The Main Idea

Getting people to understand the subject of your report is much easier when you, yourself, have a firm grasp of what you are writing about. Apart from having done the necessary research/attending the necessary meetings to create the business report, it is also a good idea to ask yourself guide questions to help keep your main idea tight. A helpful thought would be to ask what questions you would have if you were to read your report for the first time, and then try to integrate the answers into your memo.

If your report is about a company issue, it can also be helpful to go a step further and propose possible solutions in your report to get the wheels turning. Above all however, the main message is the most important thing to keep in mind, and even while answering auxiliary questions and refining details beyond your first draft, be sure not to stray too far from the point.

The Flow Of The Memo

After identifying your main idea, it is a good idea to break it down into smaller ideas. This will help you create an outline for your report, which will help you decide what works best for the flow of your writing. This is important because wordy or monotonous business reports can be difficult to sit through, and most people would rather read through a memo that won’t make them drowsy.

A helpful guideline for making your report outline is to go by chronological order, especially if your report deals with multiple incidents or events. If the report is about a problem and possible solution, it is a good idea to fully define the issue before suggesting any possible solutions to your reader. This will prevent any confusion, and keep the reader from bouncing between issue and workaround.

Be Mindful Of Your Language

Perhaps one of the most important parts of your report is being mindful of your usage of words. You might have a lot of important details in your business reports, but keeping them chunked up into thick paragraphs will more likely keep the reader from retaining the information, reducing the efficacy of your message. Proper spacing and simplification of major points in your report are key to effectively communicating the main ideas involved.

Although your report is formal by nature, engaging with your reader is still an effective way of communicating your main points. It is important to avoid using passive language, as it may suggest that certain segments of your writing can be dismissed or overlooked. Remedy this by avoiding sentences of the same length in consecutive order and instead employing the use of short and long sentences in succession to keep the flow going. Let the readers know that every part of your report is worth reading.

With these tips, your readers will know for sure that your reports mean business.