MODUL PERKULIAHAN

Mata Kuliah English for Business

Modul 4:
CORRESPONDING

Menjelaskan cara membuat surat menyurat.

Fakultas Program Studi Tatap Muka Kode MK Disusun Oleh

Tim Dosen

11
Abstract Kompetensi
Bab ini menjelaskan materi bagaimana Mahasiswa memiliki kepercayaan diri
membuat surat menyurat yang benar. untuk membuat surat menyurat dalam
bahasa Inggris dengan menggunakan
grammar yang benar.
 UNIT 10
Corresponding (The Millennial Way)

OBJECTIVES
By the end of the chapter, you should be able to
1. exhibit confident use of vocabulary and expressions of emails
2. answer questions regarding emailing through listening and reading activities
3. simulate an email within a given situation
4. make short presentations based on the email
5. use perfect tense forms appropriately in given situations

One of the things that you surely have to do in your line of work is writing emails. It is an
indispensable tool of communication, and the new form of writing mails. They are written for
internal and external
 communication, serving various purposes and demanding different levels of language formality.
In this chapter, you will learn the expressions used and some etiquette in writing emails.

READING
Read the discussion below about writing emails.
Email has changed the way we work – allowing us to communicate cheaply and quickly with
colleagues, suppliers and other contacts around the world. Many of us now use it as our main
means of communication during the working day. But what are the best techniques to use when
writing emails?
Are the rules for writing emails different to those we have already learned?
Emails are written communications, and their purpose, generally, is to send information. If we
relax the rules of grammar and clear communication, we will fail to get our message across. So
it is important to stick to the usual guidelines. However, emails are normally less formal than a
printed business letter.

Etiquette

There is still some confusion about the correct way to write emails, which 'tone' is appropriate,
and whether to use slang or abbreviations. It is best to open and close an email using 'Dear' at
the beginning and 'Best wishes' or 'Regards' at the end.
'Hi' is not really appropriate for business emails unless you are familiar with the person you are
writing to. If you do not know the person's full name, use the person's title (for example 'Dear
Director of Customer Services').
Always think about the reader. Remember that people are unlikely to be offended if you are too
formal, but some may think you are being rude if you are too informal.

Spelling and grammar

You should always write emails with the same care you would use to write a formal letter.
Always check your spelling and grammar – most email applications have a tool which you can
use to do this automatically. Remember that sloppy communication gives a bad impression of
both you and your organisation.
Resist the temptation to use the shortcuts of 'text messaging'. While some people may
understand what 'cant w8 2 cu' means, a lot of people do not.

Addressing an email

 To – this is where you type the email address of the person you are writing to.
 CC (courtesy copy) – this is for the email addresses of other people who need to see the
 information in your email.
 BCC (blind courtesy copy) – addresses that you put in this field are 'hidden' from the other
people who receive the message. For example, if you wrote an email to your insurance
company but wanted a solicitor to read it for reference without the insurers knowing, you
would use this field for the solicitor's address.
Always use the correct field so people know who you expect to act first on the information.

Email examples

Here are two email examples. The first contains all the worst aspects of a bad business email.
The second shows you a good example template you might want to bear in mind when writing
your business email.

How not to write a business email

Whatever you do, don‟t do this…

Dude!
I‟m just wondering about a possible meeting being set up. What it is, don‟t worry about it, but
could
we, like, arrange something maybe? No rush!

Hey did you see Eastenders the other night? I love it, it‟s AMAZING.
Anyway, yeah, cool. Speak soon, if you want. Don‟t worry if not.
Cheer
s! Dx

The opening is clearly too informal and impersonal – if you don‟t know the name of the recipient
use „To whom it may concern‟ or „Dear Sir/Madam‟.
However, if you do know the name of the recipient, use it. „Dear Name‟ – as by not doing so
you‟ll seem ignorant. After all, you‟re meant to be building a professional relationship with the
person in question.
The opening paragraph is too casual, informal and unprofessional. And, crucially, there‟s no
thank you for
responding to the initial email.

