The Key Questions

Developing effective reports, manuals, and proposals requires a comprehensive planning process that addresses the following key questions:

• Who is my audience?
• What is my relationship to the audience?
• What does my audience know or not know about my topic?
• What caused the need for this document?
• What am I hoping this document will achieve?

How the Answers Shape Your Document

The answers to these questions will dictate and shape the contents, structure, and tone of your final document. Consider the following three examples:

• A report for a superior with little knowledge of your report's topic should have a different tone and approach than a similar report for your peers who work with the topic on a daily basis.
• A manual that will be accessible online to non-native English speakers will require greater caution in terms of slang, jargon, and idioms than a manual written for employees, industry 'insiders', and native English speakers only.
• A business plan written to apply for a bank loan will have a different emphasis than a business plan you are submitting to a venture capitalist.

It is the attention paid to subtle distinctions such as these that make the difference between an ineffective document and a highly effective document.

How OLILA Can Help

Olila can help you to analyze your situation and topic, and carefully define your audience and desired outcomes. We work closely with you to develop a document that meets all criteria, a process that also better prepares you to present and defend your document.