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Writing Recommendation Reports 19 523

Guidelines

Writing Recommendations
As you draft your recommendations, consider the following four factors:
 content. Be clear and specific. If the project has been unsuccessful, don’t
simply recommend that your readers “try some other alternatives.” What
alternatives do you recommend and why?
 tone. When you recommend a new course of action, be careful not to offend
whoever formulated the earlier course. Do not write that following your
recommendations will “correct the mistakes” that have been made. Instead,
your recommendations should “offer great promise for success.” A restrained,
understated tone is more persuasive because it shows that you are interested
only in the good of your company, not personal rivalries.
 form. If the report leads to only one recommendation, use traditional
paragraphs. If the report leads to more than one recommendation, consider a
numbered list.
 location. Consider including a summary of the recommendations — or, if they
are brief, the full list — after the executive summary or in the introduction as well
as at the end of the body of the report.

Writing the front Matter

Front matter is common in reports, proposals, and manuals. As discussed in
Table 19.1 on page 520, front matter helps readers understand the whole re-
port and find the information they seek. Most organizations have established
formats for front matter. Study the style guide used in your company or, if
there isn’t one, examples from the files to see how other writers have assem-
bled their reports.

Letter of Transmittal The letter of transmittal, which can take the form in this book
of a letter or a memo, introduces the primary reader to the purpose and For more about formatting a
content of the report. It is attached to the report, bound in with it, or sim- letter, see Ch. 14, p. 376.
ply placed on top of it. Even though the letter likely contains no informa-
tion that is not included elsewhere in the report, it is important because
it is the first thing the reader sees. It establishes a courteous and profes-
sional tone. Letters of transmittal are customary even when the writer and
the reader both work for the same organization. See page 532 in the sam-
ple recommendation report for an example of a transmittal letter in the
form of a memo.

Cover The cover protects the report from normal wear and tear and from
harsher environmental conditions, such as water or grease. The cover usually
contains the title of the report, the name and position of the writer, the date of

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