The second paragraph is a poor attempt at adding a „personal touch‟. As long as you‟re
professional, courteous and polite, there‟s no need to throw anything like this in. Yes, it‟s email,
not a letter – but there is no reason or excuse for letting standards drop or giving the wrong
impression.
The third paragraph is far too casual and indecisive, leaves too much room for doubt, and
suggests someone easily placated and generally not all that bothered. And emoticons are a
definite no-no.
 „Cheers!‟ is best avoided, unless you‟ve already developed a long-term relationship with the
recipient.
Even then, it‟s not ideal in a business capacity.
Finally, always finish with both your full first name (at least) and a proper sign-off. This is far too
casual and is what you might expect to see in a text message. You must remember that it‟s
incredibly easy to slip into bad habits. Always write as though to a managing director – because,
until you know otherwise, you might be!

How to write a business email

Far better to follow this example…

Dear Stephen
I hope you are well. It was great to hear from you – thank you for your time.
Could we set up a meeting on this? Let me know when‟s best for you and we can arrange
something. It‟d be great to discuss this in person, rather than by email.
If you have any further questions on this, don‟t hesitate to ask.
I look forward to speaking to you
again. Kind regards
David

Key points to remember

 Be concise. Remember that some people receive and read hundreds of emails every
day. Try to keep to a maximum length of five paragraphs. If your message is very long
(for example, notes about a report) consider sending it as an attachment.
 Don‟t use an inappropriate email address from which to send your email (such as
'[email protected]'). If you do not have a business email address, set one up using
your name or your company name.
 Make sure you title your email clearly in the subject box as this helps the reader to refer
to your email at a later date. Try to keep titles short.
 Use 'plain-text' for your formatting rather than HTML (which creates web-page-style
emails). This will mean that everyone reading your email will see it as you intended. Bear
in mind that not everyone uses a computer to access their email, and people may be
using a device that can only display text.
 Use bulleted lists and keep paragraphs short. If you are writing to someone for the first
time, structure your email as you would a letter, with a beginning, a middle and an end.
  Do not use block capitals. They give the impression you are shouting at your reader.
 Do not use 'emoticons' (combinations of letters which represent emotions) in formal
emails. For example: :-) (happy) or :-( (sad)
 Avoid over-familiar language, slang or abbreviations - such as LOL (laugh out loud) or
BTW (by the way).
 Don't be sloppy with grammar or ignore formatting. It may be quicker to write your email
without using capital letters, but it looks unprofessional to the reader.
 If you are sending pictures or documents with your email, make sure that they are a
reasonable file size (less than 5MB) as big files can cause problems for the person
receiving them. Make sure you tell the reader that you have included an attachment.
 Always reply to an email as soon as possible to show the sender that you are dealing
with the information.
 Try to avoid sending unnecessary replies (Thanks!) as they waste readers' time as well
as clogging up email systems.

Disclaimers

Many companies insist on using an email 'disclaimer' at the bottom of all their outgoing emails.
There is some doubt as to how legally binding these disclaimers are, and they are best used
simply to tell the reader that the contents of an email are confidential. If you are responsible for
drafting a disclaimer for your department or company, try to keep the length to a minimum, and
make sure that readers can distinguish it from the rest of the text.
Don‟t forget that a disclaimer doesn't necessarily mean you are not liable for any defamatory
statements
you make in the email.

Signatures

Like disclaimers, 'signatures' should be kept short. Include your name, company address and
contact details, and a company registration number where appropriate. Avoid including product
slogans or website links that are irrelevant to the content of your email, and don't include
'meaningful quotations' such as 'Seek and ye shall find' when writing business emails. It looks
pretentious and won‟t necessarily convey the right image of your company.

VOCABULARY
Below is a list of expressions commonly used in email writing, especially in business settings.
They are listed in an orderly fashion, starting from opening lines to conclusion.
Opening Lines

1. Being social
By adding any of these at the beginning of your emails you will sound more friendly and social.

 I hope you had a good weekend.

