How to write readable reports and winning proposals: Part 1: grab your reader with a PAW: a good opening gives the reader a "PAW": Purpose, Action/Achievement, What next.Whether your opening is an abstract, an executive summary, or an unnamed couple of paragraphs, its goal is the same: to give the readers the essence of what follows and show them why it is important to them. If you do that, you will catch their interest and entice them to continue reading. One good success formula is to grab them with a PAW. PAW stands for Purpose, Action/Achievement, What Next. It's an easy acronym acronym: see abbreviation. A word typically made up of the first letters of two or more words; for example, BASIC stands for "Beginners All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. to remember for the beginning of a piece of writing, as it mirrors the opening handshake handshake - handshaking of a conversation. Let's see Let's See was a Canadian television series broadcast on CBC Television between September 6, 1952 to July 4, 1953. The segment, which had a running time of 15 minutes, was a puppet show with a character named Uncle Chichimus (voice of John Conway), which presented each why it works. "P" Stands for Purpose Why did you do the work that is the subject of your report? What was the problem it intended to solve? The question it hoped to answer? The complaint it set out to resolve? The idea it planned to test? The new product it sought to create? These questions will lead you to the purpose of your work--the "P" of your opening PAW. By relating the purpose to the readers' interests, you immediately show them why your report or proposal will be interesting to them. Here are two examples: * To discover what is causing excessive dusting of your ultrabright paper ... * Recent pilot trials of XYZ XYZ interj. Informal Used to indicate to someone that the zipper of his or her pants is open. [ex(amine) y(our) z(ipper).] suggested that it might save our company considerable money in the production of high-gloss bleached board. If you are writing a proposal, the purpose is usually even simpler. It is the need of the customer that you are proposing to solve. * ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. Food Service requires affordable disposable disposable Nursing adjective Referring to that which is discarded or disposed of noun An item used in health care-related Pt contact which is discarded after use–eg masks, gloves, gowns, needles, paper products, syringes, wipes. See Biohazardous waste. trays that will not stick to hot substances placed on them. "A" Stands for Action or Achievement Now that your readers know the purpose behind your project or proposal, they are ready for an indication of your findings or proposals in service of this purpose. For report writers: What have you found or accomplished? * We analyzed an·a·lyze tr.v. an·a·lyzed, an·a·lyz·ing, an·a·lyz·es 1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations. 2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of. 3. seven samples and found high amounts of X and Y in all of them. X is from the filler fill·er 1 n. One that fills, as: a. Something added to augment weight or size or fill space. b. A composition, especially a semisolid that hardens on drying, used to fill pores, cracks, or holes in wood, plaster, , and Y from the coating. * A trial at ABC mill confirmed the results of the pilot trials, indicating that we can expect 8% savings in materials and a 5% increase in proc-machine speed. For proposal writers: What action do you propose to solve the customer's need? * We propose to coat bleached-board trays with XYZ in a patented two-step method described in this proposal. "W" Stands for What Next In a few lines, you have shown your readers the past (the purpose of the work) and the present (the achievements or results). If that covers the work you are reporting, stop there. When it is meaningful and useful, however, complete your opening with a sketch sketch, a rapidly executed kind of pictorial note-taking. The sketch is not usually intended as an autonomous work of art, although many have been considered masterpieces in their own right. of the future. What do you plan to do next, or what do you recommend? * We recommend that our other mills producing high-gloss bleached board run a one-day trial of XYZ, following the same protocol as ABC mill. If these further trials are successful, we should move to full production as soon as possible in order to improve the profit margin on this key product line. * We would welcome the opportunity to present this solution to ABC, with samples of similar products. So, begin by telling your readers what you're doing, why it matters, and what should follow it. That prepares both them and you for a report or proposal that is easy to follow, provides all relevant information, and meets their needs. |
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