Proposals & Reports

Four Steps To Creating An Outline

Do you find it difficult to begin the writing process for

your business documents, especially reports or

proposals?

Have you ever found yourself in one of these situations?

oLimited time to complete your document

oYou’re not clear on what you need to produce

oToo much information to sift through

An outline can save timeand help you to become clear on the essential components required.

Benefits

o Having something to follow during the writing process

o Being able to break the task into manageable parts

o Ensuring no information is left out

Creating An Outline

An outline shows you what you should writeand at what point.

Follow these four steps tocreate an outline for your document.

Step One – Key Result

Write the key result as you understand it.

When doing this, consider these questions …

oWhat specific outcomes should this project produce?

oWhich outcomes are most important?

oWhat business needs do the outcomes address?

Write the key result as a concise sentence.

Step Two - Brainstorm

Brainstorm all that you know about the relevant aspects of your proposal or report.

oWho?Who needs to be involved?

oWhy?Why is your solution the best one to follow?

oWhen?When will the project need to be completed?

Further questions to consider to develop a complete picture:

oHow can I define the result areas?

oWhat are the appropriate measurement indicators?

oWhat is the cost?

oWhat is my solution to the problem or situation?

Don’t order the pointsthat you’ve brainstormed at this stage.

Step Three – Group Related Ideas Or Facts

Connect relevant points to the key result you created.

Expand on ideas and be more specific where possible.

Step Four - Prioritise

Think about your reader and what should come first from their point of view.

Number the key points in order of importance.

Result

The end result is an outline for a report, the executive summary of a proposal or an outline

for a complete letter proposal.

Repeat the process for each section of your document as necessary.

Then focus on areas such as:

oTechnical specificationsoFunctional specificationsoProject plan oCost analysis

Making this a regular part of your writing process will help you to save time.

A document that is easy to follow and covers the key areas for your reader

will ...

… increase the chances of your report being accepted or your proposal winning

you new business.

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