Deck 13: Proposals, Business Plans, and Formal Business Reports

Question 1

Tom is writing a solicited proposal in response to an RFP and is working on the background section.What is his goal in this section?

A) To convince the reader that a problem exists
B) To make himself look professional
C) To show the reader how much accepting the proposal will cost
D) To persuade the reader that he understands the problem completely

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Formal proposals differ from informal proposals in

A) style.
B) size and format.
C) emotional and rational appeals.
D) persuasive techniques used.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Proposals are

A) written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment.
B) a critical means of selling equipment and services for many companies.
C) solicited by both government agencies and private businesses.
D) all of these choices.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The introduction to a proposal typically

A) lists the proposed project costs.
B) highlights the writer's qualifications.
C) asks for approval or authorization.
D) All of these choices.

Question 5

The title page of a formal proposal should include

A) the name of the client organization.
B) the RFP number or other announcement.
C) the date of submission.
D) all of these choices.

Question 6

A letter of transmittal submitted with a formal proposal should

A) provide ancillary (supplemental) materials of interest to readers.
B) include a list of the costs for the entire project.
C) briefly present the major features and benefits of the proposal.
D) describe the credentials and expertise of the project leaders.

Question 7

Which of the following components is typically included in a formal proposal but is optional in an informal proposal?

A) Budget
B) Staffing
C) Authorization Request
D) Table of Contents

Question 8

The actual proposal section of a proposal must

A) describe the credentials and expertise of the project leaders.
B) identify the resources you will use, including computer facilities.
C) tell what you propose to do and how it will benefit the reader.
D) All of these choices.

Question 9

In the introduction section of a proposal, which of the following would be the best way to persuade the receiver to read the rest of the proposal?

A) Mention a remarkable resource available exclusively to you.
B) Present a detailed budget that shows a low overall cost.
C) Give the background and credentials of everyone who will be working on the project.
D) Provide a timetable for all activities.

Question 10

Unsolicited proposals should

A) not present a complete budget until after the proposal has been accepted.
B) convince the reader that a problem exists.
C) use the language of the RFP or other announcement.
D) reveal every detail of your proposal.

Question 11

An abstract included with a formal proposal is typically

A) one page long.
B) three to four pages long.
C) five to six pages long.
D) up to 10 percent of the original text.

Question 12

Which section of a proposal typically identifies the problem and discusses the goals or purposes of the project?

A) Background
B) Staffing
C) Budget
D) Authorization Request

Question 13

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the executive summary?

A) An executive summary is written for specialists or technical readers.
B) An executive summary is generally shorter than an abstract.
C) The content of an executive summary should be more technically oriented than an abstract.
D) A formal proposal may contain both an executive summary and an abstract.

Question 14

Select the most accurate statement about proposals.

A) Most internal proposals are written in response to Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
B) Most proposals are unsolicited.
C) Proposals are legal contracts.
D) Most proposals are internal.

Question 15

The staffing section of an informal proposal may

A) identify the size and qualifications of the support staff.
B) endorse and support your staff.
C) identify resources such as computer facilities that will be used during the project.
D) All of these choices.

Question 16

Which of the following is most likely to appear in the appendix section of a formal proposal?

A) A copy of the RFP
B) A list of tables and figures that appear in the proposal
C) The résumés of principal investigators or testimonial letters
D) An executive summary of the proposal

Question 17

Which of the following statements about business plans is least accurate?

A) Business plans are generally written in response to RFPs.
B) A business plan is another form of proposal.
C) A business plan is critical for securing financial support of any kind.
D) The reader of a business plan is typically a bank loan officer, a venture capitalist, or an investor.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Formal proposals generally contain both a table of contents and an index.
B) Tables of contents should include all headings and their beginning page numbers.
C) Items that appear before the table of contents (copy of RFP, letter of transmittal, abstract/executive summary, and title page) should also be included in the table of contents for clarity.
D) Do not list any appendixes in the table of contents.

Question 19

The authorization request section of an informal proposal may include

A) a request for approval.
B) a reminder of a key benefit.
C) a deadline beyond which the offer is invalid.
D) all of these choices.

Question 20

The budget included in a proposal

A) is tentative and may be modified later.
B) represents a contract.
C) should be open-ended for acceptance.
D) should not include a deadline for acceptance because doing so might seem too pushy.

Question 21

Jill wants to write a persuasive business plan.What government agency will give her the most useful advice for writing the plan?

A) Internal Revenue Service
B) Small Business Administration
C) Securities and Exchange Commission
D) Department of Homeland Security

Question 22

What is the most accurate statement about the title page of a formal report?

