically personalize proposals, ensure proper
structure (making sure you don’t forget any sections, for instance), organize storage of all
your boilerplate text, integrate contact information from sales databases, scan RFPs to
identify questions (and even assign them to content experts), and fill in preliminary
answers to common questions from a centralized knowledge base.2
See Table 11.1 for a summary of the content to include in reports and proposals.

Learning Objective ➋
Identify six guidelines for drafting
Writing for Websites and Wikis
effective website content, and offer In addition to standalone reports and proposals, you may be asked to write in-depth
guidelines for becoming a valuable
content for websites or to collaborate on a wiki. The basic principles of report writing
wiki contributor.
apply to both formats, but each has some unique considerations as well.

Drafting Website Content

Major sections on websites, particularly those that are fairly static (unlike, say, a blog)
function in much the same way as reports. The skills you’ve developed for report writing
adapt easily to this environment, as long as you keep a few points in mind:
• Take special care to build trust with your intended audiences, because careful readers
can be skeptical of online content. Make sure your content is accurate, current, com-
plete, and authoritative.
• As much as possible, adapt your content for a global audience. Translating content
is expensive, so some companies compromise by localizing the homepage while keep-
ing the deeper, more detailed content in its original language.
• In an environment that presents many reading challenges, compelling, reader-­
oriented content is key to success.3 Wherever you can, use the inverted pyramid
style, in which you cover the most important information briefly at first and then
gradually reveal successive layers of detail—letting readers choose to see those addi-
tional layers if they want to.
• Present your information in a concise, skimmable format. Most online readers won’t
dig for buried information. If they can’t find the right information quickly, they will
move on to another page or site.4 Effective websites use a variety of means to help
readers skim pages quickly, including lists, careful use of colour and boldface, infor-
mative headings, and helpful summaries that give readers a choice of learning more if
they want to.
• Write effective headings and links that serve for both site navigation and content
skimming. Above all, clearly identify where each link will take readers, and don’t
force them to click through and try to figure out where they’re going.
• Make your website a “living” document by regularly adding fresh content and
deleting content that is out of date or no longer relevant to your target audience.
Over time, websites can accumulate many pages of outdated information that get in
the way and send a negative message about the company’s efforts to stay on top of
user needs.5
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 265]

Collaborating on Wikis Effective collaboration on wikis

requires a unique approach to writing.
As Chapter 2 points out, using a wiki is a great way for teams and other groups to col-
laborate on writing projects, from brief articles to long reports and reference works.
Although wikis have many benefits, they do require a unique approach to writing. To be
a valuable wiki contributor, keep these points in mind:6
• Let go of traditional expectations of authorship, including individual recognition and
control. The value of a wiki stems from the collective insight of all its contributors.
• Encourage all team members to edit and improve each other’s work.
• Use page templates and other formatting options to ensure that your content matches
the rest of the wiki.
• Use the separate editing and discussion capabilities appropriately.
• Take advantage of the sandbox, if available; this is a “safe,” nonpublished section of the
wiki where team members can practise editing and writing.
Wikis usually have guidelines to help new contributors integrate their work into the
group’s ongoing effort. Be sure to read and understand these guidelines, and don’t be
Before you add new pages to a wiki,
afraid to ask for help.
figure out how the material fits with
If you are creating a new wiki, think through your long-term purpose carefully, just the existing content.
as you would with a new blog or podcast channel. Will the wiki be a one-time project
(creating a report, for example) or an ongoing effort (such as maintaining “help” files
for a software program)? Who will be allowed to add or modify content? Will you or
­someone else serve as editor, reviewing all additions and changes? What rules and
guidelines will you establish to guide the growth of the wiki? What security measures
might be required?
If you are adding a page or an article to an existing wiki, figure out how this new mate-
rial fits in with the existing structure of the wiki and learn the wiki’s preferred style for
handling incomplete articles. For example, on the wiki that contains the user documenta-
tion for the popular WordPress blogging software, contributors are discouraged from
adding new pages until the content is “fairly complete and accurate.”7
If you are revising or updating an existing wiki article, use the checklist on pages
95–96 in Chapter 5 to evaluate the content before you make changes. If you don’t
agree with published content and plan to revise it, you can use the wiki’s discussion
facility to share your concerns with other contributors. The wiki environment should
encourage discussions and even robust disagreements, as long as everyone remains
civil and respectful.

Illustrating Your Reports with Effective Visuals Learning Objective ➌

Discuss six principles of graphic
Well-designed visual elements can enhance the communication power of textual mes- design that can improve the
quality of your visuals and identify
sages and, in some instances, even replace textual messages. Generally speaking, in a
the major types of business
given amount of time, well-designed images can convey much more information than visuals.
text. 8 Using pictures is also an effective way to communicate with multilingual
­audiences.
Given the importance of visuals in today’s business environment, visual literacy—
Visual literacy is the ability to create
the ability (as a sender) to create effective images and (as a receiver) to correctly interpret effective images and to interpret
visual messages—has become a key business skill.9 Even without any formal training in images correctly.
design, being aware of the following six principles will help you be a more effective
visual communicator:
• Consistency. Think of consistency as visual parallelism, similar to textual parallelism Pay close attention to consistency,
that helps audiences understand and compare a series of ideas.10 You can achieve contrast, balance, emphasis,
visual parallelism through the consistent use of colour, shape, size, texture, position, convention, and simplicity.
scale, or typeface.
[266] P ART 4: l onger b us ine s s m e s sa ge s

• Contrast. To emphasize differences, depict items in contrasting colours, such as red

and blue or black and white. To emphasize similarities, make colour differences
more subtle.
• Balance. Visual balance can be either formal, in which the elements in the images
are arranged symmetrically around a central point or axis, or informal, in which
elements are not distributed evenly, but stronger and weaker elements are
arranged in a way that achieves an overall effect of balance.11 Generally speaking,
formal balance is calming and serious, whereas informal balance tends to feel
dynamic and engaging (which is why most advertising uses this approach, for
example).
• Emphasis. Audiences usually assume that the dominant element in a design is the
most important, so make sure that the visually dominant element really does repre-
sent the most important information.
• Convention. Just as written communication is guided by spelling, grammar, punc-
tuation, and usage conventions, visual communication is guided by generally accepted
rules or conventions that dictate virtually every aspect of design.12 In any given cul-
ture, for example, certain colours and shapes have specific ­meanings.
• Simplicity. When you’re designing graphics for your
documents, limit the number of colours and design
R ea l- Time U p d ates ­elements and take care to avoid chartjunk—decorative
Learn More by Watching This Video elements that clutter documents without adding any
relevant information.13 Think carefully about using
The beauty of data visualization some of the chart features available in your software,
Information designer David McCandless discusses the power too. Many of these features can actually get in the way
of data visualization tools and techniques. Go to http://real- of effective visual communication.14 For example,
timeupdates.com/bce6 and click on Learn More. If you are three-dimensional bar charts, cones, and pyramids can
using MyBCommLab, you can access Real-Time Updates look appealing, but the third dimension usually adds
within Business Communication Resources. no additional information and can be visually deceiving
as well.15

Choosing the Right Visual for the Job

After you’ve identified which points would benefit most from visual presentation, your
next decision is to choose what types of visuals to use. As you can see in Figure 11.4, you
have many choices for business graphics. (Note that chart and graph are used interchange-
ably for most of the display formats discussed here.)

Tables  When you need to present detailed, specific information, choose a table, a
Printed tables can display extensive
amounts of data, but tables for online
systematic arrangement of data in columns and rows. Tables are ideal when your audi-
display and electronic presentations ence needs information that would be either difficult or tedious to handle in the main
need to be simpler. text. Most tables contain the standard parts illustrated in Figure 11.5. Follow these guide-
lines to create clear, effective tables:
• Use common, understandable units and clearly identify them: dollars, percentages,
price per tonne, and so on.
• Express all items in a column in the same unit and round off for simplicity.
• Label column headings clearly, and use subheads if necessary.
• Separate columns or rows with lines or extra space to make the table easy to follow.
Make sure the intended reading direction—down the columns or across the rows—is
obvious.
• Don’t cram too much information into a table so that it becomes difficult to read.
• Keep online tables small enough to read comfortably onscreen.
• Document the source of data using the same format as a text footnote (see
­Appendix B).
FIGURE 11.4  Selecting the Best Visual

Communication Challenge Effective Visual Choice

Presenting Data

To present individual, Table

exact values

Operating Revenue

To show trends in one or Line chart,

CommuniCo Staff Computer Skills
4,500 100%
4,250 90%
4,000 80%

more variables, or the bar chart 3,750 70%

Million $
3,500 60%
50%
3,250

relationship between those

40%
3,000
30%
2,750
20%
2,500 10%

variables, over time 0

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
0
E-mail Instant
Messaging
Graphics Sreadsheets Desktop
Publishing
Database HTML/XML
Development Programming

To compare two or more Bar chart,

Worldwide Market Share Average Kiln Temperatures, North Island Facility, Day Shift
100% 2500
90%
80% 2000

sets of data line chart

70%

Temperature ˚F
60% 1500
50%
40% 1000
30% Kiln A
Kiln B
20% 500
10%
0 0
North America Central/ Asis/Pacific Europe/Africa/
South America Middle East

8:3 M

9:0 M

9:3 M

10 AM

10 AM

11 AM

11 AM

12 AM

12 AM

1:0 M

1:3 M

2:0 M

2:3 M

3:0 M

3:3 M

4:0 M

4:3 M

5:0 M
AM
A

A
0

0
8:0

:0

:3

:0

:3

:0

:3
2003 2004 2005

Year-End Head Count by Function

To show frequency or Pie chart Executives, 8

Accounting, 14
Assemblers, 67

distribution of parts in a
Facilities, 14

Shipping, 17

whole Admin support, 25

Engineers, 27
Marketing/sales, 28

To show massive data sets, Data visualization

complex quantities, or
dynamic data

Presenting Information, Concepts, and Ideas

To illustrate processes or Flowchart,

procedures diagram Yes

To show conceptual or Drawing

spatial relationships
(simplified)

To tell data–driven story Infograph

visually

To show spatial relationships Photograph

(realistic)

To show processes, Animation, video

transformations, and so
on, in action

FIGU RE 11.5  Parts of a Table

Multicolumn Heading
Single-Column
Heading
Column Subheading Column Subheading Column Subheading

Row Heading xxx xxx xxx xxx

Row Heading xxx xxx xxx xxx

Row Subheading xxx xxx xxx xxx

Row Subheading xxx xxx xxx xxx

Row Heading xxx xxx xxx xxx

Row Heading xxx xxx xxx xxx

TOTALS xxx xxx xxx xxx

[268] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

Line Charts and Surface Charts  A line chart (see Figure 11.6) illustrates trends
Line charts are commonly used to
show trends over time or the
over time or plots the relationship of two variables. In line charts that show trends, the
relationship between two variables. vertical, or y, axis shows the amount, and the horizontal, or x, axis shows the time or
other quantity against which the amount is being measured. You can plot just a single line
or overlay multiple lines to compare different entities.
A surface chart, also called an area chart, is a form of line chart that shows a cumula-
tive effect; all the lines add up to the top line, which represents the total (see Figure 11.7).
This type of chart helps you illustrate changes in the composition of something over time.
When preparing a surface chart, put the most significant line at the bottom and move up
toward the least significant.

Bar Charts and Pie Charts  A bar chart portrays numbers with the height or
Bar charts can show a variety of
relationships among two or more
length of its rectangular bars, making a series of numbers easy to grasp quickly. Bars can
variables. be oriented horizontally or vertically (in which case they are sometimes referred to as
column charts). Bar charts are particularly valuable when you want to show or compare
quantities over time. As the charts in Figure 11.8 suggest, bar charts can appear in various
forms. Specialized bar charts such as timelines and Gantt charts are used often in project
management, for example.

FIGURE 11. 6  Line Chart

Average Kiln Temperatures, North Island Facility, Day Shift
2500

2000
˚F
Temperature

1500

1000
Kiln A
Kiln B
500

0
.

