Writing Reports And Proposals

Reports and proposals are documents written for a specific purpose and audience. A report, generally, consists of an analysis of a situation or problem at hand and recommends solution for it. Proposals, in the similar manner, explain a need that is identified and offers a course of action in response to it.

Reports and proposals may have varying lengths, structures, and writing styles. However, in essence, both are a means of written communication and the ability to do it effectively is known as one’s skills of writing reports and proposals.

Why are the skills of writing reports and proposals important

Although verbal communication is the fastest of all methods, organizations generally have a preference for written communication due to the permanency of record that it allows as well as their availability for reference whenever required.

The skills of writing reports and proposals, therefore, are extremely important to ensure that the information conveyed to the reader is exactly how you intended it to. After all, these written documents are what ultimately lead to action and make things really happen.

Now that we have begun to understand its importance, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that poor report or proposal writing skills can cause you to miss opportunities, lose sales, or lose even your credibility because the reader might fail to understand or misinterpret the document.

How to improve your skills of writing reports and proposals

Despite the fact that there is no rigid rule as to how your report or proposal should be structured, there are numerous useful guides available on the web that can provide help, if you need any. Following are some suggestions that will help you improve your overall skills of writing reports and proposals:

• Try to meet your readers’ expectations. Never let yourself take the reader for granted. Whether the reader is a friend, a relative, an acquaintance, or just someone who highly recommends your service, make sure of the clarity of your report because nobody like to struggle through a poorly written document. Place yourself in the readers’ shoes before you begin writing so that you are able to meet their expectations, without having them lose interest at the first glance or as they read further into it.
• Avoid writing like an amateur. If you wish to improve your skills of writing reports and proposals, you must develop and retain your credibility with the readers. Therefore, always check you facts and figures and never let your readers lose confidence in you for making an incorrect or confusing statement. You must write with clarity, showing your logical train of thoughts, and ensure the authenticity of your statements.

Job profiles that require this skill