A) All items on a title page are typed in uppercase letters.
B) Enclose the title in quotation marks to make it stand out.
C) The last item on a title page is the name of the author.
D) The name of the person receiving the report comes before the author of the report.

Question 23

Which of the following statements about formal business reports is least accurate?

A) Formal reports are similar to formal proposals in length, organization, and serious tone.
B) Formal reports are written for external audiences only.
C) Formal reports present the end product of thorough investigation and analyses.
D) Breaking a long formal report into small segments makes it easier to understand.

Question 24

What do many investors consider to be the most important factor in assessing business potential?

A) Whether you're aware of all of your direct and indirect competitors
B) Whether you've come up with a realistic start-up budget
C) Whether your management team can implement the business plan
D) Whether your start-up company has a Web site

Question 25

The part of a formal report that highlights the important points for people who may not have time to read the entire report is the

A) budget.
B) executive summary.
C) authorization.
D) table of contents.

Question 26

The financial analysis section of a business plan should

A) be included only if you have an existing company.
B) omit exact dollar figures.
C) explain how much money you already have.
D) omit one-time expenses.

Question 27

To avoid sounding repetitious in a formal business report,

A) vary your presentation of the information slightly.
B) do not include information that has been presented elsewhere.
C) skip the introduction if it contains information that has been presented elsewhere.
D) word the information in exactly the same way you did in a previous section of the report.

Question 28

The letter of transmittal and/or executive summary of a business plan should

A) include a concise mission statement for your business.
B) provide your name and contact information.
C) describe your business, explaining the reasons it will succeed.
D) All of these choices.

Question 29

The table of contents for a short formal business report should

A) include all headings.
B) include only first- and second-level headings.
C) be prepared before you start writing the report.
D) be omitted.

Question 30

In an introduction to a formal business report, the section that clarifies the boundaries of the report and defines what will be included or excluded is the

A) scope.
B) significance.
C) background.
D) authorization.

Question 31

Which of the following appears in the market analysis section of a business plan?

A) A discussion of barriers to entry
B) An overview of complementary products and services
C) A summary of the strengths and weaknesses of your direct and indirect competitors
D) All of these choices

Question 32

Which part of a formal business report contains the report title, the name of the person receiving the report, the author's name, and the date of submission?

A) Report cover
B) Title page
C) Table of contents
D) Executive summary

Question 33

What is the purpose of a report cover?

A) To give the report a professional, finished appearance
B) To hide the title of the report so that you can build suspense
C) To take the place of the title page
D) All of these choices

Question 34

Which of the following statements would not be appropriate for a transmittal letter or memo?

A) I would be glad to do follow-up research if required.
B) I appreciate the opportunity to have completed this research project.
C) This report investigating the need to relocate the corporate offices was authorized by Doug Peters.
D) The questionnaire shown here was used to collect data for this report.

Question 35

Jacqueline must send the same formal report to several readers.What should she do?

A) Send the same letter of transmittal to all readers.
B) Omit the letter of transmittal.
C) Prepare a special letter of transmittal for each, anticipating how each reader will use the report.
D) Include a letter of transmittal for only the primary reader.

Question 36

The section in the introduction to a formal business report that tells why the report topic is important is the

A) scope.
B) significance.
C) authorization.
D) background.

Question 37

Which of the following statements about business plans is least accurate?

A) For existing companies, the company description section should describe the company's founding, growth, sales, and profits.
B) Investors are looking only for unique products or services.
C) Start-up companies should explain in the product/service description section why the business will be profitable.
D) The product/service description section should explain why your product or service is better than existing products or services.

Question 38

In a formal report, the transmittal letter or memorandum usually

A) follows the indirect plan.
B) uses no contractions or first-person pronouns.
C) highlights the report's findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
D) is as formal as the report itself.

Question 39

What is the best advice for preparing an executive summary of a formal business report?

A) To add variety to your report, prepare your executive summary in a different sequence from the report itself.
B) Use a lot of technical language to impress your reader.
C) Begin the executive summary with your purpose.
D) Make the executive summary as long as necessary to be persuasive.

Question 40

The company description in a business plan should

A) identify the form of your business and its business type.
B) discuss market characteristics, trends, projected growth, and barriers to entry.
C) explain how the product or service you are providing will benefit customers.
D) All of these choices.

Question 41

An effective opening for an informal proposal might be We are pleased to submit this proposal describing how our ethics training program can help your employees make the best decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas on the job.