.
m

m
a.

a.

a.

a.

a.

a.

a.

a.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.

p.
0

00

30

00

30

00

30

00

30

0
0

0
8:

8:

9:

9:

1:

1:

2:

2:

3:

3:

4:

4:

5:
10

10

11

11

12

12

FIGURE 11. 7  Surface Chart

Home Game Ticket Sales
90 000
80 000
70 000
Average per Game

60 000
50 000
40 000
30 000
20 000
10 000
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Other Families Staff

Students Alumni
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 269]

FIGURE 11.8  Four Kinds of Bar Charts

(a) CommuniCo Staff Computer Skills (Singular bars)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
Email Instant Graphics Blogging Desktop Podcasting HTML/XML
Messaging Publishing Programming

(b) Worldwide Market Share (Grouped bars)

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
North America Central/ Asia/Pacific Europe/Africa/
South America Middle East
2013 2014 2015  

(c) CommuniCo Preferred Communication Media (Segmented bars)

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
Sales Engineering Admin

IM Email Telephone Social Networking Face-to-Face  

(d) CommuniCo Employee Training Costs (Combination)

16 000 $8 000 000

14 000 $7 000 000

12 000 $6 000 000

Training Costs

10 000 $5 000 000

Headcount

8 000 $4 000 000

6 000 $3 000 000

4 000 $2 000 000

2 000 $1 000 000

0 $0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Headcount Training Costs

 
[270] P ART 4: l onger b us ine s s m e s sa ge s

A pie chart is a commonly used tool for showing how the parts of a whole are distrib-
uted. Although pie charts are popular and can quickly highlight the dominant parts of a
whole, they are often not as effective as bar charts or tables. For example, comparing
percentages accurately is often difficult with a pie chart but can be fairly easy with a bar
chart (see Figure 11.9). Making pie charts easier to read with accuracy can require
­labelling each slice with data values, in which case a table might serve the purpose more
effectively.16

Data Visualization  Conventional charts and graphs are limited in several ways:
most types can show only a limited number of data points before becoming too cluttered
to interpret, they often can’t show complex relationships among data points, and they can
represent only numeric data. A diverse class of display capabilities known as data
­visualization works to overcome all these drawbacks.
Data visualization is about extracting broad meaning from giant masses of data or put-
Unlike conventional charts, data
visualization tools are more about
ting the data in context.17 For instance, the Facebook “friend wheel” in Figure 11.10a
uncovering broad meaning and finding offers a visual sense of this particular Facebook user’s network by showing which of his
hidden connections. friends are friends of each other and thereby indicating “clustering” within the network
(work friends, social friends, and so on). The diagram doesn’t attempt to show quantities
but rather the overall nature of the network.
In addition to displaying large data sets and linkages within data sets, other kinds of
visualization tools combine data with textual information to communicate complex or
dynamic data much faster than conventional presenta-
R e a l- T ime U pd ate s tions can. For example, a tag cloud shows the relative fre-
Learn More by Visiting This Website
quency of terms, or tags (user-applied content labels), in
an article, a blog, a website, survey data, or another collec-
Data visualization and infographics gateway: tion of text.18 Figure 11.10 shows a few of the many data
A comprehensive collection for business visualization tools now available.
communicators
Many of these tools are also interactive. Like all tools,
This unique web resource offers links to a vast array of data however, they can be used to good effect or misused to
visualization and infographics techniques and examples. Go bad effect. Visualizations that might look dazzling at first
to http://real-timeupdates.com/bce6 and click on Learn More.
can actually have little or no practical communication
If you are using MyBCommLab, you can access Real-Time
value. In fact, some data visualizations are intended to be
Updates within Business Communication Resources.
works of art more than practical tools.

FIGURE 11.9  Pie Charts Versus Bar Charts

Year-End Head Count by Function Year-End Head Count by Function

Executives, 8
Executives 8
Accounting, 14
Assemblers, 67
Accounting 14
Facilities, 14
Facilities 14

Shipping 17
Shipping, 17
Admin 25

Engineers 27

Admin, 25 Sales 28

Assemblers 67
Sales, 28
Engineers, 27 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 271]

FIG URE 11.10  Data Visualization and Infographics

(c) Infographic that uses a calendar motif to suggest differences

(a) Facebook “friend wheel” showing how the connections
of one Facebook user are connected with one another
in browser security vulnerabilities  

(b) A tag cloud showing the relative frequency of the 50

most-used words in this chapter (other than common words
such as and, or, and the)   (d) How to satisfy your social media fix in one hour 

Flowcharts and Organization Charts  A flowchart (see Figure 11.11) Be aware that there is a formal
i­llustrates a sequence of events from start to finish; it is indispensable when illustrating symbolic “language” in flowcharting;
processes, procedures, and sequential relationships. For general business purposes, you each shape has a specific meaning.
don’t need to be too concerned about the specific shapes on a flowchart; just be sure to
use them consistently. However, you should be aware that there is a formal flowchart
“language,” in which each shape has a specific meaning (diamonds are decision points,
rectangles are process steps, and so on). If you’re communicating with computer pro-
grammers and others who are accustomed to formal flowcharting, make sure you look up
the correct symbols in each case to avoid confusion.
As the name implies, an organization chart illustrates the positions, units, or func-
tions in an organization and the ways they interrelate (see Figure 11.12). Organization
charts can be used to portray almost any hierarchy, in fact, including the topics, subtop-
ics, and supporting points you need to organize for a report.

Maps, Drawings, Diagrams, Infographics, and Photographs  Maps are Use maps to represent statistics by
geographic area and to show spatial
useful for showing territories, routes, and locations. Simple maps are available via clip art
relationships.
libraries, but more powerful uses (such as automatically generating colour-coded maps
[272] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

FIGU R E 11. 11  Flowchart

Receive invoice

Valid
purchase No
order?

Yes

Amount
Yes within
PO limit?

No

Verify overage with

requesting dept.

Submit to accounts Return invoice

Yes Accepted? No
payable to vendor

FIGURE 11. 12  Organization Chart

Administration and Faculty of Atlantic College

Board of Trustees

President

Dean of Dean of the Dean of

Administration College Students

Dean of Technical Dean of General Dean of Continuing

Education Division Education Division Education Division

Business Personnel Admissions Counsellor Registrar

Manager Manager Director

Technical Continuing
General Education
Education Education
Division Faculty
Division Faculty Division Faculty

based on data inputs) usually require the specialized capabilities of geographic information
systems (GIS). You may also want to explore online resources such as Google Earth (www
.google.com/earth) and Bing Maps (www.bing.com/maps), which offer a variety of mapping
and aerial photography features.
 c h a pter 11: W r i ti n g a n d C o m pleti n g R epo r t s a n d P ro po sa l s [ 273]

Drawings can show an endless variety of business con- Real - Ti me Upd ates
cepts, such as the network of suppliers in an industry, the
Learn More by Visiting This Website
flow of funds through a company, or the process for com-
pleting payroll each week. More complex diagrams can Ten tips for effective infographics
convey technical topics such as the operation of a machine Use these techniques to create infographics that out from
or repair procedures. As you learned in Chapter 10, the crowd. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bce6 and click
­diagrams that contain enough visual and textual informa- on Learn More. If you are using MyBCommLab, you can
tion to function as independent documents are called access Real-Time Updates within Business Communication
­infographics (see ­Figure 11.13). Infographics have become Resources.
extremely popular on websites and blogs, partly because
their eye-catching appeal attracts visitors, click-throughs,
and social sharing. The best use of an infographic is to help readers make connections
between fragmented pieces of information, rather than simply dressing up basic data charts
with design elements that might be attractive but add little to understanding.19 Be sure to
cite sources of information used in infographics.
Photographs offer both functional and decorative value, and nothing can top a ­photograph
when you need to show exact appearances. However, in some situations, a photograph can
Drawings are sometimes better than
show too much detail, which is one reason repair manuals frequently use drawings instead photographs because they let you
of photos, for instance. Because audiences expect photographs to show literal visual truths, focus on the most important details.
you must take care when using image-processing tools such as Adobe Photoshop.

Animation and Video  Computer animation and video are among the most special-
ized forms of business visuals; when they are appropriate and done well, they offer unpar-
alleled visual impact. At a simple level, you can animate shapes and text within electronic Use photographs for visual appeal and
presentations (see Chapter 12). At a more sophisticated level, software such as Adobe to show exact appearances.
Flash enables creation of multimedia files that include computer animation, digital video,
and other elements.
The combination of low-cost digital video cameras and video-sharing websites such as
YouTube has spurred a revolution in business video applications in recent years. Product
demonstrations, company overviews, promotional presentations, and training seminars are
among the most popular applications of business video. Branded channels on YouTube allow
companies to present their videos as an integrated collection in a customized user interface.

Designing Effective Visuals

Computers make it easy to create visuals, but they also make it easy to create ineffective
visuals. However, by following the design principles discussed on page 265, you can create
basic visuals that are attractive and effective. If possible, have a professional designer set up
a template for the various types of visuals you and your colleagues need to create. By specify-
ing colour palettes, font selections, slide layouts, and other choices, design templates have
three important benefits: they help ensure better designs, they promote consistency across
the organization, and they save everyone time by eliminating repetitive decision making.
Remember that the style and quality of your visuals communicate a subtle message
about your relationship with the audience. A simple sketch might be fine for a working
meeting but inappropriate for a formal presentation or report. On the other hand, elabo-
rate, full-colour visuals may be viewed as extravagant for an informal report but may be
entirely appropriate for a message to top management or influential outsiders.

Integrating Visuals with Text

In addition to being well designed, visuals need to be well integrated with text: To tie visuals to the text, introduce
• Position your visuals so that your audience won’t have to flip back and forth (in them in the text and place them near
the points they illustrate.
printed documents) or scroll (onscreen) between visuals and the text that dis-
cusses them.
[274] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

FIGURE 11.13  Sample Infographic

Well-designed infographics tell a story by showing readers how the various pieces of a picture fit together. To see this entire infographic, visit http://real-
timeupdates.com/bce6 and click on Learn More.
Source: “Power Users Shall Inherit the Internet.” Copyright © Demandforce, Inc. in partnership with Column Five Media. Reprinted with permission.
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 275]

• Refer to visuals by number in the text of your report and help your readers understand
the significance of visuals by referring to them before readers encounter them in the
document or onscreen.
• Write effective titles, captions, and legends. A title provides a short description that
identifies the content and purpose of the visual. A caption usually offers additional
discussion of the visual’s content. A legend helps readers “decode” the visual by
explaining what various colours, symbols, or other design choices mean.

Proofreading for Accuracy and Ethics

Review your visuals carefully for accuracy. Check for mistakes such as typographical Proof visuals as carefully as you proof
errors, inconsistent colour treatment, confusing or undocumented symbols, and text.
­misaligned elements. Make sure that your computer hasn’t done something unexpected,
such as arranging chart bars in an order you don’t want or plotting line charts in unusual
colours. Make sure your visuals are properly documented by citing sources. Most impor-
tant, make sure your visuals are honest—that they don’t intentionally or unintentionally
distort the truth. To avoid ethical lapses in your visuals, consider all possible interpreta-
tions, provide enough background information for readers to interpret your visuals
­correctly, and don’t hide or minimize visual information that readers need in order to
make informed judgments.20

Completing Reports and Proposals Learning Objective ➍

Summarize the four tasks involved
As with shorter messages (Chapter 5), when you have finished your first draft, you need in completing business reports
and proposals.
to perform four tasks to complete your document: revise, produce, proofread, and
­distribute.

Revising Reports and Proposals

The revision process is essentially the same for reports as for other business messages,
although it may take considerably longer, depending on the length of your document. The revision process for long reports
can take considerable time, so be sure
Evaluate your organization, style, and tone to make sure that your content is clear, logical,
to plan ahead.
and reader oriented. Then work to improve the report’s readability by varying sentence
length, keeping paragraphs short, using lists and bullets, and adding headings and sub-
headings. Keep revising the content until it is clear, concise, and compelling. Remember
that even minor mistakes can affect your credibility.
Tight, efficient writing that is easy to skim is always a plus, but it’s especially impor-
The revision process for long reports
tant for impatient online audiences.21 Review online content carefully; strip out all infor- can take considerable time, so be sure
mation that doesn’t meet audience needs and condense everything else as much as to plan ahead.
possible. Audiences will gladly return to sites that deliver quality information quickly—
and they’ll avoid sites that don’t.
After assembling your report or proposal in its final form, review it thoroughly
one last time, looking for inconsistencies, errors, and missing components. Don’t
forget to proof your visuals thoroughly and make sure they are positioned correctly.
For online reports, make sure all links work as expected and all necessary files are
active and available. If you need specific tips on proofreading documents, look back
at Chapter 5.

Producing Formal Reports and Proposals The number and variety of parts you
include in a report depend on the type
Formal reports and proposals can include a variety of features beyond the text and visuals of report, audience requirements,
organizational expectations, and
(see Table 11.2). Most of these provide additional information; a few are more decorative
report length.
and add a degree of formality.
[276] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

TABLE 11.2 Production Elements to Consider for Formal Reports and Proposals

Reports Proposals
Prefatory elements Prefatory elements
(before the introduction) (before the introduction)
•   Cover. Include a concise title that gives readers the information •   Cover, title fly, title page. Same uses as with reports; be sure to
they need to grasp the purpose and scope of the report. For a follow any instructions in the RFP, if relevant.
formal printed report, choose heavy, high-quality cover stock. •   Copy of or reference to the RFP. Instead of having a letter of
•   Title fly. Some formal reports open with a plain sheet of paper authorization, a solicited proposal should follow the instructions
that has only the title of the report on it, although this is in the RFP. Some will instruct you to include the entire RFP in your
certainly not necessary. proposal; others may want you to simply identify it by a name
•   Title page. Typically includes the report title, name(s) and and tracking number.
title(s) of the writer(s), and date of submission; this information •   Synopsis or executive summary. These components are less
can be put on the cover instead. common in formal proposals than in reports. However, a brief
•   Letter of authorization. If you received written authorization overview of a solicited proposal’s key points provides a succinct
to prepare the report, you may want to include that letter or guide to the content.
memo in your report. •   Letter of transmittal. If the proposal is solicited, treat the
•   Letter of transmittal. “Cover letter” that introduces the report transmittal letter as a positive message, highlighting those
and can include scope, methods, limitations, highlights of the aspects of your proposal that may give you a competitive
report; offers to provide follow-on information or assistance; advantage. If the proposal is unsolicited, the transmittal letter
and acknowledges help received while preparing the report. should follow the advice for persuasive messages (see
•   Table of contents. List all section headings and major Chapter 9)—the letter must persuade the reader that you have
subheadings to show the location and hierarchy of the something worthwhile to offer that justifies reading the proposal.
information in the report.
•   List of illustrations. Consider including this list if the
illustrations are particularly important and you want to call
attention to them.
•   Synopsis or executive summary. See discussion in the text.