 I hope you had a great trip.
 Hope you had a nice break.
 I hope you are well.
 I hope all is well.
 Hope you're enjoying your holiday.
 I hope this email finds you well.
 I hope you enjoyed the event.
 I'm glad we had a chance to chat at the convention.
 It was great to see you on Thursday.
 It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday.

2. Emailing first
Are you the one emailing first? Try these:

 I am writing to you about our last meeting/your presentation yesterday/our next event.
 I am writing to you with regards to/regarding/concerning/in connection with...
 I am writing to ask/enquire/let you know/confirm/check/invite you to/to update you on/ask
for a favor...
 I am writing you to follow up on...
 I am contacting you to inform...
 I am reaching out because...
 This is just a quick note to...
 This is just a quick reminder...
 I wanted to let you know that...
 Might I take a moment of your time to... (very formal)
 It's [Your Name] from [Your Company].
 This email is just to let you know that...

3. Replying

 I just got your request for...

 I just read your email about...
 As we discussed, I would like to send you...
 Thank you for your email about...
 Thanks for your email this morning/yesterday/on Wednesday/last month...
  Thanks for your feedback on/your invitation/your suggestion
 Thanks for sending/asking about/attending
 Thanks for your quick reply.
 Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
 Thank you for reaching out (to me).

4. Apologizing

 Sorry for my late reply.

 Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.
 I apologize for the late response.
 Sorry it‟s been so long since my last email.
 I was sorry to hear about...
 Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Body Lines

1. Attachments and information

 I‟ve attached…
 Please find [file] attached.
 I'm enclosing [file].
 Please see the information below for more details about...
 The parts in bold/in red/in blue are my comments/are the changes we made.
 Here's the document that you asked for,
 I‟ve attached [file] for your review.
 I'm sending you [file] as a pdf file.
 The attached file contains...
 Could you please sign the attached form and send it back to us by [date]?
 Here‟s the [document] we discussed.
 [file] is attached.
 Please take a look at the attached file.
 Take a look at the [file] I've attached to this email.
 I've attached [file].
 More information is available at www.website.com.
 Please note that...

2. Requests and enquiries

 Could you please...?

  Could you possibly tell me...?
 Can you please fill out this form?
 I'd really appreciate it if you could...
 I'd be very grateful if you could...
 It would be very helpful if you could send us/me...
 I was wondering if you could/if you would be able to...
 If possible, I'd like to know (more) about...
 Please find my two main questions below.

3. Asking for clarifications

 I didn't/don't fully understand [something]. Could you please explain that again?
 I didn't quite get your point about [something]. Could you be more specific?
 Could you repeat what you said about...?
 Could you give us some more details on...?
 If you could please shed some light on this topic, I would really appreciate it.
 Could you please clarify [something]?
 Could you please clarify when you would like us to finish this?
 When exactly are you expecting to have this feature?
 Here are the details on...
 Could you please clarify what you would like us to do about...?
 If I understood you correctly, you would like me to...
 What exactly do you mean by [something]?
 Could you explain what you mean by [something]?
 In other words, would you like us to...

4. Sharing information
Use these helpful phrases when need to give or receive some information (or when you already
did).

 Thank you for letting me know.

 Thank you for the heads up.
 Thank you for the notice.
 Please note...
 Quick reminder...
 Just a quick/friendly reminder that...
 Thank you for sharing.
 I'd like to inform you that...
 Just a quick heads up -
 Thanks for keeping me in the loop.
 Please keep me informed/posted/updated/in the loop.
5. Getting and giving approval

 Please let me know if this is OK with you.

 What are your thoughts (on this)?
 What do you think?
 Please let me know what you think.
 We just need the thumbs up/the green light. (=we're waiting for approval)
 You (totally) have the green light!
 He approved of it, so you can go ahead with the project.

6. Scheduling

 I'd like to schedule a meeting on [day] if you are available/free then.

