When you write a business report, focus on the subject at hand. Information included in the document should be accurate, relevant and informative to its readers. When reading a report to gain a deeper understanding of an issue, a businessperson shouldn’t have to sift through paragraphs of filler content. A good report speaks to the reader in terms she can understand.
Clearly Defined Purpose
The purpose of a report should be clear to the reader from the beginning. The purpose should be stated in the title of the report if possible and included in the introduction. Identify whether the intent is to persuade the reader to do something. It should also be clearly noted whether past information or future predictions will be provided as evidence to support the points of the report.
A business report can vary in length from one page to a massive document containing multiple chapters. All readers may not be looking for the same information, so it’s helpful to include a table of contents for all except the briefest reports. This page includes all the main sections of the report and the page numbers where the information can be found. This allows a reader to flip right to the information he needs, without having to search through the entire report.
Easy to Understand
A good business report should be easily understandable, so it can hold the attention of the audience. Before you begin to write, consider the audience. If it consists of people with a great deal of experience in the industry, it’s fine to use complex terminology and provide detailed information. However, if the audience doesn’t have much experience in the industry, the report must be written in simple, straightforward manner, providing definitions for any industry terminology used.
It’s essential that facts provided in the report are accurate, as the information is used to prove points and draw conclusions. Any inaccurate facts will skew results and could cause the company to make an ill-advised business decision.
Including filler content distracts from the point at hand and wastes the reader’s time. The report should be written in a concise manner, using a minimum amount of words to make a clear point. This is not to say that a long report cannot be effective, it simply means it’s important to avoid including unnecessary information.