Supplementary elements Supplementary elements

(after the close) (after the close)
•   Appendixes. Additional information related to the report but •   Appendixes. Same uses as with reports; be sure to follow any
not included in the main text because it is too lengthy or lacks instructions in the RFP, if relevant.
direct relevance. List appendixes in your table of contents and •   Résumés of key players. For external proposals, résumés can
refer to them as appropriate in the text. convince readers that you have the talent to achieve the
•   Bibliography. List the secondary sources you consulted; see proposal’s objectives.
Appendix B.
•   Index. List names, places, and subjects mentioned in the
report, along with the pages on which they occur.

One of the most important elements to consider is an introductory feature that helps time-
pressed readers either get a sense of what’s in the document or even get all the key points
without reading the document. A synopsis, sometimes called an abstract or a summary, is a
brief overview (one page or less) of a report’s most important points. The phrasing of a synop-
sis can be informative (presenting the main points in the order in which they appear in the text)
if you’re using the direct approach, or descriptive (simply describing what the report is about,
without “giving away the ending”) if you’re using the indirect approach. As an alternative to a
A synopsis is a brief overview of a synopsis or an abstract, a longer report may include an executive summary, a fully developed
report’s key points; an executive “mini” version of the report, for readers who lack the time to read the entire document.
summary is a fully developed “mini” For an illustration of how the various parts fit together in a report, see Figure 11.14.
version of the report.
This report was prepared by Linda Moreno, manager of the cost accounting department
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 277]

at Electrovision, a company whose main product is equipment for optical character rec-
ognition. Moreno’s job is to help analyze the company’s costs. She has used the direct
approach and organized her report based on conclusions and recommendations.

FIGUR E 11.14  Analyzing an Effective Formal Report

Reducing Electrovision’s Puts the report title

in a larger, bold
Travel and Entertainment Costs font to distinguish
it from the other
elements on the cover

Prepared for Follows the title

with the name,
Dennis McWilliams, title, and organi-
zation of the
Vice-President of Operations
recipient
Electrovision, Inc.

Balances the white

space between the
items on the page

Prepared by
Provides the name
Linda Moreno, Manager and job title of the
author and her
Cost Accounting Services
affiliation
Electrovision, Inc.

February 16, 2016 Includes the

report's publication
date for future
reference

The "how-to" tone of Moreno’s title is appropriate for an action-oriented report that emphasizes
recommendations. A more neutral title, such as "An Analysis of Electrovision's Travel and
Entertainment Costs," would be more suitable for an informational report.

(Continued)
[278] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 1 1.14 (Continued)

MEMORANDUM
Uses memo
format for
transmitting this TO: Dennis McWilliams, Vice-President of Operations
internal report; FROM: Linda Moreno, Manager of Cost Accounting Services
otherwise, letter DATE: February 16, 2016
format would SUBJECT: Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs
be used for
transmitting Here is the report you requested January 28 on Electrovision’s travel and entertainment
external reports costs.

Your suspicions were right. We are spending far too much on business travel. Our unwritten Presents the
policy has been “anything goes,” leaving us with no real control over T&E expenses. Although main conclusion
this hands-off approach may have been understandable when Electrovision’s profits were right away
high, we can no longer afford the luxury. (because Moreno
expects a
Uses a To solve the problem we need to have someone with centralized responsibility for travel and
positive
conversational entertainment costs, a clear statement of policy, an effective control system, and a business-
oriented travel service that can optimize our travel arrangements. We should also investigate response)
style
alternatives to travel, such as videoconferencing. Perhaps more important, we need to change
our attitude.

Getting people to economize is not going to be easy. In the course of researching this issue,
I’ve found that our employees are deeply attached to their generous travel privileges. We’ll
need a lot of top management involvement to sell people on the need for moderation.
One thing is clear: People will be very bitter if we create a two-class system in which top
executives get special privileges while the rest of the employees make the sacrifices.

I‘m grateful to Mary Lehman and Connie McIllvain for their help in collecting and sorting
through five years’ worth of expense reports.

Acknowledges Thanks for giving me the opportunity to work on this assignment. If you have any questions Closes with thanks
help that has about the report, please give me a call at local 6977. and an offer to
been received discuss results
(when appropriate,
you could also
include an offer to
help with future
projects)

In this report, Moreno decided to write a brief memo of transmittal and include a separate executive
summary. Short reports (fewer than 10 pages) often combine the synopsis or executive summary
with the memo or letter of transmittal.
(Continued) 
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 279]

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

CONTENTS

PAGE

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Doesn’t include Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

any elements that
appear before the The High Cost of Travel and Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
“Contents” page $16 Million per Year Spent on Travel and Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Electrovision’s Travel Expenses Exceed National Averages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Spending Has Been Encouraged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Includes only
the page
Growing Impact on the Bottom Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 numbers
Lower Profits Underscore the Need for Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
where
Airfares and Hotel Rates Are Rising . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Words the sections begin
headings exactly Methods for Reducing T&E Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
as they appear Four Ways to Trim Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
in the text The Impact of Reforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Conclusions and Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURES PAGE

Numbers figures 1. Airfares and Lodging Account for Over Two-Thirds of

consecutively Electrovision’ts T&E Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
throughout the
report 2. T&E Expenses Continue to Increase
as a Percentage of Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3. Electrovision Employees Spend Over Twice as Much as

the Average Business Traveller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

TABLE

1. Electrovision Can Trim Travel and Entertainment Costs

by an Estimated $6 Million per Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Numbers the
contents page with
lowercase Roman iii
numerals centred
at the bottom margin

Moreno included only first- and second-level headings in her table of contents, even though the
report contains third-level headings. She prefers a shorter table of contents that focuses attention
on the main divisions of thought. She used informative titles, which are appropriate for a report to
a receptive audience.  
(Continued)
[280] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

Begins by stating EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

the purpose of
the report This report analyzes Electrovision’s travel and entertainment (T&E) costs and presents
recommendations for reducing those costs.

Travel and Entertainment Costs Are Too High

Presents the points
in the executive Travel and entertainment is a large and growing expense category for Electrovision.
summary in the The company spends over $16 million per year on business travel, and these costs have
same order as they been increasing by 12 percent annually. Company employees make roughly 3390 trips
appear in the each year at an average cost per trip of $4720. Airfares are the biggest expense, followed
report, using by hotels, meals, and rental cars.
subheadings The nature of Electrovision’s business does require extensive travel, but the company’s
that summarize the costs are excessive: Our employees spend more than twice the national average on travel
content of the and entertainment. Although the location of the company’s facilities may partly explain this
main sections of discrepancy, the main reason for our high costs is that monitoring travel expenses has not
the report been a management priority.

Cuts Are Essential

Electrovision management now recognizes the need to gain more control over this element
of costs.The company is currently entering a period of declining profits, prompting Her audience is
management to look for every opportunity to reduce spending. At the same time, rising receptive, so the
airfares and hotel rates are making T&E expenses more significant.
tone in the
executive summary
Electrovision Can Save $6 Million per Year is forceful; a more
neutral approach
Fortunately, Electrovision has a number of excellent opportunities for reducing T&E costs. would be better for
Savings of up to $6 million per year should be achievable, judging by the experience of
other companies. A sensible travel-management program can save companies as much as hostile or skeptical
35 percent a year (Gilligan 39–40), and we should be able to save even more, since we readers
purchase many more business-class tickets than the average. Four steps will help us
cut costs:
1. Hire a director of travel and entertainment to assume overall responsibility for T&E
spending, policies, and technologies, including the hiring and management of a national
travel agency.
2. Educate employees on the need for cost containment, both in avoiding
unnecessary travel and reducing costs when travel is necessary.
3. Negotiate preferential rates with travel providers.
4. Implement technological alternatives to travel, such as virtual meetings.
As necessary as these changes are, they will likely hurt morale, at least in the short term.
Management will need to make a determined effort to explain the rationale for reduced Executive summary
spending. By exercising moderation in their own travel arrangements, Electrovision uses the same font
executives can set a good example and help other employees accept the changes. On the and paragraph
plus side, using travel alternatives such as web conferencing will reduce the travel burden treatment as the
on many employees and help them balance their business and personal lives. text of the report

Continues
numbering the
executive iv
summary pages
with lowercase
Roman numerals
Moreno decided to include an executive summary because her report is aimed at a mixed
audience, some of whom are interested in the details of her report and others who just want the
“big picture.” The executive summary is aimed at the second group, giving them enough infor-
mation to make a decision without burdening them with the task of reading the entire report.

Her writing style matches the serious nature of the content without sounding distant or stiff.
Moreno chose the formal approach because several members of her audience are considerably
higher up in the organization, and she did not want to sound too familiar. In addition, her
company prefers the impersonal style for formal reports.

(Continued)
 
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 281]

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

Uses a colour REDUCING ELECTROVISION’S

bar to highlight the TRAVEL AND ENTERTAINMENT COSTS
report title and the
first-level headings;
a variety of other
INTRODUCTION
design treatments
are possible as well. Electrovision has always encouraged a significant amount of business travel. To compensate
employees for the stress and inconvenience of frequent trips, management has authorized
generous travel and entertainment (T&E) allowances.This philosophy has been good for
morale, but last year Electrovision spent $16 million on travel and entertainment—$7 million Opens by
more than it spent on research and development. establishing
the need for
This year’s T&E costs will affect profits even more, due to increases in airline fares and hotel action
rates. Also, the company anticipates that profits will be relatively weak for a variety of other
reasons.Therefore, Dennis McWilliams, Vice-President of Operations, has asked the
accounting department to explore ways to reduce the T&E budget.

The purpose of this report is to analyze T&E expenses, evaluate the effect of recent hotel
and airfare increases, and suggest ways to tighten control over T&E costs. The report outlines
several steps that could reduce Electrovision’s expenses, but the precise financial impact of
these measures is difficult to project.The estimates presented here provide a “best guess”
view of what Electrovision can expect to save.

In preparing this report, the accounting department analyzed internal expense reports for Mentions sources
the past five years to determine how much Electrovision spends on travel and entertainment. and methods to
These figures were then compared with average statistics compiled by RBC Dominion increase credibility
Securities as reported in the Report on Business Travel Index. We also analyzed trends and and to give readers
suggestions published in a variety of business journal articles to see how other companies a complete picture
are coping with the high cost of business travel. of the study’s
background
THE HIGH COST OF TRAVEL AND ENTERTAINMENT
Although many companies view travel and entertainment as an incidental cost of doing
business, the dollars add up. At Electrovision the bill for airfares, hotels, rental cars, meals,
and entertainment totalled $16 million last year. Our T&E budget has increased by 12 percent
per year for the past five years. Compared to the average Canadian business traveller,
Electrovision’s expenditures are high, largely because of management’s generous policy on
travel benefits.

Uses a running
footer that contains
the report title and
the page number 1 Costs
Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Page 1

In her brief introduction, Moreno counts on topic sentences and transitions to indicate that she is
discussing the purpose, scope, and limitations of the study.  
(Continued)
[282] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

$16 Million per Year Spent on Travel and Entertainment

Electrovision’s annual budget for travel and entertainment is only 8 percent of sales. Because
this is a relatively small expense category compared with such things as salaries and
commissions, it is tempting to dismiss T&E costs as insignificant. However, T&E is
Electrovision’s third-largest controllable expense, directly behind salaries and information
systems.

Last year Electrovision personnel made about 3390 trips at an average cost per trip of
$4720. The typical trip involved a round-trip flight of 3000 kilometres, meals, and hotel
accommodations for two or three days, and a rental car. Roughly 80 percent of trips were
made by 20 percent of the staff—top management and sales personnel travelled most,
averaging 18 trips per year.

Figure 1 illustrates how the T&E budget is spent.The largest categories are airfares and
lodging, which together account for $7 out of $10 that employees spend on travel and
entertainment.This spending breakdown has been relatively steady for the past five years
and is consistent with the distribution of expenses experienced by other companies.
Places the visual Entertainment
as close as possible Rental Cars
8%
Airfares
to the point it Figure 1 10% 43%

illustrates Airfares and Lodging Account for Over

Two-Thirds of Electrovision’s T&E Budget Meals
14%

Lodging
25%

Although the composition of the T&E budget has been consistent, its size has not. As
mentioned earlier, these expenditures have increased by about 12 percent per year for the
past five years, roughly twice the rate of the company’s sales growth (see Figure 2). This rate
of growth makes T&E Electrovision’s fastest-growing expense item.

9.0%
Figure 2 8.0%
Gives each visual T&E Expenses Continue to Increase as a
Percentage of Sales

7.0%
a title that clearly Percentage of Sales 6.0%
indicates what it’s 5.0%
about; titles are 4.0%
consistently placed to 3.0%
the left of each visual 2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 2

Moreno opens the first main section of the body with a topic sentence that introduces an
important fact about the subject of the section. Then she orients the reader to the three major
points developed in the section.
 
(Continued)
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 283]

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

Electrovision’s Travel Expenses Exceed National Averages

Much of our travel budget is justified.Two major factors contribute to Electrovision’s

high T&E budget:

• With our headquarters on the West Coast and our major customer on the East Coast, we
naturally spend a lot of money on cross-country flights.

• A great deal of travel takes place between our headquarters here on the West Coast
and the manufacturing operations in Winnipeg, Windsor, and Halifax. Corporate managers
and division personnel make frequent trips to coordinate these disparate operations.