 I am available on [day], if that's convenient for you.
 Would you be available on [day]? If so, I'll send you an invite shortly.
 Can you make it on [day]? If so, I'll book accordingly.
 I'm afraid I can't make it on [day]. How about...?
 (Due to...) I'm afraid we need to reschedule/delay/postpone/put
back/cancel/call off/move/rearrange our meeting.
 We are sorry to inform you that the interview/meeting scheduled for [day] will have to be
rescheduled.

7. Giving bad news

 Unfortunately, ...
 Unfortunately, we cannot/we are unable to ...
 I'm afraid it will not be possible to...
 Unfortunately, I have to tell you that...
 I'm afraid that we can't...
 We regret to inform you that...
 I regret to inform you that (due to...) ...
 After careful consideration we have decided (not) to ...
 Due to [reason], it won't be possible to...
 It's against company policy to...
 I tried my best, but...
 Despite my best efforts, ...
 I can't see how...
 I'm sorry but it's out of my hands.
 I'm afraid I won't be able to...
  I'm sorry to tell you that...

Closing Lines

1. When something is expected

Do you need a reply? Are you asking for a favor or you are meeting soon? These sentences are
perfect for those moments!

 Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

 I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 Please let me know if this works/if you are available/if that sounds good/if you can/if you
can help/if you need to reschedule...
 I look forward to seeing/meeting you.
 See you on Thursday/next week.
 Thanks.
 Thank you in advance.
 Thank you for everything.
 Cheers.
 Any feedback you can give me on this would be greatly/highly/much appreciated.
 If you could have it ready by tomorrow/the end of next week, I would really appreciate it.
 I would appreciate your help in this matter.

2. Offering help or information

 I hope you find this helpful.

 I hope it's clearer now.
 I hope that answers all your questions.
 If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.
 Let me know if you need any help.
 For further details...
 If you have any (more) questions (about)...
 In the meantime, if you need any more information,
 I you need more information/more info/further information,
 I know that's a lot to take in, so let me know if anything I've said doesn't make sense.
 ... please do not hesitate to contact me.
 ... please feel free to contact me/to get in touch.
 ... please let me know.
 ... drop me an email/drop me a line.
3. Apologizing (again!)
  Thanks you for your understanding/for your patience.
 Thanks again for your understanding/for your patience.
 Once again, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused/for the
inconvenience caused/for the delay/for the misunderstanding.
 I hope this is okay with you.
 I really hope we can find a solution soon.
 I hope you can understand.
 Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

4. Friendly ways to say 'bye'

 Best regards,
 All the best,
 Best wishes,
 Cheers,
 Have a great weekend!
 Have a wonderful day!
 UNIT 11
Corresponding (PART 2)

Look at the six examples of ineffective emails below. Discuss with your classmates of what
went wrong with the individual mails. Write down points of discussion in the box below.

email #1:

email #2:

email #3:

email #4:

email #5:

email #6:
Email #1

To: Bob Pope

From: Gabrielle Mendes
Subject: Job?

Hey Bob, We talked a couple weeks back at the chamber of commerce event. (I was the
one looking for a summer internship and had a zit on my lip that could have passed for a
cold soar. Lol. Whew. It was not. You‟re probably like, “uh.. What?” Maybe that helps you
recall, maybe not. Not completely important, I suppose.
I‟d really like to come work for you at your IT business. You seemed like a cool person to
work for, I liked ur striped pants. I‟m available to start working on Monday, but I am taking
my driver‟s test in June and have to study and go an hour and half away to take it at an
easier place cause I‟m not a great driver so I‟ll miss a few days. I am also going to the
beach with friends for a week in July. Oh, and my grandmother has bad gas (OMG IT‟S
TERRIBLE) and sometimes I have to take her to the doctor.
I‟ve attached my resume, it‟s the bomb dot com. Let me know if you have a job opening for
me. I
can‟t wait to play on some computers. If I don‟t respond to your email, I‟m always on FB,
snapchat or
insta!

