When preparing to write a formal report to be presented to management, some potential needs for the audience that should be aware of when writing the report, know your audience.
Before sitting down to compose the letter, memo or report, think about the recipient of the document. By organizing your thoughts beforehand, you can determine what exactly you are trying to say. Decide what details must be included in the report or memo. Look for graphic elements to add to your presentation, especially if your report contains many boring statistics.Statistics and research bolster your conclusions, especially if they are presented in a visually appealing manner. Being aware of what the audience may already know, it can be very easy for the audience to get bored, loose interest, or even get overwhelmed with information when reading a formal report.
Only convey information that the audience needs to know. You should write in a style which communicates your message easily and without excessive detail. Questions we could ask ourselves: Does your audience all fluently understand the English language?Are there any language barriers? Would management more easily understand the report with graphs and visual elements incorporated into the report? With the advent of modern word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, it is easy to include spread sheets, graphs and colorful clip art to your report; this will make your work more memorable and convincing. After you have decided what the message is that you are trying to convey, work on saying it in concise language.
Not considering the needs of the audience when writing a formal report could result in an inaccurate or misunderstood message. If we do not take into consideration the potential needs of the audience, we are unsure if the audience will accurately understand the message that is being sent. This could result in negative feedback. Avoid wordiness and unnecessary large words. Strive for clarity in your writing and avoid vagueness, use a more precise word.
Tell the audience what you are going to say with action verbs, then sum it up with what you have said and say it in a few words as possible.