However, even though a good portion of Electrovision’s travel budget is justifiable, the Introduces
company spends considerably more on T&E than the average business traveller (see Figure 3). visuals before
they appear and
Figure 3 indicates what
Numbers the
Electrovision Employees Spend Over readers should
visuals consecutively
Twice as Much as the Average
Electrovision notice about the
and refers to them in
Business Traveller data
the text by their
numbers
Source: Globe & Mail Report on
Business and company records Canadian Average

$0 $500 $1 000 $1 500 $2 000 $2 500

Dollars Spent per Day

The Report on Business Travel Index calculates the average cost per day of business travel in
Canada, based on average airfare, hotel rates, and rental car rates. The average fluctuates
weekly as travel companies change their rates, but it has been running at about $1000 per
day for the last year or so. In contrast, Electrovision’s average daily expense over the past year
has been $2250—a hefty 125 percent higher than average.This figure is based on the average
trip cost of $4720 listed earlier and an average trip length of 2.1 days.

Spending Has Been Encouraged

Although a variety of factors may contribute to this differential, Electrovision’s relatively high
T&E costs are at least partially attributable to the company’s philosophy and management
style. Since many employees do not enjoy business travel, management has tried to make the
trips more pleasant by authorizing business-class airfare, luxury hotel accommodations, and
full-size rental cars. The sales staff is encouraged to entertain clients at top restaurants and to
invite them to cultural and sporting events.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 3

The chart in Figure 3 is simple but effective; Moreno includes just enough data to make her point.
Notice how she is as careful about the appearance of her report as she is about the quality of
its content.
(Continued) 
[284] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

Uses a bulleted The cost of these privileges is easy to overlook, given the weakness of Electrovision’s
list to make it system for keeping track of T&E expenses:
easy for readers • The monthly financial records do not contain a separate category for travel and
to identify and entertainment; the information is buried under Cost of Goods Sold and under Selling,
distinguish related General, and Administrative Expenses.
points
• Each department head is given authority to approve any expense report, regardless of
how large it may be.
• Receipts are not required for expenditures of less than $100.
• Individuals are allowed to make their own travel arrangements.
• No one is charged with the responsibility for controlling the company’s total spending
on travel and entertainment.

GROWING IMPACT ON THE BOTTOM LINE Uses informative

headings to focus
During the past three years, the company’s healthy profits have resulted in relatively little reader attention
pressure to push for tighter controls over all aspects of the business. However, as we all on the main
know, the situation is changing. We’re projecting flat to declining profits for the next two points (such
years, a situation that has prompted all of us to search for ways to cut costs. At the same headings are
time, rising airfares and hotel rates have increased the impact of T&E expenses on the
appropriate
company's financial results.
when a report
uses direct order
Lower Profits Underscore the Need for Change and is intended
for a receptive
The next two years promise to be difficult for Electrovision. After several years of steady audience;
increases in spending, Canada Post is tightening procurement policies for automated however,
mail-handling equipment. Funding for the A-12 optical character reader has been cancelled. descriptive
As a consequence, the marketing department expects sales to drop by 15 percent. Although headings are
Electrovision is negotiating several other promising R&D contracts, the marketing more effective
department does not foresee any major procurements for the next two to three years. when a report
is in indirect order
At the same time, Electrovision is facing cost increases on several fronts. As we have known
and readers are
for several months, the new production facility now under construction in Winnipeg is
behind schedule and over budget. Labour contracts in Windsor and Halifax will expire less receptive)
within the next six months, and plant managers there anticipate that significant salary and
benefits concessions may be necessary to avoid strikes.

Moreover, marketing and advertising costs are expected to increase as we attempt to

strengthen these activities to better cope with competitive pressures. Given the expected
decline in revenues and increase in costs, the Executive Committee's prediction that profits
will fall by 12 percent in the coming fiscal year does not seem overly pessimistic.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 4

Moreno designed her report to include plenty of white space so even those pages that lack visuals
are still attractive and easy to read.  
(Continued)
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 285]

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

Airfares and Hotel Rates Are Rising

Business traveller have grown accustomed to frequent fare wars and discounting in the
travel industry in recent years. Excess capacity and aggressive price competition, particularly
in the airline business, made travel a relative bargain.

However, that situation has changed with rising fuel costs and as weaker competitors have
Documents the been forced out and the remaining players have grown stronger and smarter. Airlines and
facts to add weight hotels are better at managing inventory and keeping occupancy rates high, which translates
to Moreno’s argument into higher costs for Electrovision. Last year saw some of the steepest rate hikes in years.
Business airfares (tickets most likely to be purchased by business travellers) jumped more
than 40 percent in many markets.The trend is expected to continue, with rates increasing
another 5 to 10 percent overall (Phillips 331;“Travel Costs Under Pressure” 30; Dahl B6).

Given the fact that air and hotel costs account for almost 70 percent of our T&E budget, the
trend toward higher prices in these two categories will have serious consequences, unless
management takes action to control these costs.

METHODS FOR REDUCING T&E COSTS

By implementing a number of reforms, management can expect to reduce Electrovision’s

T&E budget by as much as 40 percent.This estimate is based on the general assessment
Gives made by American Express (Gilligan 39) and on the fact that we have an opportunity to
recommendations significantly reduce air travel costs by eliminating business-class travel. However, these
an objective flavour measures are likely to be unpopular with employees.To gain acceptance for such changes,
by pointing out both management will need to sell employees on the need for moderation in T&E allowances.
the benefits and the
risks of taking action
Four Ways to Trim Expenses

By researching what other companies are doing to curb T&E expenses, the accounting
department has identified four prominent opportunities that should enable Electrovision to
save about $6 million annually in travel-related costs.

Institute Tighter Spending Controls

A single individual should be appointed director of travel and entertainment to spearhead

the effort to gain control of the T&E budget. More than a third of all Canadian companies
now employ travel managers (“Businesses Use Savvy Managers” 4).The director should be
familiar with the travel industry and should be well versed in both accounting and
information technology.The director should also report to the vice-president of operations.
The director's first priorities should be to establish a written T&E policy and a cost-control
system.

Electrovision currently has no written policy on travel and entertainment, a step that is
widely recommended by air travel experts (Smith D4). Creating a policy would clarify
management's position and serve as a vehicle for communicating the need for moderation.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 5

Moreno creates a forceful tone by using action verbs in the third-level subheadings of this
section. This approach is appropriate to the nature of the study and the attitude of the audience.
However, in a status-conscious organization, the imperative verbs might sound a bit too
presumptuous coming from a junior member of the staff.
 
(Continued)
[286] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

At a minimum, the policy should include the following:

• All travel and entertainment should be strictly related to business and should be
approved in advance.

Breaks up text • Except under special circumstances to be approved on a case-by-case basis, employees
with bulleted lists, should travel by coach and stay in mid-range business hotels.
which not only call
• The T&E policy should apply equally to employees at all levels.
attention to important
points but also add To implement the new policy, Electrovision will need to create a system for controlling T&E
visual interest expenses. Each department should prepare an annual T&E budget as part of its operating
plan.These budgets should be presented in detail so that management can evaluate how
T&E dollars will be spent and can recommend appropriate cuts.To help management
monitor performance relative to these budgets, the director of travel should prepare
monthly financial statements showing actual T&E expenditures by department.

The director of travel should also be responsible for retaining a business-oriented travel
service that will schedule all employee business trips and look for the best travel deals,
particularly in airfares. In addition to centralizing Electrovision’s reservation and ticketing
activities, the agency will negotiate reduced group rates with hotels and rental car firms.The Specifies the
agency selected should have offices nationwide so that all Electrovision facilities can steps required
channel their reservations through the same company.This is particularly important in light to implement
of the dizzying array of often wildly different airfares available between some cities. It’s recommendations
common to find dozens of fares along frequently travelled routes (Rowe 30). In addition, the
director can help coordinate travel across the company to secure group discounts whenever
possible (Barker 31; Miller B6).

Reduce Unnecessary Travel and Entertainment

One of the easiest ways to reduce expenses is to reduce the amount of travelling and
entertaining that occurs. An analysis of last year’s expenditures suggests that as much as 30
percent of Electrovision’s travel and entertainment is discretionary. The professional staff
spent $2.8 million attending seminars and conferences last year. Although these gatherings
are undoubtedly beneficial, the company could save money by sending fewer
representatives to each function and perhaps by eliminating some of the less valuable
seminars.

Similarly, Electrovision could economize on trips between headquarters and divisions by

reducing the frequency of such visits and by sending fewer people on each trip. Although
there is often no substitute for face-to-face meetings, management could try to resolve more
internal issues through telephone, electronic, and written communication.

Electrovision can also reduce spending by urging employees to economize. Instead of flying
business class, employees can fly coach class or take advantage of discount fares. Rather than
ordering a $50 bottle of wine, employees can select a less expensive bottle or dispense with

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 6

Moreno takes care not to overstep the boundaries of her analysis. For instance, she doesn’t
analyze the value of the seminars that employees attend every year, so she avoids any absolute
statements about reducing travel to seminars.  
(Continued)
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 287]

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

alcohol entirely. People can book rooms at moderately priced hotels and drive smaller
rental cars.

Obtain Lowest Rates from Travel Providers

Apart from urging employees to economize, Electrovision can also save money by searching
for the lowest available airfares, hotel rates, and rental car fees. Currently, few employees
have the time or knowledge to seek out travel bargains. When they need to travel, they make
the most convenient and comfortable arrangements. A professional travel service will be
able to obtain lower rates from travel providers.

Judging by the experience of other companies, Electrovision may be able to trim as much as
30 to 40 percent from the travel budget simply by looking for bargains in airfares and
negotiating group rates with hotels and rental car companies. Electrovision should be able
to achieve these economies by analyzing its travel patterns, identifying frequently visited
locations, and selecting a few hotels that are willing to reduce rates in exchange for
guaranteed business. At the same time, the company should be able to save up to 40 percent
on rental car charges by negotiating a corporate rate.

The possibilities for economizing are promising; however, making the best travel
Points out arrangements often requires trade-offs such as the following:
possible difficulties
to show that all • The best fares might not always be the lowest. Indirect flights are usually cheaper, but
angles have been they take longer and may end up costing more in lost work time.
considered and to
build confidence in • The cheapest tickets often require booking 14 or even 30 days in advance, which is
her judgment often impossible for us.
• Discount tickets are usually nonrefundable, which is a serious drawback when a trip
needs to be cancelled at the last minute.

Replace Travel with Technological Alternatives

Less-expensive travel options promise significant savings, but the biggest cost reductions
over the long term might come from replacing travel with virtual meeting technology. Both
analysts and corporate users say that the early kinks that hampered online meetings have
largely been worked out, and the latest systems are fast, easy to learn, and easy to use
(Solheim 26). For example, Webex (a leading provider of webconferencing services) offers
everything from simple, impromptu team meetings to major online events with up to 3000
participants (“Online Meeting Solutions”).

One of the first responsibilities of the new travel director should be an evaluation of these
technologies and a recommendation for integrating them throughout Electrovision’s
operations.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 7

Note how Moreno makes the transition from section to section. The first sentence under the
second heading on this page refers to the subject of the previous paragraph and signals a shift
in thought.  
(Continued)
[288] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

The Impact of Reforms

By implementing tighter controls, reducing unnecessary expenses, negotiating more

favourable rates, and exploring alternatives to travel, Electrovision should be able to reduce its
T&E budget significantly. As Table 1 illustrates, the combined savings should be in the Uses complete
neighbourhood of $6 million, although the precise figures are somewhat difficult to project. sentences to
help readers
Table 1 focus immediately
Uses informative Electrovision Can Trim Travel and Entertainment Costs on the point of the
title in the table, by an Estimated $6 Million per Year table
which is consistent
with the way SOURCE OF SAVINGS ESTIMATED SAVINGS
headings are Switching from business-class to coach airfare $2 300 000
handled in Includes financial
Negotiating preferred hotel rates 940 000
this report and estimates to help
Negotiating preferred rental car rates 460 000
is appropriate for management
Systematically searching for lower airfares 375 000
a report to a envision the
Reducing interdivisional travel 675 000
receptive audience impact of the
Reducing seminar and conference attendance 1 250 000
suggestions,
TOTAL POTENTIAL SAVINGS $6 000 000 even though
estimated
savings are
To achieve the economies outlined in the table, Electrovision will incur expenses for hiring difficult to
a director of travel and for implementing a T&E cost-control system.These costs are project
projected at $115 000: $105 000 per year in salary and benefits for the new employee and
a one-time expense of $10 000 for the cost-control system.The cost of retaining a full-service
travel agency is negligible, even with the service fees that many are now passing along from
airlines and other service providers.

The measures required to achieve these savings are likely to be unpopular with employees.
Electrovision personnel are accustomed to generous T&E allowances, and they are likely to
resent having these privileges curtailed.To alleviate their disappointment
• Management should make a determined effort to explain why the changes are
necessary.
• The director of corporate communication should be asked to develop a multifaceted
campaign that will communicate the importance of curtailing T&E costs.
• Management should set a positive example by adhering strictly to the new policies.
• The limitations should apply equally to employees at all levels in the organization.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 8

Note how Moreno calls attention in the first paragraph to items in the following table, without
repeating the information in the table.  
(Continued)
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 289]

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

Summarizes
conclusions in
Uses a descriptive CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS the first two
heading for the paragraphs—a
last section of the Electrovision is currently spending $16 million per year on travel and entertainment.
Although much of this spending is justified, the company’s costs are high relative to good approach
text (in informational because Moreno
competitors’ costs, mainly because Electrovision has been generous with its travel benefits.
reports, this section organized her
is often called Electrovision’s liberal approach to travel and entertainment was understandable during report around
“Summary”; in years of high profitability; however, the company is facing the prospect of declining profits conclusions and
analytical reports, for the next several years. Management is therefore motivated to cut costs in all areas of the recommendations,
it is called business. Reducing T&E spending is particularly important because the bottom-line impact so readers have
“Conclusions” or of these costs will increase as airline fares increase. already been
“Conclusions and introduced to
Recommendations”) Electrovision should be able to reduce T&E costs by as much as 40 percent by taking four them
important steps:

1. Institute tighter spending controls. Management should hire a director of travel and
entertainment who will assume overall responsibility for T&E activities. Within the next
six months, this director should develop a written travel policy, institute a T&E budget
and a cost-control system, and retain a professional, business-oriented travel agency that
will optimize arrangements with travel providers.

