How to adapt to your audience when writing reports and proposals.

Like all messages, reports and proposals are most effective when adapted to the needs and interests of their intended audiences:

• Be sensitive to audience needs
• Build strong relationships with your audience
• Control your style and tone

All four aspects of audience sensitivity apply to reports and proposals:

• Adopting the “you” attitude
• Maintaining a strong sense of etiquette
• Emphasizing the positive
• Using bias-free language

Reports and proposals that are highly technical, complex, or lengthy can put heavy demands on readers, so the “you” attitude takes on special importance with these messages.

You can meet the needs of a diverse audience—provided that you plan for these elements in advance.

Readers today want results quickly and easily. If you want readers to understand and accept your message, help them seamlessly navigate your document by using:

• Headings
• Links
• Smooth transitions
• Previews
• Reviews

Headings are brief titles that cue readers about the content of sections that follow.

• They improve a document’s readability and are especially useful for identifying the framework of a report.
• They also visually indicate shifts from one idea to the next and allow readers to see the relationship between subordinate and main ideas.

Whatever scheme you use, make the hierarchy of headings and subheadings clear.

When using three levels of headings in a report, for example, an effective scheme could be

• 20-point bold type for the first-level headings
• 16 points for the second level
• 12 points for the third level

Another option is to put the first-level headings in all capital letters or emphasize them using colour.

Use transitions to help readers move from one section of a report to the next and from key point to key point within sections. Transitions can be:

• Words
• Sentences
• Complete paragraphs

Effective transitions can help readers summarize and remember what they’ve learned so far while giving them a mental framework to process new information.

Preview sections come after a body of material and summarize the information just covered. They introduce important topics and help readers get ready for new information; they are particularly helpful when the information is

• Complex
• Unexpected
• Unfamiliar

Previews and reviews can be written in sentence format, in bulleted lists, or using a combination of the two. Both are effective, but when appropriate, bullets can increase your document’s readability by adding white space to the document design and making it easier to skim.

Building relationships with your readers starts with planning how to adapt style and language to meet their needs and expectations.

Some reports—particularly any reports that can be transmitted online—can take on lives of their own, reaching a wider audience than ever imagined. Choose content and language with care.

If a report is likely to meet with audience approval, you can usually adopt a fairly informal tone.

To create a less formal tone, refer to readers like you, and refer to yourself as I (or we, if there are multiple report authors).

A formal tone is objective and businesslike and is more appropriate for

• Longer reports, especially those that deal with controversial or complex information
• Reports being sent to other parts of the organization or outsiders
• Imposing a controlled distance between you and your readers

Before composing the first draft, review the outline one last time. Verify that the organization you’ve chosen makes sense and review the wording of the headings and subheadings to make sure they establish the right tone.

For a direct tone, use informative phrasing. For an indirect tone, use descriptive phrasing.

Like other written business communications, reports and proposals have three main sections:

• An introduction (or opening )
• A body
• A close

The content and length of each section vary, depending on the:

• Type and purpose of the document
• Organizational structure
• Length and depth of the material
• Document’s degree of formality
• Relationship between writer and audience

An effective introduction accomplishes at least four things:

• Puts the report or proposal in a broader context by tying it to a problem or an opportunity
• Introduces the subject or purpose of the report or proposal indicating why the subject is important
• Previews the main ideas and the order in which they’ll be covered
• Establishes the tone of the document and the writer’s relationship with the audience

In the body, the middle section of the report or proposal covers these actions:

• Present the information
• Analyze the information
• Interpret the information gathered during an investigation
• Provide detailed proof supporting conclusions and recommendations

The close, the final section of your report or proposal, has three important functions:

• Emphasizes the main points of the message and briefly reiterates the logic behind any conclusions or recommendations.
• Summarizes the benefits to readers if the document suggests a change or some other course of action.
• Brings all the action items together in one place and gives details about who should do what, when, where, and how.

The final section of a report or proposal leaves a strong lasting impression. The close offers one last chance to make sure that the report says what is intended.

Your credibility is on the line with every business report you write, so make sure your content is

• Accurate. Information presented in a report must be factually correct. Double-check facts and references in addition to checking for typos.
• Complete. To help audiences make informed decisions, present information in a way that meets their needs. Include all the information necessary for readers to understand the situation, problem, or proposal and support all key assertions.
• Balanced. Present all sides of the issue fairly and equitably and include all essential information, even if some of it doesn’t support your line of reasoning. Omitting relevant information or facts can bias your report.
• Clear and logical. Make sure sentences are uncluttered, contain well-chosen words, and proceed logically. Make your transitions clear and logical.
• Documented properly. If you use primary and secondary sources, be sure to properly document and give credit to your sources.

The scope and organization of a solicited proposal are usually governed by the request for proposals.

Most RFPs spell out precisely what should be covered and in what order. This uniformity lets the recipient evaluate competing proposals systematically.

The general purpose of any proposal is to persuade readers to do something, similar to persuasive sales messages.

You must sell your audience on your ideas.

