Business Document

Now let's consider the business document itself. The tone you use for the longer piece of business writing should be determined by its purpose. Think of what infinitive statement best fits your purpose. Here are some possibilities:

to inform

to persuade

to argue

to invite

to confirm

to ask a question, or series of questions

to seek approval

to approve

to reject

to propose

Your next step is to consider your audience carefully. Who is reading the report? Your superiors? Your customers? Your colleagues? The information you include will vary greatly, according to what your readers already know.

Most companies have a corporate or brand style that they follow. If you are unsure of the style, study the company's website, blog articles, social media, and marketing materials to get a feel for this style.

If you are seeking new business from a potential client, do some research to find out what information will be valuable to your reader. Keep in mind that the e-mail is about your readers' needs, not your own. Use details in your e-mail that convey how the report or proposal will directly benefit your reader. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you develop the report:

Why should my reader care about this report or proposal?

How will my reader benefit?

What should my reader do?

When should the reader do this action?

Are there results, if the reader does not take action?

What are those results?

Have I included only essential material?

Can I delete any unnecessary information?

How can my reader obtain more information?

Have I provided those details?

A formal business report usually has the following sections:

Title page. This front page includes the title of the report, the author's name, the company name, and the date.

Contents. This page shows content sections, subsections, and corresponding page numbers.

Summary. This is a one-paragraph description of the report. It includes the purpose of the report, how the research was conducted, the results, the conclusion, and key recommendations. The summary is sometimes called "the abstract."

Introduction. This part of the report discusses the importance of the subject, as well as some background information about the issue. It is usually several paragraphs in length.

Procedure. This section explains the resources and the methods the writer used to gather the information.

Findings. In this section, the writer explains what information has been discovered through the course of the procedures. It included facts and data and may include graphs and tables to illustrate the information.

Discussion. Here, the writer gives an interpretation of the findings of the report.

Conclusion. The writer uses the findings to offer an opinion, or to evaluate what has been learned or experienced.

Recommendations. Here the writer proposes a specific course of action, or suggests a way to solve a certain problem that has been discussed in the report. These ideas can be short-term or long-term solutions.

Appendices. In this section, the report writer includes other helpful information that can help support the report findings.

A business proposal e-mail

A proposal e-mail is an important piece of business correspondence that follows a discussion with a potential customer. It is a written statement of the specific business arrangements you have discussed.

Send a proposal e-mail after you have met with the customer in person, or communicated by phone or e-mail about what product or service you will provide, how long it will take, and what the prospective customer will pay. A proposal e-mail should have the following structure:

A brief statement of thanks

A one- to two-sentence definition of the job or project

One or two sentences on the desired outcome of the project

Your proposed solution in three to five sentences

Your proposed price (one sentence)

Other details about the project, including clean-up, risk reduction, etc. (one to two sentences)

Scheduling details and timeline

Another brief thank you

Here is an example of a business proposal e-mail.

Dear (name of potential customer),

I enjoyed meeting you yesterday and learning more about your company. Thank you for the time you spent helping me understand your company and your current needs. (statement of thanks)

As I understand it, your field technicians spend several hours a day driving from job to job, costing your company nearly $1 million in lost revenue. (problem and financial impact)

You would like to both reduce driving time and increase the number of customers you serve. (desired outcome)

As we discussed, our new routing system will generate a more efficient driving itinerary, based upon your needs. This efficiency will save on gas and vehicle wear and tear. Ultimately, it will result in your ability to reach and service up to 20 percent more customers. (proposed solution)

The base price for our product is $9,000, with ongoing support costs of $800 a year. This support cost includes matching the driving conditions to your technicians' specific geographic areas. (proposed price)

We are confident that you will achieve return on investment within one month of installation of our system. (risk reduction)

We can begin customizing your system work as soon as I receive your signed contract, which I have attached as a PDF for your convenience. (timeline)

Thank you again. I am excited about the opportunity to work with you and your company. (Brief thanks)

Sincerely,

Your name

Your position

Your contact information

As with all your business e-mails, strive for a friendly, yet professional and courteous tone. Avoid adding more information than what you discussed, and keep the sales pitch low key. Remember, this letter is following some initial contact.

The customer already knows something about you and your company. Don't sell yourself too hard, or you could turn the potential customer off.

Concentrate on being simple and straightforward. If the proposal is very detailed, or if it involves multiple projects, you can refer the customer to an attached document.

Don't let the length of a business report or proposal overwhelm you. When you look at the project from the recipient's point of view, it will help you organize your material in a user-friendly way that will make your message one that is easy to read and understand, and one that invites a response.

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