2. Reduce unnecessary travel and entertainment. Electrovision should encourage

employees to economize on T&E spending. Management can accomplish this by
Emphasizes the
authorizing fewer trips and by urging employees to be more conservative in their
recommendations spending.
by presenting
them in list 3. Obtain lowest rates from travel providers. Electrovision should also focus on obtaining
format the best rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, and rental cars. By channelling all
arrangements through a professional travel agency, the company can optimize its
choices and gain clout in negotiating preferred rates.

4. Replace travel with technological alternatives. With the number of computers already
installed in our facilities, it seems likely that we could take advantage of desktop
videoconferencing and other distance-meeting tools.Technological alternatives won’t
be quite as feasible with customer sites, since these systems require compatible
equipment at both ends of a connection, but such systems are certainly a possibility for
communication with Electrovision’s own sites.

Because these measures may be unpopular with employees, management should make a
concerted effort to explain the importance of reducing travel costs.The director of
corporate communication should be given responsibility for developing a plan to
communicate the need for employee cooperation.

Reducing Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs Page 9

Moreno doesn’t introduce any new facts in this section. In a longer report she might have divided
this section into subsections, labelled “Conclusions” and “Recommendations,” to distinguish
between the two.  
(Continued)
[290] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.14 (Continued)

WORKS CITED

Barker, Julie.“How to Rein in Group Travel Costs.” Successful Meetings Feb. 2011: 31. Print.

Lists references “Businesses Use Savvy Managers to Keep Travel Costs Down.” Christian Science Monitor 17
alphabetically by July 2008: 4. Print.
the author’s last
name, and when Dahl, Jonathan.“2000: The Year Travel Costs Took Off.” Globe & Mail Report on Business
29 Dec. 2007: B6. Print.
the author is
unknown, by the Gilligan, Edward P.“Trimming Your T&E Is Easier Than You Think.” Managing Office Technology
title of the reference Nov. 2013: 39–40. Print.
(see Appendix B for
additional details Miller, Lisa.“Attention, Airline Ticket Shoppers.” Wall Street Journal 7 July 2011: B6. Print.
on preparing reference
lists) Phillips, Edward H. “Airlines Post Record Traffic.” Aviation Week & Space Technology 8 Jan.
2013: 331. Print.

“Product Overview: Cisco WebEx Meeting Center,” Webex.com. 2011. WebEx, n.d. 2 Feb.
2014. Web.

Rowe, Irene Vlitos.“Global Solution for Cutting Travel Costs.” European Business 12 Oct.
2014: 30. Print.

Smith, Carol.“Rising, Erratic Airfares Make Company Policy Vital.” Los Angeles Times 2 Nov.
2012: D4. Print.

Solheim, Shelley.“Web Conferencing Made Easy.” eWeek 22 Aug. 2010: 26. Web.

“Travel Costs Under Pressure.” Purchasing 15 Feb. 2012: 30. Print.

Moreno’s list of references follows the style recommended in The MLA Style Manual. The box
below shows how these sources would be cited following APA style.

REFERENCES

Barker, J. (2011, February). How to rein in group travel costs. Successful Meetings, 31.

Businesses use savvy managers to keep travel costs down. (2008, July 17). Christian Science
Monitor, 4.

Dahl, J. (2007, December 29). 2000: The year travel costs took off. Globe & Mail Report on
Business, B6.

Gilligan, E. (2013, November).Trimming your T&E is easier than you think. Managing Office
Technology, 39–40.

Miller, L. (2011, July 7). Attention, airline ticket shoppers. Wall Street Journal, B6.

Phillips, E. (2013, January 8). Airlines post record traffic. Aviation Week & Space Technology, 331.

Rowe, I. (2014, October 12). Global solution for cutting travel costs. European, 30.

Smith, C. (2012, November 2). Rising, erratic airfares make company policy vital.
Los Angeles Times, D4.

Solheim, S. (2010, August 22). Web conferencing made easy. eWeek, 26.

Travel costs under pressure. (2012, February 15). Purchasing, 30.

WebEx.com. (2011). Product Overview: Cisco WebEx Meeting Center. Retrieved 2 February
2011, from http://www.webex.com/product-overview/index.html.

 
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 291]

Just as with reports, the text of a proposal includes an introduction, a body, and a The introduction of a proposal
close. The introduction presents and summarizes the problem you intend to solve and summarizes the problem or
your solution. It highlights the benefits the reader will receive from the solution. The opportunity that your proposal intends
body explains the complete details of the solution: how the job will be done; how it will to address.
be broken into tasks; what method will be used to do it (including the required equip-
ment, material, and personnel); when the work will begin and end; how much the entire
job will cost (including a detailed breakdown); and why your company is qualified. The
close emphasizes the benefits readers will realize from your solution and ends with a
persuasive call to action (see Figure 11.15).

FIGU RE 11.15  External Solicited Proposal

O’Donnell &
Associates, Inc.

1793 East Westerfield Road, Montreal, QC J4P 2X1

(819) 441-1148 Fax: (819) 441-1149 Email: dod@inter.net

July 28, 2015

Ms. Joyce Colton, P.E.

AGI Builders, Inc.
1280 Spring Lake Drive
Montreal, QC J7R 8T2

Dear Ms. Colton:

PROPOSAL NO. F-0087 FOR AGI BUILDERS, SAINT-BRUNO MANUFACTURING

PLANT

O’Donnell & Associates is pleased to submit the following proposal to provide

Uses construction testing services for the mass grading operations and utility work
opening at the Saint-Bruno Manufacturing Plant, 1230 Parent Street, Saint-Bruno,
paragraph Quebec. Our company has been providing construction-testing services in the Grabs reader’s
in place of Montreal area since 1972 and has performed more than 100 geotechnical attention by
an introduction investigations at airports within Ontario and Quebec—including Pearson highlighting
International Airport, Dorval, and Mirabel. company
qualifications
Background
Uses It is our understanding that the work consists of two projects: (1) the mass
headings grading operations will require approximately six months, and (2) the utility
to divide work will require approximately three months. The two operations are
proposal scheduled as follows:
Acknowledges
into logical the two projects
Mass Grading Operations September 2015–February 2016
segments Utility Work March 2016–May 2016 and their
for easy required time
reading Proposed Approach and Work Plan lines
O’Donnell & Associates will perform observation and testing services during
both the mass grading operations and the excavation and backfilling of the
underground utilities. Specifically, we will
Describes • perform field density tests on the compacted material as required by the job
scope of specifications using a nuclear moisture/density gauge
project and • conduct appropriate laboratory tests such as ASTM D-1557 Modified Proctors
outlines • prepare detailed reports summarizing the results of our field and laboratory
specific testing
tests the
Fill materials to be placed at the site may consist of natural granular
company materials (sand), processed materials (crushed stone, crushed concrete, slag),
will perform or clay soils.

(Continued)
[292] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

F ig ure 11.15 (Continued)

Ms. Joyce Colton, AGI Builders July 28, 2015 Page 2

Staffing
Explains O’Donnell & Associates will provide qualified personnel to perform the
who will be necessary testing. Kevin Patel will be the lead field technician responsible for
responsible the project. A copy of Mr. Patel’s resumé is included with this proposal for your Encloses resumé
for the review. Kevin will coordinate field activities with your job site superintendent rather than listing
various and make sure that appropriate personnel are assigned to the job qualifications in
site. Overall project management will be the responsibility of Joseph the document
tasks
Proesel. Project engineering services will be performed under the direction
of Dixon O’Donnell, P.E. All field personnel assigned to the site will be familiar
with and abide by the Project Site Health and Safety Plan prepared by Carlson
Environmental, Inc., dated April 2015.

Qualifications
O’Donnell & Associates has been providing quality professional services since
1972 in
• Geotechnical engineering
• Materials testing and inspection
• Pavement evaluation
• Environmental services
• Engineering and technical support (CADD) services

Grabs The company provides Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments,
attention by preparation of LUST site closure reports, installation of groundwater
mentioning monitoring wells, and testing of soil/groundwater samples for environmental
contaminants. Geotechnical services include all phases of soil mechanics and
distinguishing
foundation engineering, including foundation and lateral load analysis, slope
qualifications stability analysis, site preparation recommendations, seepage analysis,
pavement design, and settlement analysis.

O‘Donnell & Associates’ materials testing laboratory is certified by AASHTO

Accreditation Program for the testing of Soils, Aggregate, Hot Mix Asphalt, and
Portland Cement Concrete. A copy of our laboratory certification is included
with this proposal. In addition to in-house training, field and laboratory
technicians participate in a variety of certification programs, including those Gains credibility
sponsored by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Quebec Chapter. by describing
certifications

 
(Continued)
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 293]

F ig ure 11.15 (Continued)

Ms. Joyce Colton, AGI Builders July 28, 2015 Page 3

Costs
On the basis of our understanding of the scope of the work, we estimate the
total cost of the two projects to be $100 260.00, as shown in the table.

Table of Cost Estimates

Cost Estimate: Mass Grading Units Rate ($) Total Cost ($)
Field Inspection
Labour 1320 hours $38.50 $ 50 820.00
Builds Nuclear Moisture Density Meter 132 days 35.00 4 620.00
interest by Vehicle Expense 132 days 45.00 5 940.00
describing Laboratory Testing
all services Proctor Density Tests 4 tests 130.00 520.00
provided by (ASTM D-1557)
Engineering/Project Management
the company 16 hours
Principal Engineer 110.00 1 760.00
Project Manager 20 hours 80.00 1 600.00
Administrative Assistant 12 hours 50.00 600.00
Subtotal $ 65 860.00

Cost Estimate: Utility Work Units Rate ($) Total Cost ($)
Itemizes Field Inspection
costs by Labour 660 hours $ 38.50 $ 25 410.00
project and Nuclear Moisture Density Meter 66 days 35.00 2 310.00
gives Vehicle Expense 66 days 45.00 2 970.00
supporting Laboratory Testing
Proctor Density Tests 2 tests 130.00 260.00
detail
(ASTM D-1557)
Engineering/Project Management
Principal Engineer 10 hours 110.00 1 100.00
Project Manager 20 hours 80.00 1 600.00
Administrative Assistant 15 hours 50.00 750.00
Subtotal $ 34 400.00

Total Project Costs $100 260.00

Provides
This estimate assumes full-time inspection services. However, our services alternative
may also be performed on an as-requested basis, and actual charges will option in
reflect time associated with the project. We have attached our standard fee case full-time
schedule for your review. Overtime rates are for hours in excess of 8.0 hours service costs
per day, before 7:00 a.m., after 5:00 p.m., and on holidays and weekends. exceed client’s
budget

(Continued)  
[294] P ART 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

Fi gure 11.15 (Continued)

Ms. Joyce Colton, AGI Builders July 28, 2015 Page 4

Authorization
With a staff of more than 30 personnel, including registered professional
engineers, resident engineers, geologists, construction inspectors, laboratory
Uses brief technicians, and drillers, we are confident that O’Donnell & Associates is
closing to capable of providing the services required for a project of this magnitude.
emphasize
qualifications If you would like our firm to provide the services as outlined in this proposal,
and ask for please sign this letter and return it to us along with a certified cheque for
client decision $10 000 (our retainer) by August 15, 2015. Please call me if you have any Provides
questions regarding the terms of this proposal or our approach. deadline
and makes
Sincerely, response easy

Dixon O’Donnell
Vice-President

Enclosures

Accepted for AGI BUILDERS, INC.

By___________________________ Date ________________________ Makes letter

a binding
contract, if
signed

Distributing Your Reports and Proposals

For physical distribution of important printed reports or proposals, consider spending
the extra money for a professional courier or package delivery service. Doing so can help
you stand out in a crowd, and it lets you verify receipt. Alternatively, if you’ve prepared
the document for a single person or small group in your office or the local area, delivering
it in person will give you the chance to personally “introduce” the report and remind
readers why they’re receiving it.
For electronic distribution, unless your audience specifically requests a word processor
file, provide documents as portable document format (PDF) files. Using Adobe ­Acrobat or
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 295]

similar products, you can quickly convert reports and proposals to PDF files that are easy
to share electronically. PDFs are generally considered safer than word processor files, but
they can also be used to transmit computer viruses.22 For information on protecting your-
self and your readers when using PDF files, visit www.adobe.com/security.
If your company or client expects you to distribute your reports via a web-based Many businesses use the Adobe
­content management system, a shared workspace, or some other online location, double- Portable Document Format (PDF) to
check that you’ve uploaded the correct file(s) to the correct location. Verify the onscreen distribute reports electronically.
display of your reports after you’ve posted them, making sure graphics, charts, links, and
other elements are in place and operational.

