3. Know And Target Your Audiences

The key to report writing is to know who your audiences are.

The question I probably get asked most often by my friends is: "Come on, do you really read all of the reports? Or just the beginning?" Now this is a very interesting question, and my answer will depend on who you ask this question to.

As a lecturer, I will read everything, not matter how awful and boring; and even if I lose the will to leave half way through the first page, I will carry on. The reason is that it is my job.

As a businessman however, my answer will be very different. If I am given a great report (the kind I am detailing in this blog), I will only read the cover page, and it will provide me with all the information I need, thus making efficient use of my limited time in a busy schedule. If the report is not good however, it will earn a one way-trip to the round filling cabinet, i.e. straight to the bin.

Behind the two different answers lies the key stone to good report writing: you much know and target your audiences. And note that, since the beginning of this post, I keep using the plural: audiences. This is because there are three types of reader that will take interest in your work.

• The boss
• The average guy
• The technical person

Your boss is busy, and has not time to read through pages and pages. Yet he needs to be aware of the work you have done, why you have done it, and what you have found. This is critical as he will sign you pay check, but will also decide on your pay raise and promotion. This is where the front matter, or more precisely executive summary comes into play: you need to get across as concisely as possible what the report is all about. This is the reason why I always advise to feature the summary on the cover page.

The average guy will then move onto the main body of the report, curious to know more. This is why you need to provide clear and precise explanation, supported by appealing visuals, to retain the attention of the reader right until the end. This reader my however not have the same level of technical understanding as you do, and may therefore not question of be critical of the work you have done.

Finally, the technical person is on the same level of understanding as you, if not on a higher one. This person will therefore be very critical of your work, and will want to question your report in greater details. This is why the back matter, and principally the appendix is vital: it allows for the technical person to check all your detailed calculations for instance, so that he can be convinced the work has been performed without any mistake.

Now coming back to my earlier answers: as a businessman, I am the boss, and I am looking for an extremely succinct outline, without the details, and therefore I am satisfied with the executive summary. As a lecturer however, I am the technical person, I need to make sure the work presented is fully accurate, so that I can award marks and provide constructive feedback.

So, when writing your next report, keep in mind your target audiences for each section:

• The boss for the front matter
• The average guy for the main body
• The technical person for the back matter