Tasked to do a business report? While typically a straightforward task, it can get pretty confusing when your superiors don’t tell you exactly what they’re hoping to get out of the piece. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a brief guide to what report readers are usually looking for when they’re poring through your business report.
Do I really need to read this? In business environments, that’s the first question everyone needs to have answered. Will this be worth my time or is it something I can skip so that I can do something more productive? As such, your report’s title and subtitle will need to indicate its overall purpose and goal, so that someone can quickly take a look and make a mental decision whether this is relevant to their particular needs.
Executive summary. An executive summary is a brief introduction, in case the title and the subtitle are insufficient to inform your readers about what the document is about.
Relevance and goals. How is the report relevant, both to the original source (you) and the reader? Make sure to tell it explicitly in either the summary or the introduction. What were you trying to accomplish or discover? This will give the reader an idea of how the undertaking fits in to the overall organization as well as to their professional responsibilities.
Results and findings. Once the reader gets this deep, it means the report is relevant to them, so make sure you include a list of pertinent results, figures and statistics that can help them in their own decision-making.
Interpretation and implications. On a separate section, add your interpretation of the results, as well as their potential implications. Try to explain the significance of the findings based on the overall big picture.
As always, make sure to run your report through a good English writing software, to ensure that no composition errors lead your readers down the wrong path. After all, simple wording mistakes in such important documents can often lead to serious consequences.