Learning Objectives: Check Your Progress

❶ OBJECTIVE List the topics commonly covered in global audiences; (3) write web-friendly content that
the introduction, body, and close of informational is compact and efficient; (4) present information in a
reports, analytical reports, and proposals. concise, skimmable format; (5) make effective use of
The introduction of a report highlights who autho- links; and (6) make the website a “living” document
rized the report, its purpose and scope, the sources by adding fresh content and deleting content that is
or methods used to gather information, important out of date.
definitions, any limitations, and the order in which To become a valuable wiki contributor, let go of
the various topics are covered. The body provides traditional expectations of authorship, including
enough information to support its conclusion and individual recognition and control; don’t be afraid to
recommendations, which can range from explana- edit and improve existing content; use page tem-
tions of problems or opportunities to facts and trends plates and other formatting options to make sure
to results of studies or investigations. The close your content is consistent; keep edits and comments
­summarizes key points, restates conclusions and rec- separate by using the “talk page” to discuss content;
ommendations if appropriate, and lists action items. learn how to use the wiki’s writing and editing tools;
The content of proposals is influenced by whether and understand and follow the wiki’s contributor
the proposal is solicited or unsolicited. Proposals guidelines.
submitted in response to an RFP should always fol- ❸ OBJECTIVE Discuss six principles of graphic
low the instructions it contains. The introduction design that can improve the quality of your visuals
commonly includes a background or statement of and identify the major types of business visuals.
the problem, an overview of the proposed solution When preparing visuals, (1) use elements of design
(or, for indirect proposals, a statement that a solu- consistently; (2) use colour and other elements to
tion is about to be presented), the scope of the pro- show contrast effectively; (3) strive for visual bal-
posals, and a description of how the proposal is ance, either formal or informal, that creates a feel
organized. The body usually includes a description that is appropriate for your overall message; (4) use
of the proposed solution, the benefits of your solu- design choices to draw attention to key elements;
tion, a work plan that outlines how and when the (5) understand and follow design conventions; and
work will be accomplished, a statement of qualifica- (6) strive for simplicity in your visuals.
tions of the individual or organization presenting the The major types of business visuals include tables;
proposal, and a discussion of costs. The close sum- line charts and surface charts; bar charts and pie
marizes the key points, emphasizes benefits, restates charts; data visualization; flowcharts and organiza-
why your firm is a good choice, and asks for a deci- tion charts; maps, drawings, diagrams, infographics,
sion from the reader. and photographs; and animation and video.
❷ OBJECTIVE Identify six guidelines for drafting ❹ OBJECTIVE Summarize the four tasks involved in
effective website content, and offer guidelines for completing business reports and proposals.
becoming an effective wiki contributor. The four completion tasks of revising, producing,
Follow these six guidelines to draft effective online proofreading, and distributing all need to be accom-
content: (1) Build trust by being accurate, current, plished with care, given the size and complexity of
complete, and authoritative; (2) adapt content to many reports. The production stage for a formal
[296 ] PAR T 4: l onger b us ine s s m e s sa ges

report or proposal can involve creating a number of and a synopsis (a brief overview of the report) or an
elements not found in most other business docu- executive summary (a miniature version of the
ments. Possible prefatory parts (those coming before report). Possible supplemental parts (those coming
the main text of the report or proposal) include a after the main text of the report or proposal) include
cover, a title page, a letter of authorization, a letter of one or more appendixes, a bibliography, and
transmittal, a table of contents, a list of illustrations, an index.

MyBCommLab® Go to MyBCommLab for everything you need to help you succeed in the job you’ve
always wanted! Tools and resources include the following:
• Writing Activities  • Document Makeovers
• Video Exercises  • Grammar Exercises—and much more!

Practise Your Grammar

Effective business communication starts with strong ­ iagnostic tests to help you produce clear, effective
d
grammar skills. To improve your grammar skills, go communication.
to MyBCommLab, where you’ll find exercises and

Test Your Knowledge

To review chapter content related to each question, 3. How can you use the inverted pyramid style of
refer to the indicated Learning Objective. writing to craft effective online content? L.O.❷
4. What is the purpose of a “sandbox” on a wiki? L.O.❷
1. Why must the introduction of an unsolicited pro-
5. How does an executive summary differ from a
posal include a statement of the problem or oppor-
­synopsis? L.O.❹
tunity that the proposal addresses? L.O.❶
2. What navigational elements can you use to help
readers follow the structure and flow of information
in a long report? L.O.❶

Apply Your Knowledge

To review chapter content related to each question, 4. If you wanted to compare average monthly absen-
refer to the indicated Learning Objective. teeism for five divisions in your company over the
course of a year, which type of visual would you
1. Why is it important to write clear, descriptive head-
use? Explain your choice. L.O.❸
ings and link titles with online content, as opposed
5. If a company receives a solicited formal proposal
to clever, wordplay headings? L.O.❷
outlining the solution to a particular problem, is it
2. Should the most experienced member of a depart-
ethical for the company to adopt the proposal’s rec-
ment have final approval of the content for the
ommendations without hiring the firm that submit-
department’s wiki? Why or why not? L.O.❷
ted the proposal? Why or why not? L.O.❹
3. For providing illustration in a report or proposal,
when is a diagram a better choice than a photograph?
L.O.❸
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 297]

Practise Your Skills

Acti vities discuss it with others working on the wiki. Write
Each activity is labelled according to the primary skill your guidelines on the wiki and send an invitation
or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chap- to your instructor to comment on the guidelines.
ter content, you can r­efer to the indicated Learning 3. Visual Communication: Choosing the Best Visual
Objective. In some instances, supporting information L.O.❸ You’re preparing the annual report for FretCo
will be found in another chapter, as indicated. Guitar Corporation. For each of the following types
1. Message Strategies: Informational Reports L.O.❶ of information, select the appropriate chart or visual
You and a classmate are helping Linda Moreno to illustrate the text. Explain your choices.
prepare her report on Electrovision’s travel and a. Data on annual sales for the past 20 years
entertainment costs (see Figure 11.14). This time, b. Comparison of FretCo sales, product by product
however, the report is to be informational rather (electric guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers, acoustic
than analytical, so it will not include recommen- guitars), for this year and last year
dations. Review the existing report and determine c. Explanation of how a FretCo acoustic guitar is
what changes would be needed to make it an infor- manufactured
mational report. Be as specific as possible. For exam- d. Explanation of how the FretCo Guitar Corpora-
ple, if your team decides the report needs a new tion markets its guitars
title, what title would you use? Draft a transmittal e. Data on sales of FretCo products in each of 12
memo for Moreno to use in conveying this informa- countries
tional report to ­Dennis McWilliams, Electrovision’s f. Comparison of FretCo sales figures with sales
vice-president of operations. figures for three competing guitar makers over
the past 10 years
2. Media Skills: Wiki Collaboration L.O.❷ Assume
you work in a human resources (HR) department, 4. Visual Communication: Creating Visuals L.O.❹
and you want members of your department to You work for C&S Holdings, a company that
be able to collaborate online to develop various operates coin-activated, self-service car washes.
human resources policies and procedures. You Research shows that the farther customers live
form a small subcommittee of four to set up a wiki from a car wash, the less likely they are to visit.
and write guidelines for the HR staff who will be You know that 50 percent of customers at each of
using it. your car washes live within a 6 km radius of the
Your Task  Using http://pbwiki.com or a similar location, 65 percent live within 10 km, 80 per-
free wiki host, follow the instructions to set up the cent live within 15 km, and 90 percent live within
wiki and have your subcommittee use it to develop 20 km. C&S’s owner wants to open two new car
guidelines for contributors, which will instruct the washes in your city and has asked you to prepare
whole department when they begin to use the wiki a report recommending locations. Using a map of
to write and revise departmental policies. In your your city from an online or printed source, choose
subcommittee, decide the following: two possible locations for car washes and create a
visual that depicts the customer base surrounding
• Who will be allowed to add or modify content? each location (make up whatever population data
• Who will serve as editor, reviewing all changes you need or, if your instructor directs, find actual
and additions? demographics using Statistics Canada’s database).
• What rules and guidelines will you establish to
5. Visual Communication: Creating Visuals L.O.❸
guide the growth of the wiki?
As directed by your instructor, team up with other
• What security measures will be required?
students, making sure that at least one of you has
• Will incomplete pages be encouraged or should
a digital camera or camera phone capable of down-
people wait until their material is “fairly com-
loading images to your word processing software.
plete and accurate?”
Find a busy location on campus or in the surround-
Include a comment on what to do if a writer does ing neighbourhood, someplace with lots of signs,
not agree with published content and wants to storefronts, pedestrians, and traffic. Scout out two
[298 ] PAR T 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

different photo opportunities, one that maximizes ­ eighbourhood newspaper subscribers was flawed.
n
the visual impression of crowding and clutter, and Several of the questions were poorly written and
one that minimizes this impression. For the first, misleading. You used the survey results, among other
assume that you are someone who advocates reduc- findings, to justify your recommendation. The report
ing the crowding and clutter, so you want to show is due in three days. What actions might you want to
how bad it is. For the second, assume that you are take, if any, before you complete your report?
a real estate agent or someone else who is moti-
8. Completing: Producing Formal Reports L.O.❹
vated to show people that even though the location
offers lots of shopping, entertainment, and other You are president of the Friends of the Library,
attractions, it’s actually a rather calm and quiet
­ a not-for-profit group that raises funds and pro-
neighbourhood. vides volunteers to support your local library.
Insert the two images in a word processing Every February, you send a report of the previ-
document and write a caption for each that empha- ous year’s activities and accomplishments to the
sizes the two opposite messages just described. County Arts Council, which provides an annual
Finally, write a brief paragraph, discussing the grant of $1000 toward your group’s summer
ethical implications of what you’ve just done. Have reading festival. Now it’s February 6, and you’ve
you distorted reality or just presented it in ways completed your formal report. Here are the
that work to your advantage? Have you prevented ­highlights:
audiences from gaining the information they would • Back-to-school book sale raised $2000.
need to make informed decisions? • Holiday craft fair raised $1100.
6. Message Strategies: Informational Reports L.O.❶ • Promotion and prizes for summer reading festi-
Review a long business article in a journal or news- val cost $1450.
paper. Highlight examples of how the article uses • Materials for children’s program featuring local
headings, transitions, previews, and reviews to help author cost $125.
the readers find their way. • New reference databases for library’s career cen-
tre cost $850.
7. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports; Com- • Bookmarks promoting library’s website cost
munication Ethics: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas $200.
L.O.❶, Chapter 1 Your boss has asked you to prepare • Attendance at the reading festival events was
a feasibility report to determine whether the com- 1200, up 120 from last year.
pany should advertise its custom-crafted cabinetry
in the weekly neighbourhood newspaper. Based Write a letter of transmittal to Erica Maki, the coun-
on your primary research, you think it should. As cil’s director. Because she is expecting this report,
you draft the introduction to your report, however, you can use the direct approach. Be sure to express
you discover that the survey administered to the gratitude for the council’s ongoing financial support.

Cases
Apply the three-step writing process to the follow- group make significantly more than anybody in mar-
ing cases, as assigned by your instructor. keting. The report was instantly passed around the
company by email, and now everyone is discussing the
❚ Short Reports situation. You’ll deal with the data security issue later;
1. Message Strategies: Informational Reports L.O.❶, L.O.➍ for now, you need to address the dissatisfaction in the
You’ve been in your new job as human resources direc- marketing group.
tor for only a week, and already you have a major per- Case Table 11.1 lists the salary and employment
sonnel crisis on your hands. Some employees in the data you were able to pull from the employee data-
marketing department got their hands on a confidential base. You also had the opportunity to interview the
salary report and learned that, on average, marketing engineering and marketing directors to get their opin-
employees earn less than engineering employees. In ions on the pay situation; their answers are listed in
addition, several top performers in the engineering Case Table 11.2.
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 299]

CASE TA B LE 11.1 Selected Employment Data for Engineers and Marketing Staff
Engineering Marketing
Employment Statistic Department Department
Average number of years of work experience 18.2 16.3
Average number of years of experience in current profession 17.8 8.6
Average number of years with company 12.4 7.9
Average number of years of college education 6.9 4.8
Average number of years between promotions 6.7 4.3
Salary range $58–165K $45–85K
Median salary $77K $62K

CASE TA B LE 11.2 Summary Statements from Department Director Interviews

Question Engineering Director Marketing Director
1. Should engineering and In general, yes, but we need to make allowances for the Yes.
marketing professionals special nature of the engineering profession. In some
receive roughly similar cases, it’s entirely appropriate for an engineer to earn
pay? more than a marketing person.
2. Why or why not? Several reasons: (1) Top engineers are extremely hard to Without marketing, the products the
find, and we need to offer competitive salaries; (2) the engineers create wouldn’t reach
structure of the engineering department doesn’t provide customers, and the company wouldn’t
as many promotional opportunities, so we can’t use have any revenue. The two teams
promotions as a motivator the way marketing can; make equal contributions to the
(3) many of our engineers have advanced degrees, and company’s success.
nearly all pursue continuous education to stay on top of
the technology.
3. If we decide to balance If we do anything to cap or reduce engineering salaries, If we can’t increase payroll
pay between the two we’ll lose key people to the competition. immediately to raise marketing
departments, how should salaries, the only fair thing to do is
we do it? freeze raises in engineering and
gradually raise marketing salaries over
the next few years.