Here are some additional strategies to strengthen your persuasive argument:

• Demonstrate your knowledge. Show that you have the knowledge and experience to solve the problem or address the opportunity outlined in your proposal.
• Provide concrete information and examples. Give quantifiable details on how the job will be done.
• Research the competition. Emphasize why your solution is the optimum choice.
• Prove that your proposal is workable. Your proposal must be appropriate and feasible for your audience and be consistent with your audience’s capabilities.
• Adopt the “you” attitude. Relate to the reader’s exact needs, either as stated in the RFP for a solicited proposal or as discovered through your investigation for an unsolicited proposal.
• Package your proposal attractively. Make sure your proposal is letter-perfect, inviting, and readable. Readers will prejudge the quality of your products or services by the proposal you submit.

The introduction of a proposal presents and summarizes the problem or opportunity you want to explore along with your proposed solution.

• If the proposal is solicited, its introduction should refer to the RFP to clarify which RFP you’re responding to.
• If your proposal is unsolicited, your introduction should mention any factors that led to submitting your proposal.

The proposal’s body gives complete details on the proposed solution and specifies what the anticipated results will be.

Proposals are persuasive messages and the audience expects confidence and professionalism, but maintain an objective tone so that you don’t risk overselling your message.

In addition to providing facts and evidence to support your conclusions, an effective body covers this information:

• Proposed solution. Describes what you have to offer: your concept, product, or service. Focus on the strengths that are relevant to your reader’s needs, and point out advantages you have over competitors.
• Work plan. Describes how you’ll accomplish what must be done. Explain the steps you’ll take, their timing, the methods or resources you’ll use, and the person(s) responsible. Include when the work will begin, how it will be divided into stages when you will finish, and whether any follow-up is involved.
• Statement of qualifications. Describes your organization’s experience, personnel, and facilities—all about reader needs. This section is a significant selling point and should be handled carefully.
• Costs. Covers pricing, reimbursable expenses, discounts, and cost factors.

The proposal close should meet these objectives:

• Summarize key points
• Emphasize the benefits to readers
• Summarize the merits of your approach
• Restate why you and your firm are the best choices
• Ask for a decision from the readers.

The close is your last opportunity to persuade readers to accept your proposal.

In both formal and informal proposals, make this section relatively brief, assertive, and confident.

The process of writing a report or proposal doesn’t end with a first draft. As with all messages, there are four tasks involved in completing longer messages:

• Revising
• Producing
• Proofreading
• Distributing

Formal reports and proposals are documents that require an extra measure of polish and professionalism; be sure to carefully select the elements you want to include in each of your documents.

As you revise, carefully evaluate the organization and tone of the report or proposal.

Clearly say what you want and make sure that the content is

• In a logical order
• Responsive to audience needs
• Clear, concise, and compelling

Formal reports and proposals can include a variety of features beyond the text and visuals:

• One of the most important elements to consider, particularly in a longer report (they are less common in proposals), is a synopsis or an executive summary:

• A synopsis is a brief overview (one page or less) of a report’s most important points, designed to give readers a quick preview of the contents. The phrasing of a synopsis can be either informative or descriptive.
• An alternative is an executive summary, a fully developed “mini” version of the report itself.

Pay particular attention to the length and complexity of your documents. For physical distribution, consider these options:

• Professional courier
• Package delivery service
• Personal delivery

For electronic distribution, use PDF files, unless word-processor files are specifically requested.

If your company or client expects you to distribute your reports via a web-based content management system, intranet, or extranet, be sure to upload the correct file(s) to the correct online location and verify the placement of these elements:

• Onscreen display of the report
• Graphics
• Charts
• Links

After you’ve sent your report or proposal to your audience, your next task is to wait for a response. If you don’t hear from your readers within a week or two, you might want to ask politely whether the report arrived. If the RFP specifies a response window, however, do not inquire before that time has elapsed.

When writing an RFP, remember that it is more than just a request; it’s an informational report that provides potential bidders with the information they need to craft effective proposals.

Writing an RFP demands careful consideration because it starts a process that leads to a proposal, a contract, and eventually the delivery of a product or the performance of a service.

An RFP’s specific content will vary widely from industry to industry, but most RFPs include some combination of the following elements:

• Company background. Give potential bidders background information on your organization, your business priorities, and other information they might need to respond in an informed manner.
• Project description. Put your requirements in context; are you seeking bids for routine supplies or services, or do you need a major computer system?
• Requirements. The requirements section should detail everything you expect from potential vendors; don’t leave anything to unstated assumptions.
• Decision criteria. Let bidders know how you’ll be making the decision. Specific requirements will not only help bidders determine whether they’re right for your project but also help them craft proposals that meet your needs.
• Proposal requirements. Explain exactly what you expect to see in the proposal itself—which sections, what media, how many copies, and so on.
• Submission and contact information. A well-written RFP answers most potential questions, and it also tells people when, where, and how to respond. In addition, effective RFPs always give bidders the name of a contact within the organization who can answer detailed questions.

A smart approach to managing RFPs can minimize the work and maximize their effectiveness:

• Identify your decision criteria and then determine the information needed to measure against those criteria.
• Give bidders plenty of time to respond. Successful companies are usually busy responding to other RFPs, and you can’t expect them to drop everything to focus solely on your RFP.
• Consider establishing an online system for tracking responses automatically.