Peace out,
Gabrielle
Mendes

Email #2

From: Steve Thomas

CC: Every single human Steve has ever emailed
Subject: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: OMG funny pictures of hilariousness

OMG this is the best email I‟ve seen all day. Hope you it. -Steve
Email #3

From: Eva
Gonzales To:
Tiffani Johnson
Subject: …

Did you see what Bratney is wearing today? She looks stupid. I mean, that color lipstick?
She‟s probably trying to get Juan‟s attention. And did you hear her sucking up to the boss. I
can‟t stand it. Like, we all work hard. AM I RIGHT?
Email #4

From: Tricia
Marcus To:
Allison Brown
Subject: Today‟s Meeting
Hey Allison!
I am looking forward to seeing you today for our meeting. I‟ve attached the materials needed
for our
discussion. Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Tricia
Marcus
Marketer Extraordinaire
[email protected]
om (555) 545-5656

Email #5

To: Employer
From: Ty
Stringer

Subject: I need

jobz der

Employer,

Email #6
 To: Bryan
Thomas From:
Alex King
Subject: Presentation Dear Mr. Thompson:
Can you send me the presentation from last week? I really
enjoyed it! Sincerely,
Alex

WRITING
Rewrite and improve the emails above so that they fulfill the rules of email etiquette. Attach the
improved emails in a file named [studentID]-[student name] – [class] - [email improvements].
Follow the suggestions above to make your email presentable.

GRAMMAR
Instructions

1. Look at the list of situations below (1-7). Match each situation with an appropriate statement
below the list of situations (a-j).

List of Situation
1. Introduce yourself, mentioning your career history
2. Have a progress check meeting with your line manager, giving excuses for things which
aren‟t
finished (yet)
3. Try for the fourth time today to phone someone in another company
4. Arrive late for drinks with a client or meeting a foreign business contact at the airport
5. You are asked about your present job in a job interview
6. Complain to your friend about how hard your job in the last few weeks
7. Make small talk about television programs

Matching Statement for Corresponding Situations

a. “I‟ve seen it.”
b. “I‟ve been working like a dog!”
c. “I‟ve been trying to get through to him.”
d. “I‟ve been working here…”
e. “I think I‟ve achieved a lot.”
f. “I‟ve been working on…”
g. “I‟ve done about 50% of it.”
h. “I‟ve been waiting”
i. “He‟s gone out to meet a client.”
j. “I‟ve been enjoying 24.”
2. Which of the statements above are present perfect tense? Which statements are
present perfect progressive?

3. Match these statements to the two tenses:

• Often used when talking about how long
• Often used when talking about how many or how much
• Focuses on the result/ achievement
• Focuses on the action
4. What are the general differences in meaning between the Present Perfect (Simple) and
the Present Perfect Continuous?

5. What would the differences in meaning be between these sentences?

• I‟ve learnt English./ I‟ve been learning English.
• I‟ve made a lot of mistakes./ I‟ve been making a lot of mistakes.
• I‟ve cut my finger on the guillotine./ I‟ve been cutting my finger on the guillotine.
• I‟ve read the report./ I‟ve been reading the report.
• We‟ve tested three possible video conference systems./ We‟ve been testing three
possible video
conference systems.
• I‟ve attended three training courses./ I‟ve been attending three training courses.
• They‟ve sold the shares./ They‟ve been selling the shares.
• I‟ve had lots of meetings this week./ I‟ve been having lots of meetings this week.
• He has worked for our main competitor and us./ He has been working for our main
competitor and us.
• I‟ve been working here for two years./ I‟ve worked here for two years.

