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Chapter 10 Lecture Notes ● 1
Chapter 10 LECTURE NOTES
Proposals and Formal Reports
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS
In Chapter 10 students learn how to prepare, organize, and write business proposals. The main
focus in this chapter is on informal proposals. Proposals are written offers to solve problems,
provide services, or sell equipment. Simply put, unlike most reports, proposals suggest ways to
save, spend, or make money. Some proposals are like internal reports, taking the form of
justification or recommendation reports. Most proposals, however, are external and can be
very extensive. They often respond to RFPs (Requests for Proposal) issued by organizations
that seek services or products.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the importance, purpose, and components of informal and formal proposals.
Describe the steps in writing and editing formal business reports.
2. Conduct research using primary and secondary sources, and understand how to assess the
credibility of resources.
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The authors made the following changes and improvements:
• Improved clarity, conciseness, and readability by updating all content, converting text that
was best explained in graphics, and using bullets to replace lengthy explanations.
Chapter 10 Lecture Notes ● 2
• Combined informal and formal proposals in one learning objective with an expanded focus
on proposal types: (a) informal and formal; (b) internal and external; (c) solicited and
unsolicited.
• Explained the steps involved in both writing and editing formal business reports, in order
to simplify the writing process and assure the success of a business report.
• Updated the section on Web search to fine-tune a student’s ability to filter Web results
using operators; added a graphic showing Google’s search operators that quickly access
specific types of information.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Preparing Business Proposals (p. 305)
Definition: A proposal is a written offer to solve problems, provide services, or sell
products.
A. Types of Business Proposals
• Informal: short; often formatted as memos or letters
• Formal: more complex and may range from 5 to 200 pages or more
Figure 10.1 Components of Informal and Formal Proposals
B. Components of Informal Proposals
1. Introduction (provide “hook”)
• Hint at extraordinary results.
• Promise low costs or speedy results.
• Mention a remarkable resource (well-known authority, new computer).
Chapter 10 Lecture Notes ● 3
Figure 10.2. Informal Letter Proposal
2. Background, Problem, Purpose
• Identify the problem and discuss goals of the project.
• Repeat the language of RFP for solicited proposals.
3. Proposal, Plan, Schedule
4. Staffing
• Describe the credentials and expertise of project leaders.
• Identify the size and qualifications of the support staff.
• Endorse and promote your staff.
5. Budget
6. Conclusion and Authorization
• Request approval or authorization.
• Establish a deadline for acceptance of the proposal.
II. Writing and Editing Formal Business Reports (p. 311)
• A formal report is a document in which a writer analyzes findings, draws
conclusions, and makes recommendations intended to solve a problem.
• Formal business reports are similar to formal proposals in length, organization, and
tone.
• Instead of solving problems, proposing changes, or responding to an RFP, formal
reports present findings and recommendations based on research and data analysis.
A. Steps for Writing Formal Business Reports
• Determine the purpose and scope of the report.
Figure 10.3 Work Plan for a Formal Report
Figure 10.4 – Outline Format
Chapter 10 Lecture Notes ● 4
Figure 10.5 -- Strategies for Organizing Report Findings
B. What to Review When Editing Formal Business Reports
• Format
• Consistency
• Graphics
• Heading levels
• Accuracy
• Mechanics
III. Conducting Primary and Secondary Research (p. 314)
A. Secondary Research Sources
• Books
Figure 10.6 -- ABI/INFORM (ProQuest) Search Result Page
B. The Web
• A search tool (Google, Bing, Yahoo Search) is a service that indexes,
organizes, and often rates and reviews Web pages.
• A Web directory, such as the Open Directory Project has human editors who
select and organize Web pages into subject categories.
Figure 10.7 - Business.com
Figure 10.8 - Google Search Operators
C. Primary Research Sources
1. Surveys
• Use surveys to collect data from groups of people.
• Gather data economically and efficiently.
• Can be mailed to participants or administered online.
Chapter 10 Lecture Notes ● 5
Figure 10.9 -- College Bookstore Student Survey
2. Personal Interviews
• Locate an expert.
• Prepare for the interview.
Figure 10.10 -- Gathering Information Through Personal Interviews
3. Observation and Experimentation
• Define what or whom you are observing and how often those observations are
necessary to provide reliable data.
IV. Documenting and Citing Sources in Business Reports (p. 322)
A. Why Document
• Strengthens your argument
• Instructs the reader
• Protects you from charges of plagiarism
B. What to Document
• Another person’s ideas, opinions, examples, or theories
C. How to Paraphrase
• Read original material to comprehend full meaning.
• Write your own version without looking at the original.
• Do not repeat grammatical structure or merely replace words with synonyms.
• Compare with the original to confirm you’ve covered the main points but did not
borrow specific language.
D. When and How to Quote
Chapter 10 Lecture Notes ● 6
• To provide objective background data and establish the severity of a problem as
seen by experts
E. Four-Factor Test to Assess Fair Use
• Purpose and character of the use, particularly whether for profit.
• Nature of the copyrighted work.
F. How to Avoid Copyright Infringement
• Assume that all intellectual property is copyrighted.
• Realize that Internet items and resources are NOT in the public domain.
G. Common Citation Formats
• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• American Psychological Association (APA)
Figure 10.11 Comparing Bibliographic Citation Formats: APA, MLA, CMA
VI. Incorporating Meaning Visual Aids and Graphics (p. 324)
A. Reasons for using visual aids
• To clarify data
• To summarize important idea
• To emphasize facts and provide focus
• To add visual interest
B. Matching Graphics and Objectives
• Use tables to show exact figures and values.
• Use bar charts to compare one item with others.
• Use line charts to demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time.