Your Task  The CEO has asked for a short report, Your Task  Find at least six sources of advice on
summarizing whatever data and information you have writing successful business plans (focus on start-up
on engineering and marketing salaries. Offer your own businesses that are likely to seek outside investors).
interpretation of the situation as well (make up any infor- Use at least two books, two magazine or journal arti-
mation you need), but keep in mind that because you are cles, and two websites, blogs, or other online
a new manager with almost no experience in the com- resources. Analyze the advice you find and identify
pany, your opinion might not have a lot of influence. points where most or all the experts agree and points
where they don’t agree. Wherever you find points of
❚ Portfolio Builder significant disagreement, identify which opinion you
2. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports L.O.❶, L.O.➍ find most convincing and explain why. Summarize
Like any other endeavour that combines hard-nosed your findings in a brief formal report. Include a list of
factual analysis and creative freethinking, the task of references.
writing business plans generates a range of opinions.
[300 ] PAR T 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

❚ Portfolio Builder ❚ Team Skills s­ uccessfully (make up any details you need). Be sure to
3. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports L.O.❶, L.O.❹ carefully review the information you find about each
You work as an administrator for Westport Innova- franchise company to make sure you can qualify for it.
tions, a high-tech firm that makes bus engines that For instance, McDonald’s doesn’t allow investment
run on hydrogen and compressed natural gas. Your partnerships to buy franchises, so you won’t be able to
high-tech environment is exciting to work in and the start up a McDonald’s outlet until you have enough
field has been expanding rapidly, with sales in South money to do it on your own.
America, China, India, and Europe. Many of the For a quick introduction to franchising, see How
employees working at Westport are engineers and Stuff Works (www.howstuffworks.com/franchising). You can
designers. Your company needs to attract the brightest learn more about the business of franchising at www
talent and is looking for ways to expand recruitment .franchising.com and search for specific franchise oppor-
and move away from traditional campus recruitment. tunities at Francorp Connect (www.francorpconnect.com).
You have been asked to research how companies are In addition, many companies that sell franchises, such
using Facebook and other social technologies to as Subway, offer additional information on their
recruit employees. ­websites.

Your Task  Summarize your findings in a report to ❚ Long Reports

the human resources department manager. Consult at 5. Message Strategies: Informational Reports L.O.❶, L.O.❹
least 10 sources, including three business journal arti- Your company is the largest private employer in your
cles. Provide a list of references in APA style. metropolitan area, and the 43 500 employees in your
❚ Portfolio Builder workforce have a tremendous impact on local traffic. A
4. Message Strategies: Informational Reports L.O.❶, L.O.❹ group of city and county transportation officials recently
approached your CEO with a request to explore ways
After 15 years in the corporate world, you’re ready to
to reduce this impact. The CEO has assigned you the
strike out on your own. Rather than building a business
task of analyzing the workforce’s transportation habits
from the ground up, however, you think that buying a
and attitudes as a first step toward identifying potential
franchise is a better idea. Unfortunately, some of the
solutions. He’s willing to consider anything from subsi-
most lucrative franchise opportunities, such as the
dized bus passes to company-owned shuttle buses to
major fast-food chains, require significant start-up
telecommuting, but the decision requires a thorough
costs—some more than half a million dollars. Fortu-
understanding of employee transportation needs. Case
nately, you’ve met several potential investors who seem
Tables 11.3 through 11.7 summarize data you collected
willing to help you get started in exchange for a share of
in an employee survey.
ownership. Between your own savings and these inves-
tors, you estimate that you can raise from $350 000 to
$600 000, depending on how much ownership share CASE TABLE 11.3 Employee Carpool Habits
you want to concede to the investors.
You’ve worked in several functional areas already,
Frequency of Use: Carpooling Portion of Workforce
including sales and manufacturing, so you have a
Every day, every week 10 138 (23%)
fairly well-rounded business resumé. You’re open to
just about any type of business, too, as long as it pro- Certain days, every week 4361 (10%)
vides the opportunity to grow; you don’t want to be Randomly 983 (2%)
so tied down to the first operation that you can’t turn Never 28 018 (64%)
it over to a hired manager and expand into another
market.
Your Task  To convene a formal meeting with the CASE TABLE 11.4 Use of Public Transportation
investor group, you need to first draft a report that out-
lines the types of franchise opportunities you’d like to Frequency of Use:
pursue. Write a brief report, identifying five franchises Public Transportation Portion of Workforce
that you would like to explore further. (Choose five
Every day, every week 23 556 (54%)
based on your own personal interests and the criteria
identified above.) For each possibility, identify the Certain days, every week 2029 (5%)
nature of the business, the financial requirements, the Randomly 5862 (13%)
level of support the company provides, and a brief Never 12 053 (28%)
statement of why you could run such a business
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 301]

❚ Team Skills Portfolio Builder

CASE TA B LE 11.5 Effect of Potential 6. Message Strategies: Informational Reports L.O.❶, L.O.❹
Improvements to Public
As a researcher in your province’s consumer protec-
Transportation tion agency, you’re frequently called on to investigate
consumer topics and write reports for the agency’s
Which of the Following Would
website. Thousands of consumers have arranged the
Encourage You to Use Public
purchase of cars online, and millions more do at least
Transportation More Frequently? Portion of
some of their research online before heading to a
(Check all that Apply) Respondents
dealership. Some want to save time and money, some
Increased perception of safety 4932 (28%) want to be armed with as much information as pos-
Improved cleanliness 852 (5%) sible before talking to a dealer, and others want to
Reduced commute times 7285 (41%) completely avoid the often uncomfortable experience
Greater convenience: fewer transfers 3278 (18%) of negotiating prices with car salespeople. In response,
a variety of online services have emerged to meet
Greater convenience: more stops 1155 (6%)
these consumer needs. Some let you compare infor-
Lower (or subsidized) fares 5634 (31%) mation on various car models, some connect you to
Nothing could encourage me to take 8294 (46%) local dealers to complete the transaction, and some
public transportation complete nearly all the transaction details for you,
including negotiating the price. Some search the
Note: This question was asked of respondents who use public inventory of thousands of dealers, whereas others
transportation randomly or never, a subgroup that represents 17 915
employees, or 41 percent of the workforce. search only a single dealership or a network of affili-
ated dealers. In other words, a slew of new tools are
available for car buyers, but it’s not always easy to
figure out where to go and what to expect. That’s
CASE TAB LE 11.6 Distance Travelled to/ where your report will help.
By visiting a variety of car-related websites and
from Work
reading magazine and newspaper articles on the car-
Distance You Travel to Work Portion of
buying process, you’ve compiled a variety of notes
(One Way) Workforce
related to the subject:
Less than 5 km 531 (1%) • Process overview. The process is relatively straight-
6–10 km 6874 (16%) forward and fairly similar to other online shopping
11–20 km 22 951 (53%) experiences, with two key differences. In general, a
21–30 km 10 605 (24%) consumer identifies the make and model of car he
or she wants, and then the online car-buying service
More than 30 km 2539 (6%)
searches the inventories of car dealers nationwide
and presents the available choices. The consumer
chooses a particular car from that list, and then the
service handles the communication and purchase
CASE TA B LE 11.7  Is Telecommuting details with the dealer. When the paperwork is fin-
an Option? ished, the consumer visits the dealership and picks
up the car.
Does the Nature of Your Work Make Portion of • Information you can find online (not all informa-
Telecommuting a Realistic Option? Workforce tion is available at all sites). You can find informa-
Yes, every day 3460 (8%) tion on makes, models, colours, options, option
packages (often, specific options are available only
Yes, several days a week 8521 (20%)
as part of a package; you need to know these con-
Yes, random days 12 918 (30%) straints before you select your options), photos,
No 18 601 (43%) specifications (everything from engine size to inte-
rior space), fuel efficiency estimates, performance
data, safety information, predicted resale value,
reviews, comparable models, insurance costs, con-
Your Task  Present the results of your survey in an sumer ratings, repair and reliability histories, avail-
informational report, using the data provided in the tables. able buyer incentives and rebates, true ownership
[302 ] PAR T 4: l onger b us ine s s m e s sa ges

costs (including costs for fuel, maintenance, repair, limited services. For instance, CarsDirect (www
and so on), warranty, loan and lease payments, and .carsdirect.com) provides a full range of services,
maintenance requirements. whereas Carfax (www.carfax.com) specializes in
• Advantages of shopping online. Advantages of uncovering the repair histories of individual used
shopping online include shopping from the com- cars. Case Table 11.8 lists some of the leading car-
fort and convenience of home, none of the dreaded related websites.
negotiating at the dealership (in many cases), the
ability to search far and wide for a specific car
(even nationwide, on many sites), rapid access to CASE TABLE 11.8 Leading Automotive
considerable amounts of data and information, Websites
and reviews from both professional automotive
journalists and other consumers. In general, online Site Url
auto shopping reduces a key advantage that auto
autoadvice www.autoadvice.com
dealers used to have, which was control of most of
the information in the purchase transaction. Now Autos.ca www.autos.ca
consumers can find out how reliable each model Autotrader www.autotrader.ca
is, how quickly it will depreciate, how often it is AutoVantage www.autovantage.com
likely to need repairs, what other drivers think of Autoweb www.autoweb.com
it, how much the dealer paid the manufacturer for CanadianCarPrices.Com www.canadiancarprices.com
it, and so on.
CarBargains www.carbargains.com
• Changing nature of the business. The relation-
ship between dealers and third-party websites Carfax www.carfax.com
(such as www.carsdirect.com) continues to evolve. CarPrices.com www.carprices.com
At first, the relationship was more antagonistic, Cars.com www.cars.com
as some third-party sites and dealers frequently CarsDirect www.carsdirect.com
competed for the same customers, and each side Car$mart www.carsmart.ca
made bold proclamations about driving the other
Consumer Reports www.consumerreports.org
out of business. However, the relationship is
more collaborative in many cases now, with deal- eBay Motors www.ebay.com/motors
ers realizing that some third-party sites already edmunds.com www.edmunds.com
have wide brand awareness and nationwide audi- IntelliChoice www.intellichoice.com
ences. As the percentage of new car sales that InvoiceDealers www.invoicedealers.com
originate via the internet continues to increase,
JDPower www.jdpower.com
dealers are more receptive to working with third-
Kelly Blue Book www.kbb.com
party sites.
• Comparing information from multiple sources. MonsterAuto.ca www.monsterauto.ca
Consumers shouldn’t rely solely on information PickupTrucks.com www.pickuptrucks.com
from a single website. Each site has its own way of The Car Connection www.thecarconnection.com
organizing information, and many sites have their Yahoo! Autos http://autos.yahoo.com
own ways of evaluating car models and connecting
buyers with sellers.
• Understanding what each site is doing. Some
Your Task  With a team assigned by your instructor,
sites search thousands of dealers, regardless of own-
ership connections. Others, such as AutoNation, write an informational report based on your research
search only affiliated dealers. A search for a specific notes. The purpose of the report is to introduce con-
model might yield only a half dozen cars on one site sumers to the basic concepts of integrating the internet
but dozens of cars on another site. Find out who into their car-buying activities and to educate them
owns the site and what their business objectives are, about important issues.23
if you can; this will help you assess the information
❚ Portfolio Builder
you receive.
• Leading websites. Consumers can check out a 7. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports L.O.❶, L.O.❹
wide variety of websites, some of which are full- As a college student and an active consumer, you may
service operations, offering everything from research have considered one or more of the following questions
to negotiation; others provide more specific and at some point in the past few years:
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 303]

• What criteria distinguish the top-rated MBA pro- Who should attend: Executives, project managers,
grams in Canada? How well do these criteria corre- employment recruiters, sales professionals, and anyone
spond to the needs and expectations of business? else who gives important presentations to internal or
Are the criteria fair for students, employers, and external audiences.
business schools? Your qualifications: 18 years of business experi-
• Which of three companies you might like to work ence, including 14 years in sales and 12 years of
for has the strongest sustainability policies? public speaking. Experience speaking to audiences
• Which industries and job categories are forecast to as large as 5000 people. More than a dozen speech-
experience the greatest growth—and therefore the related articles published in professional journals.
greatest demand for workers—in the next 10 years? Have conducted successful workshops for nearly
• What has been the impact of Starbucks’s aggressive 100 companies.
growth on small, independent coffee shops? Workshop details: Three-day workshop (9 a.m. to
• How much have minor league sports—hockey, soc- 3:30 p.m.) that combines lectures, practice presenta-
cer, lacrosse, volleyball, or football—grown in tions, and both individual and group feedback. Mini-
small- and medium-market cities? What is the local mum number of students: 6. Maximum number of
economic impact when these municipalities build students per workshop: 12.
stadiums and arenas? Pricing: The cost is $3500, plus $100 per participant;
10 percent discount for additional workshops.
Your Task  Answer one of the preceding questions
Other information: Each attendee will have the oppor-
using secondary research sources for information. Be
tunity to give three practice presentations that will last
sure to document your sources, using the format your
from three to five minutes. Everyone is encouraged to
instructor indicates. Give conclusions and offer recom-
bring PowerPoint files containing slides from actual
mendations where appropriate.
business presentations. Each attendee will also receive
❚ Proposals Portfolio Builder a workbook and a digital video recording of his or her
8. Message Strategies: Proposals L.O.❶, L.O.❹ final class presentation on DVD. You’ll also be available
Presentations can make—or break—both careers and for phone or email coaching for six months after the
businesses. A good presentation can bring in millions workshop.
of dollars in new sales or fresh investment capital. A Your Task  Identify a company in your local area
bad presentation might cause any number of troubles, that might be a good candidate for your services. Learn
from turning away potential customers to upsetting more about the company by visiting its website so you
fellow employees to derailing key projects. To help can personalize your proposal. Using the information
business professionals plan, create, and deliver more listed above, prepare a sales proposal that explains the
effective presentations, you offer a three-day work- benefits of your training and what students can expect
shop that covers the essentials of good presentations: during the workshop.
• Understanding your audience’s needs and e­ xpectations
• Formulating your presentation objectives 9. Message Strategies: Proposals L.O.❶, L.O.❹
• Choosing an organizational approach Look around your campus or local community for a
• Writing openings that catch your audience’s problem you are interested in. Maybe it is related to
­attention campus parking, food services, or a neighbourhood
• Creating effective graphics and slides playground that is run down. Maybe the lack of train-
• Practising and delivering your presentation ing given to workers at your part-time job is causing
• Leaving a positive impression on your audience poor sales.
• Avoiding common mistakes with electronic slides What types of solutions may be possible? What
• Making presentations online using webcasting tools information and facts would you need to have to pres-
• Handling questions and arguments from the ent a solution to this problem? What types of primary
­audience research could you do to gather information for your
• Overcoming the top 10 worries of public speaking proposal? Is it practical to survey a representative sam-
(including How can I overcome stage fright? and ple of people who use the service or whose opinion
I’m not the performing type; can I still give an effec- would be helpful to include in the proposal? Would
tive presentation?) interviews with a representative sample of those affected
Workshop benefits: Students will learn how to pre- by the proposal be useful? Work with your professor to
pare better presentations in less time and deliver them define the scope of your proposal and to identify suit-
more effectively. able kinds of primary research you will do for the
[304 ] PAR T 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