6. Why doesn’t the last one change meaning (unlike the others)? Which sentence is more
common in
each case?

7. Why are these sentences wrong?

 I‟ve been being busy recently. X
 Have you ever been going to Australia? X
 I‟ve been having four jobs. X
 I‟ve been knowing my boss for 10 years X

8. Make one true Present Perfect (Simple) sentence and one true Present Perfect
Continuous sentence about things in this list:
• The government
• The price of something
• Consumer confidence/ Business confidence
• The central bank
• Your main competitor
• Your head office
 9. Choose things from the list below that you know about and discuss what the present
trends are and how long the situation has been like that, then write two full sentences.
• Property prices
• Prices of the main raw material your company deals in
• Shipping costs
• Staffing costs/ Wages
• Overtime
• Crime
• Consumer confidence/ Business confidence
• Consumer spending
• Number of IPOs
• Demand for your main product
• Interest rates

WRITING
Write an email for the following situation:
 recipient: Thomas Valles
 position: Restaurant Manager
 subject: corporate dinner arrangement changes
 situation: you want to ask him to make changes to the following items:
o date: from 25th February to 20th February
o from 30 pax to 35 pax
o from European cuisine to Asian Dishes
o 7:00 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. reservation
o beach side tables
 apologize for creating inconveniences from your requests
 explain that it was a request from the visiting partners.
 explain also that you have contacted the vice manager but haven‟t received a response.
 request a quick response about their ability to accommodate the changes.
 close by apologizing again and adding a call to action.
References
1. http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/writing-business-emails.html
2. https://blog.talaera.com/business-emails-phrases
3. https://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/cms/lib/GA01000549/Centricity/Domain/7220/Profe
ssiona l%20Communicating%20Assignment.pdf
4. https://www.usingenglish.com/files/pdf/business-english-present-perfect-
simple- progressive.pdf
 UNIT 12
Business Report

OBJECTIVES

By the end of the chapter, you should be able to

1. exhibit confident use of vocabulary and expressions of business reports
2. answer questions regarding making business reports through listening and reading
activities
3. simulate an business report with given situation

4. make short presentation based on the business report

5. use perfect tense forms appropriately in given situations

In your daily business, many different aspects and „activities‟ are constantly changing –
sales trends and volume, marketing performance metrics, warehouse operational shifts or
inventory management changes. All these little alterations in your business activities are
impacting the global well-being of your company, your warehouse, your restaurant or even your
healthcare facility. Whether you manage a big or small company, business reports must be
incorporated to establish goals, track operations, and strategy, to get an in-depth view of the
overall company state.
This is where the need to report all of these little and big changes arises: knowing what is
happening in your business is key to keep it afloat and be prepared to face any transformation
or drastic shift. And business report templates are the best help for that. They may gather
financial, marketing and sales- related information, or more technical data; a business report
sample will be your all-time assistance to adjust purchasing plans, staffing schedules, and more
generally, communicating your ideas in the business environment. Knowing how to prepare and
create one can reduce costs and time to decide on a relevant course of action. We will discuss
report examples and templates you can use to create your own report, use its features in an
interactive way and discover relevant inputs for your specific industry.

What Are Business Reports?

A business report is a set of data which can provide historical information related to a
company‟s operations, production, specific department‟s insights, and create a base for future
decision-making processes or factual insights needed to organize business functions.
According to Report Writing for Business, “A business report is an orderly, objective
communication of factual information that serves some business purpose”. It organizes
information for a specific business purpose. While some reports will go into a more detailed
approach into analyzing the functionality and strategies of a specific department, other
examples of business reports will be more concentrated on the bigger picture of business
management, for example, investor relations. That‟s where the magic of these kinds of reports
truly shines: no matter for which business goal you need it, their usage can be various and, at
the same time, effective.
They can also be of many different types, but they all have one common trait: gathering data
and tracking the business activities related to something specific. From there, their author(s) will
often perform an analysis and provide recommendations to the organizations. A good business
report template presents an in-depth analysis where the writers show how they have interpreted
their findings. The more factual the report is, the clearer the data, which can then be interpreted
in a cost-effective way, meaning, the reduction of time needed to analyze findings will be
increased, and it will save countless of working hours in a specific organization or company. For
example, a marketing report can reduce the time needed to analyze a specific campaign, while
an annual finance report template can provide insights into the recruiting process and evaluate,
for example, why did the Cost per hire increase.
You can easily find a sample of business report on the Internet, but not all of them fit your
needs. Make sure, at any moment, that the report you want to create is accurate, objective and
complete. It should be well-written, in a way that holds the reader‟s attention and meets their
expectations, with a clear structure. We will come back later in the article on how to write a good
report, but also with a specific business report sample, so that you can see what kind of data
you can incorporate.

