Ch. 11 Summary

Chapter 11 teaches us strategies for our reports and proposals in the business world. We already learned about direct and indirect strategies for the overall report but these strategies are also applied to individual sections of reports or proposals. Now the thing that should be first considered in any communication activity is the audience. How your report is structured and how it sounds depends largely on the audience. Then you must think of the respond you want and tailor your strategy to that. You should use direct strategy if you need nothing from the audience but you should use an indirect strategy if you want some kind of investment from the audience. The strategy used also depends on what type of document is being created and for what purpose. Informative reports are usually delivered using the direct strategy. Indirect strategy is better with persuasive pieces and analytical reports should use a mixture of both. The chapter also says that the most important things to remember when writing any document are how to write clearly, how to be concise and how to organize and format the information. So with any piece of writing, you must have an introduction. The introduction should set the tone for the entire writing. Depending on the audience and reasons for the document, decide on either a formal tone, informal, or conversational. The introduction should try to capture the reader’s attention. Then there is the background of the report. This is where the reader encounters any essential and vital information that is needed for any analysis later or conclusions reached. Background should be delivered directly chronologically or through a situational approach. Statistics can also be used during this part of the report to give better understanding to the audience. Next are the problem and topic statements. These are the ones your report is focused on and why you gave background information and details. Next is the goals and objectives. This should always be delivered using a direct strategy. You want your audience to understand the goals of the report. You cannot be vague or ambiguous. Of course the reason you’ve written the report is not just to point out the problem, but the solutions for it. This is the final part of your report and it should also be direct. You may revisit some earlier points and tie them together with your recommendations. Ending your report on a positive note is a must. You don’t want the last thing your audience to read to be a negative point because that will leave a negative impression on them in general.