Question 42

Proposals should be written carefully because they represent legal contracts.

Question 43

Writers often include additional information in the introduction to a formal report.Which of the following would not be appropriate to include in the introduction?

A) Describing the events leading up to the problem or need
B) Summarizing what other authors and researchers have published on the report topic
C) Providing a detailed analysis of the problem
D) Defining key terms

Question 44

Proposals are written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment.

Question 45

Preparing for Our Industry's Future is an example of a(n)

A) informational heading.
B) functional heading.
C) talking heading.
D) analytical heading.

Question 46

Which statement does not describe the body of a formal business report?

A) Clear headings are used to explain each major section.
B) Evidence that justifies the conclusions is presented.
C) Research findings are discussed, analyzed, interpreted, and evaluated.
D) Incidental and supporting materials are placed strategically throughout the body of the report.

Question 47

Most proposals are internal.

Question 48

Most proposals begin by briefly explaining the reasons for the proposal and by highlighting the writer's qualifications.

Question 49

If the RFP requests that an organization design an interactive Web site that will provide online customer support, the writer should repeat the language when explaining the purpose of the proposal.

Question 50

The section of a formal business report that makes precise suggestions for actions to solve the report problem is the

A) recommendations.
B) introduction.
C) conclusion.
D) body.

Question 51

The longest and most substantive section of a formal business report is the

A) executive summary.
B) introduction.
C) conclusion.
D) body.

Question 52

The section of a formal business report that tells what the findings mean is the

A) recommendations.
B) introduction.
C) conclusion.
D) body.

Question 53

In an introduction to a formal report, what section identifies who commissioned the report?

A) Scope
B) Significance
C) Background
D) Authorization

Question 54

If you are writing an unsolicited proposal, your goal in the background section is to convince the reader that a problem exists.

Question 55

Solicited proposals are written when an individual or company sees a problem that needs to be solved and offers to solve it.

Question 56

Most proposals are solicited.

Question 57

Which of the following is a useful guideline for citing sources in a formal business report?

A) If you use the Modern Language Association (MLA) referencing format, title this section References.
B) If you borrow words or ideas from unpublished sources, you do not have to include corresponding in-text citations in your report.
C) Include the retrieval date on which you located an electronic reference.
D) All of these choices are useful guidelines for citing sources in a formal business report.

Question 58

Lydia's report contains sensitive topics that may upset her readers.What type of heading should she use in her formal business report?

A) Graphic headings
B) Functional headings
C) Talking headings
D) She should omit headings altogether.

Question 59

The best advice for preparing a formal business report is to

A) collect data and write the report at the same time.
B) record ideas quickly and save revision until after the first draft is completed.
C) complete the hardest sections first to gain a sense of accomplishment.
D) use the same verb tense throughout the report for consistency.

Question 60

If you include a schedule of activities or timetable in your proposal, place it in the proposal section.

Question 61

Formal proposals differ from informal proposals in size and format only.

Question 62

The transmittal letter or memo that accompanies a formal business report is usually directly organized and written less formally than the report itself.

Question 63

As long as you have at least one table or figure in your proposal, a list of figures is required.

Question 64

Executive summaries should always be limited to one page.

Question 65

Wait until you've completed the report to prepare the table of contents.

Question 66

Omit a mission statement from a business plan because investors won't expect you to have one until you actually start your business.

Question 67

The appendixes of a business plan might include promotional materials and product photos.

Question 68

All formal proposals are written for external audiences, and all formal business reports are written for internal audiences.

Question 69

In the financial analysis section of a business plan, include only a start-up budget since you're not expected to already know how much you'll need for your operating budget.

Question 70

An appropriate statement to include in the letter of transmittal accompanying a formal proposal is This bid will be in effect until October 22, 2013.

Question 71

Be sure that your business plan describes a unique product or service because that is all investors will be interested in.

Question 72

Formal proposals must always be in submitted as printed documents.

Question 73

Formal business reports are read by only the highest levels of management.

Question 74

If your costs increase later, you can raise the prices listed in your proposal budget.

Question 75

A business plan is a form of proposal.

Question 76

A copy of the RFP should be included in the front matter of a formal proposal.

Question 77

Informal proposals should close with a reminder of key benefits as well as a request for approval.

Question 78

Formal business reports are similar to formal proposals in that they both make offers.

Question 79

Many investors look carefully at the experience of the management team because they consider this the most important factor in assessing business potential.

Question 80

The executive summary included in a formal proposal is generally more technically oriented than an abstract.