The purpose
These reports address specific issues and are often used when decisions need to be
made. As author Alan Thomson says, “a business report conveys information to assist in
business decision-making. [It] is the medium in which to present this information.” They have
several purposes: some record information to plan for the future, some record past information
to understand a situation, and others present a solution to a business problem. They all are
essential to business success, as they bring clarity to a complex analysis. As mentioned earlier,
the clearer the data, the more cost-effective results will be, so keeping in mind the exact data to
incorporate into this kind of report should be essential in deciding of what kind of report to
generate. All industries have their specific sets of Key Performance Indicators and metrics,
which should be considered when creating that kind of report. You can also generate an
interdepartmental report or between businesses to compare industry values and see how your
company stands on the market.
Working with an online dashboard to produce your reports is an incredible advantage for
the easiness of use, the time saved but most importantly, the accuracy of the information you
will use. As you work with real-time data, everything on your report will be up-to-date and the
decisions you will take will be backed with the latest info. Such tool is a significant help when
you need to explore your data and perform data analyses to extract actionable insights. It will
deliver an important added-value to your report thanks to the visualization of your findings,
bringing more clarity and comprehension to the analyses, which is their whole purpose. While
exploring your data, with deeper insights generated with just a few clicks, the report doesn‟t
have to be dull, boring and lost in hundreds of pages or spreadsheets of data. Keeping a clean
approach to generating a customized report for a department or whole company will bring more
value than printing or searching through a spreadsheet. Imagine yourself in a meeting, with 200
pages of analysis from the last 5 years of business management. One participant asks you a
specific question regarding your operational costs dating 3 years back. And you‟re sitting there,
trying to find that specific piece of information that can make or break your business meeting.
With this you cannot go wrong, all the information you need is generated with a click, within a
click, within a click.

Why You Need Business Reports

These reports also enable data collection by documenting the progress you make.
Through them, you have the means to compare different periods of time and activity, growth,
etc. You can better see which products or services are more successful than others, which
marketing campaign outperforms which other, and which markets or segments require more
attention. Collecting all this data is indispensable – and by doing so, you build a paper trail of
your past (or, namely, a data trail). They let people outside the company (like banks or
investors) know about your activity and performance and enable stakeholders to understand
your organization‟s tangible and intangible assets.

The benefits
With these reports, you increase the understanding of risks and opportunities within your
company. They accentuate the link between financial and non-financial performance: they
streamline processes, reduce costs and improve efficiency. They help you compare your
performance to other business units or other companies in the same sector. On a more specific
level, a business report template can help you dig thoroughly into details and discover
correlations that would be overlooked otherwise. All of these benefits, if used correctly, will
provide insights into the most valuable information a business can obtain: will I survive on the
market? By creating that kind of a report, not only will you find your answer, but the whole
organization can tackle deeper into specific insights that can bring operational value and control
the overall expenditures. That being said, how to write this kind of report, with specific examples
and templates, can provide building blocks to establish a successful report. Let‟s see this
through a more detailed approach.

How To Write A Business Report

Before starting writing your report, establish the goals and the audience. Knowing who
you want to direct it to is key in its elaboration, from the tone, vocabulary/jargon you choose to
the data you will focus on. A report to external stakeholders, to the CEOs or to the technical
engineers‟ team will be drastically different from one another.
Likewise, the scope varies according to the objective of the report. State beforehand the
needs and goals, to direct you on the right path. It should be impartial, objective, with a planned
presentation or dashboard reporting tool which enables an interactive flow of data and
immediate access to every information needed to generate clear findings. Some good example
of a business report you can find later in the article.