Write for the Audience

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Write for the Audience

• Myths About Reports and Proposals

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Contrary to Popular Belief

• The person requesting the report is not always
  the primary audience
• The audience may not be experts in the field
• The audience may not understand the
  report-writers assignment
• The audience may not be looking forward to
  reading the report

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Contrary to Popular Belief

• Few people in the audience will read the whole
  report carefully
• The author of the report may not be available to
  answer questions
• The report may be filed away and used years later

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Managers Like These Features in Reports and
Proposals

• Getting the main idea at the beginning
• Seeing the facts
• Receiving the whole story
• Language they can understand
• Learning something that can make their jobs easier

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Managers Dislike These Things in Reports and
Proposals

• Personal gripes
• Personal criticism
• Alibis and excuses
• Attempts to blame someone else
• Incomplete or sugar-coated data
• Unsolicited opinions
• Attempts to bypass the communication chain

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