Affiliate Program

Writing the Business Report and Proposal

Mary Anne Donovan

Course ID: LC015

Current Openings: Yes

Your boss has asked you to write a major report for a project you've been working on for months. You are comfortable with the project and its associated business matters, but the thought of having to write this report terrifies you. Or perhaps you've started your own business and you've pitched a major account! The account rep likes what she sees, but asks you to prepare a formal proposal to bid on the business. Where do you begin?

You begin right here! In this course on report and proposal writing, you will learn every aspect including the different types of reports and proposals, how to analyze the audience and purpose, the steps in the writing process, different ways to present information, and the components of reports and proposals. You will conclude the course by preparing a report or proposal of your own for a given scenario.

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Course Type:

Private Mentoring

Objective:

When you have completed this program, you will be able to:

  • Perform an audience and purpose analysis
  • Use effective methods of presenting information
  • Prepare a professional report or proposal

Learner Prerequisites

A good, working knowledge of Microsoft Word

Start Date Ongoing, open enrollment.
Duration 9 lessons at your pace
Limit N/A
Class Materials Participant Guide will be supplied by the instructor.
Cost $395 if taken individually, $1260 if taken as part of the Business Writing Certification program, a cost of $315 per course.
Tutorial Option Additional mentoring and critiquing is available from the instructor. The fee is $45 per hour. Please contact deanwlc@writinglearningcentre.com to register.

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction and Overview

  • Introduction to the course
  • Types of reports
  • Types of proposals

Lesson 2: Audience and Purpose Analysis

  • Audience Analysis worksheet
  • Audience Analysis: Report
  • Audience Analysis: Proposal
  • Purpose Analysis: Report
  • Purpose Analysis: Proposal

Lesson 3: Steps to Writing Reports and Proposals

  • Gathering Information
  • Outline
  • Writing
  • Documenting Information
  • Editing
  • Proofreading
  • Review Cycles

Lesson 4: Usability Concerns

  • Clear purpose and goal
  • Information is sufficient and accurate
  • Good use of visuals
  • Clear and concise writing
  • Active vs. passive voice
  • Use of clear headings
  • Clear understanding of audience (proposal)
  • Has clear focus on benefits (proposal)
  • Contains honest and supportable information

Lesson 5: The Nitty Gritty

  • Guidelines for effective report and proposal writing
  • Style and tone
  • Structure
  • Editing exercise

Lesson 6: Ways to Present Information

  • Anecdotes
  • Illustrations and examples
  • Facts and statistics
  • Definitions
  • Divide and classify
  • Compare and contrast

Lesson 7: Components of the Report

  • Section I: Introduction
  • Section II: Data and Facts
  • Section III: Conclusion

Lesson 8: Components of the Proposal

  • Section I: Introduction
  • Section II: Body
  • Section III: Conclusion

Lesson 9: Final Scenario

  • Report scenario
  • Proposal scenario

Instructor Bio

Mary Anne has been teaching at St. John Fisher College in both graduate and undergraduate programs for the past nine years, with a specialty in business, technical and professional communications. In addition, she is the Chief Editor of Writer Online, a professional ezine for writers and lovers of writing.

Mary Anne has over twenty years experience in corporate and business communications including technical writing, instructional design, marketing communications and internet instructional design, serving in both corporate staff functions as well as an independent contractor and consultant for national firms including Kodak, Xerox, Metropolitan Life, Motorola, and others.

As a writer and author, Mary Anne has also published numerous articles in publications including Workforce magazine, Rochester Business Journal, Building Operating Management, Equus, Equine Journal, and Writer's Digest. She has written two books: Zen and the Art of Horseback Riding, and coauthored Retraining the Harness Racehorse. Mary Anne is finishing her master's degree in liberal studies with a concentration in digital virtual literacy from Empire State College.