assignment. Identify a real audience for your proposal Since no one else on staff is assigned responsibil-
and design your research methods. Here are a few ity for safety, you have handled some of the safety
examples of proposal scenarios and audiences: duties in the office, such as checking the vocational
certifications of all new staff, filing accident investi-
• A community association to fund a playground
gation and inspection reports, and keeping training
­renovation
records. You also get notices from the provincial
• A college board of governors to light the student
workers’ compensation board, and recently they sent
parking area
a bulletin stating that the injury rate for young (espe-
• A college board of governors and student associa-
cially male) workers is much higher than for other
tion to provide an evening “safe walk” program
workers. You learned that every day, 30 young work-
• The city government to fund an arts or cultural event
ers are injured, and every week 5 are permanently
• The city government or a private foundation to fund
disabled in workplace injuries.24 Since you are in the
restoration of a stream in your area
“young worker” age bracket yourself, these statistics
• Your part-time employer to request funding for staff
troubled you and motivated you to take some action
training on avoiding harassment or fostering multi-
at Undergo.
cultural communication
You know your company’s supervisors do a great
The best topic would be a problem that you would job in giving new hires training on the job and in cov-
like to solve in real life. ering hazard avoidance, but nothing is written down
about what is covered, and without records, if a seri-
Your Task
ous accident occurred, the company would be in a
a. Define your topic, audience, and purpose and get very bad legal position. As well, without some sort of
your topic approved by your instructor. checklist or guide, the topics covered are not necessar-
b. Identify what sources of information you will need ily the same for each new hire. Now that the company
to research. has grown, you believe the company needs to have a
c. Find articles or technical material about your sub- formal safety orientation program. Further, you think
ject. What were the experiences of other companies written records about this training should be kept.
or agencies that implemented a similar idea? Keep a You decide to research what material might be avail-
list of references to include with the proposal. able for developing a safety orientation program for
d. Research the cost of implementing your idea. young workers. You also think that some of the train-
e. What support exists for your proposal? Prepare ing material your company has is outdated—it mostly
questions for interviews and a survey and bring consists of print materials in dusty binders in the site
them to class for feedback. Are you asking the trailers. You intend to see if any web-based materials
right questions to get appropriate evidence for are available on some general safety topics (such as
your proposal? Are your questions unbiased? ladder safety, using fall-arrest equipment, housekeep-
What is a representative sample of people to inter- ing on construction sites, wearing personal protective
view or survey? clothing, and so on). Each of your company’s work-
f. Conduct your surveys/interviews and summarize sites has a trailer and a laptop, so you might be able to
the results. get some material on YouTube that could help moti-
g. Write your proposal draft and bring it to class for vate young workers to work safely.
feedback.
h. Submit the final copy of the proposal with a list of Your Task  Write a proposal to the company’s
references. Include an envelope containing all owner to establish an orientation program for all new
copies of your completed surveys/interview hires. You decide the orientation would take about two
­summaries. hours and be run in a site office by each supervisor
gaining the new employee(s).
10. Message Strategies: Proposals L.O.❶, L.O.❹ If your proposal is approved, you will put together
Assume you work as an office manager (a position that the program and train the supervisors on how to give a
includes hiring responsibilities) for Undergo, a small safety orientation. Begin your research by going online
but growing construction company that specializes in to look into your province’s workers’ compensation
the installation of underground services, including board resources. Your proposal should describe the
water, sewer, and electrical piping. In the past year the topics to be covered in the orientation, the costs
staff has grown from 20 to 80; the company has multi- (including your time to put together the session, train
ple worksites and projects and 45 new male employees the supervisors in how to run it, and design some forms
between the ages of 17 and 25. to guide and record the training), the reasons why the
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 305]

company should have such a program (benefits), and the business’s bottom line. He’ll need to know the costs
some of the resources you would like to have for the and benefits. He’d want to know that other businesses
program. are using this technology to some advantage. A little
research would be helpful on that.
11. Message Strategies: Proposals L.O.❶, L.O.❹ You are not too worried about the cost of produc-
You work for Tim Hortons in the human resources ing the podcasts. You would write the scripts and hire
department in the Halifax regional office. Your job is a local freelance broadcaster ($200/hour) to record
to coordinate training material for the more than 30 10-minute programs that can be played in the stores
store managers and their 400 employees in the region. during opening and closing. You figure there would
You update the company’s training manuals and send be enough material to make a weekly podcast, but to
out product updates that are put into product knowl- get it going, you decide starting small is best, so you
edge binders for the employees to read. Recently one want to propose making five podcasts that would be
of the managers, Mark Harding, commented to you released every two weeks during the fall promotion
that it was difficult to get the employees to read the period. As well, you’ll start off with just one voice
product update manual. “Even when the traffic slows making the recordings, and if it is popular, work into
down, and employees have time to read, they just using sound effects, music, and more than one voice
don’t seem to want to and the environment isn’t really recording. Who knows, if the idea works in this
set up for reading either. It’s a real hassle nagging region, maybe it could be used nationally. How will
them, but when they don’t know about the products you evaluate its success?
we lose sales,” he complained. “This week alone, five You find out the department could buy some
employees didn’t know the new process for making a recording and editing software called RecordForAll for
new popular drink and had to have a supervisor spend approximately $70, but you also want to purchase a
30 minutes with each of the five on different shifts. high-quality recorder such as an R-09HR Edirol MP3
That’s how poor employee knowledge costs us money. Recorder ($600) to produce the podcasts. It would take
And it is not just the starting wage employee time; it’s you four hours to learn how to use the editing software,
also the supervisory time that is wasted. So, I keep two to three hours to write the script for each podcast,
nagging them.” and two to three hours to edit each program. The fin-
You replied, “I’ve heard this complaint from other ished programs would be available as MP3 files to be
store managers and maybe it is time to try something used in the store or downloaded by employees and lis-
that may be more appealing to the age group of your tened to on nonwork time. You figure the number of
employees. What do you think of using podcasts for employees who would be reached would make the
this kind of employee training? Starbucks has used effort worthwhile.
podcasts to tell staff about new products. They play the
Your Task  Write a proposal to Martin Law.
podcasts when staff members are in the store without
Include a description of your idea, how it would
customers, like at opening and closing.”
work, what it would cost, and of course, what bene-
“Sounds like it would be more interesting than a
fits would be gained. Tip: use your math skills to esti-
manual, but what about if you forget something and
mate savings so that you can be persuasive with your
want to look it up?” asked Mark.
audience.
“The podcasts would be in addition to the print
training materials—the podcasts just provide a differ-
ent way to get the information,” you say. 12. Message Strategies: Proposals L.O.❶, L.O.❹
Mark added, “But surely we don’t want our employees Pick a company you are interested in and research a
to be plugged into MP3 players while they are in the social networking strategy that you think would be use-
store—that would not improve employee c­ ommunication.” ful for the company. Determine the advantages and dis-
“True enough, what we would do is play the audio advantages for the marketing department of the
files on the in-store system, and if employees want to company. The company’s goal would be to create
download files to review after work hours, they could,” opportunities for relationship building and interactivity
you reply. with customers online. What social technology would
You decide to persuade your boss, the manager of you recommend?
human resources (Martin Law), to experiment with What would be involved in getting the strategy
podcasting for employee communication. He may be a implemented and what success has it had in other busi-
tough sell. He is 55, has been with the company for the nesses? How costly is the strategy to implement? What
last 10 years, and is not that oriented to social technolo- types of resources do you need and what is the ongoing
gies. While not a bean counter, he is very interested in cost of monitoring or maintaining the online presence?
[306 ] PAR T 4: l onger b usine ss m essa ge s

For example, you might propose that the marketing switches in its city-run buildings so that they could be
department produce product knowledge podcasts to more easily turned off when not in use (www.amo.on.ca).
use in company branches. Or, you may investigate and The B.C. Institute of Technology in Burnaby, B.C.,
propose the use of a Facebook event to promote the adopted a “Lightsavers” program to better monitor
product. Or, perhaps you’d like to investigate the best lighting costs, which resulted in significant hydro sav-
uses of wikis—maybe the department could use a wiki ings. Look around your college and identify ways to
to develop marketing literature for a new product. How make the college campus more sustainable. For exam-
can the company build relationships either with cus- ple, are lights left on in unused areas? Are there ade-
tomers or employees online? quate recycling programs? A composting program?
Ways to use wind, water, or other energy sources?
Your Task  Write a proposal to the company’s
What would it cost to implement the change? Who
Operations Manager suggesting the adoption of your
would have to act to implement the change? How
strategy.
would it happen? What would be saved? What other
benefits would result?
13. Message Strategies: Proposals L.O.❹
You think the energy use on campus could be improved Your Task  Choose one initiative that would
by changing the lighting and introducing other energy improve sustainability at your school. Get the facts on
saving measures. One example of a town that improved related energy costs, research the impact of the initia-
its sustainability is the Town of Orillia, Ontario, which tive, and write a proposal to the administration propos-
saved energy and money by rewiring the lighting ing its adoption.

B u s in es s Commu n ic a tion Noteb oo k

Ethics
Top Tips for Writing Reports That Tell • Report all relevant facts. Regardless of whether
these facts support your theories or please your
the Truth readers, they must be included. Omitting the details
Put nothing in writing that you’re unwilling to say in that undermine your position may be convenient,
public, and write nothing that may embarrass or jeop- but it is misleading and inaccurate.
ardize your employer. Does this mean you should cover • Put the facts in perspective. Taken out of context,
up problems? Of course not. However, when you’re the most concrete facts are misleading. If you say,
dealing with sensitive information, be discreet. Present “Stock values have doubled in three weeks,” you
the information in such a way that it will help readers offer an incomplete picture. Instead, say, “Stock val-
solve a problem. Avoid personal gripes, criticisms, ali- ues have doubled in three weeks, rising from $2 to
bis, attempts to blame other people, sugar-coated data, $4 per share.”
and unsolicited opinions. • Give plenty of evidence for your conclusions.
To be useful, the information must be accurate, Statements such as “We have to reorganize the sales
complete, and honest. But remember, being honest is force or we’ll lose market share” may or may not be
not always a simple matter. Everyone sees reality a true. Readers have no way of knowing unless you
little differently, and individuals describe what they provide enough data to support your claim.
see in their own way. To restrict the distortions intro- • Present only verifiable conclusions. Check facts,
duced by differences in perception, follow these and use reliable sources. Don’t draw conclusions too
guidelines: quickly (one rep may say that customers are unhappy,
but that doesn’t mean they all are). And don’t assume
• Describe facts or events in concrete terms. Indi-
that one event caused another (sales may have dipped
cate quantities whenever you can. Say, “Sales have
right after you switched ad agencies, but that doesn’t
increased 17 percent,” or “Sales have increased from
mean the new agency is at fault—the general state of
$40 000 to $43 000 in the past two months.” Don’t
the economy may be responsible).
say, “Sales have skyrocketed.”
 c h apt er 11: W r it i n g an d C o mp let i n g R ep orts a n d Pr op o sals [ 307]

• Keep your personal biases in check. Even if you 2. Recent budget cuts have endangered the daycare
feel strongly about your topic, keep those feelings program at your local branch of a national com-
from influencing your choice of words. Don’t say, pany. You’re writing a report for headquarters about
“Locating a plant in Kingston is a terrible idea the grave impact on employees. Describe the situa-
because the people there are mostly students who tion in a single sentence that reveals nothing about
would rather play than work and who don’t have your personal feelings but that clearly shows your
the ability to operate our machines.” Such language position.
not only offends but also obscures the facts and pro- 3. When writing an unsolicited proposal to a potential
vokes emotional responses. client, you need to persuade your audience to con-
sider hiring your firm or purchasing your product.
How can you be persuasive and completely truthful
Applications for Success at the same time?
1. When would you use vague language instead of
concrete detail? Would this action be unethical or
merely one form of emphasizing the positive?