Who Knows Business Communication

PROPOSAL AND RECOMMENDATION TEAM PROJECT

ABED 3100 TEAM PROJECT

RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSAL & PRESENTATION

ROLE: You will be set up in a team of four to five with specific positions within a hypothetical independent Consulting firm. Your consulting firm specializes in helping organizations improve their marketing communication, organizational effectiveness and public relations status.

We will assume that the “Student Government Association” on campus has developed an RFP (Request For Proposal) soliciting recommendations to strengthen their organization’s communications and effectiveness on campus and within the Carrollton area.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION MISSION

The “Student Government Association” is the official voice and representation of the student body at the University of West Georgia. They enact programs necessary for the general welfare of the student body, promote unity, justice, liberty, equality, and peace among the students, faculty, and staff. They encourage a higher quality of education for the students, actively participate in Faculty Senate Committees, and give students the opportunity to address grievances through a judiciary process.

Your consulting firm will be making recommendations to revamp and create more effective communication strategies within and outside of the Student Government Organization. Refer to several assumptions at the end of PART I to get started.

First thing your team will need to do is make up a consulting firm with company name along with some background of your consulting firm in order to establish credibility (See Company Background section of the proposal).

AUDIENCE: Your consulting firm/company will be presenting your recommendations to representatives from the Student Government Association (our class). You want to make sure that your proposal and presentation are “appealing” to your audience and they know WIIFM (What’s in it for me—in this case, them). You should perform some due diligence in this area, but not extensive. Understand their function

within the student body/university in order to make meaningful recommendations.

Key Parts: Part I: Recommendations Proposal Document

Part II: Professional Presentation (PowerPoint)

PART I: RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSAL

You will be developing a RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSAL with your team members that represents your hypothetical consulting firm that specializes in improving business communications. The proposal must be organized in a one-half inch 3-ring binder with section tabs.

There are several parts to the proposal:

1. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL (cover letter to accompany the proposal))

2. COVER PAGE (Graphics with company name logo etc)

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS

4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

5. STATEMENT OF NEED (reflects the needs of the RFP)

6. BACKGROUND OF THE CONSULTING FIRM

7. INTERNAL & EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS (as they currently exist)

8. RECOMMENDATIONS

10. CONCLUSION

11. REFERENCES (hypothetical companies from your past)

For each part listed above, there are detailed instructions of what should be included. Below will indicate what parts are small and big and when they need to be done (either in the beginning or end of the project).

SMALL PARTS (these parts should be done LAST):

1. Letter of Transmittal

2. Cover Page

3. Table of Contents

4. Conclusion

5. References

BIG PARTS:

1. Executive Summary (last to be done)

2. Statement of Need (first to be done)

3. Background of the Consulting Company (first to be done – hypothetical but realistic)

4. Internal/External Communications (first to be done)—Needs to be determined

5. Follow-Up Contact with Company (to be done after initial contact—initial contact provides name to follow up with)/Letter of Transmittal (last to be done)

6. Recommendations (Completed towards the end)—Collects information from team members plus their own input on recommendations—each team member must contribute to the recommendations.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Each part of the proposal will ONLY receive full credit if you have done an exceptional job in meeting the requirements. If the parts only meet the minimum requirements, the maximum grade will be no higher than a B.

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Additionally, EACH student will be accountable for their designated sections. There will be a team grade and an individual grade. The project should be divided up as follows (suggested approach):

TEAM OF FOUR STUDENTS (SUGGESTION ONLY TO HELP YOU IN GETTING STARTED):

1. Executive Summary (last to be done)/Statement of Need (first to be done)/Completed Proofreading Checklist

2. Background of the Consulting Company (first to be done)/Cover Page/Table of

Contents/Completed Proofreading Checklist

3. Internal/External Communications—BOTH INTERNAL & EXTERNAL (first to be done)/Letter of

Transmittal (last to be done)/Completed Proofreading Checklist

4. Recommendations (Completed towards the end)/Conclusion (last to be done)/References/Team /Completed Proofreading Checklist

TEAM OF FIVE STUDENTS:

1. Statement of Need (first to be done)/ Cover Page/Team Meeting Agenda & Minutes/Completed Proofreading Checklist

2. Background of the Consulting Company (first to be done)/ References/Completed Proofreading Checklist

3. Internal/External Communications--BOTH INTERNAL & EXTERNAL (first to be done)/Table of

Contents (last to be done)/Completed Proofreading Checklist

4. Recommendations (Completed towards the end)/Conclusion (last to be done)/Completed

Proofreading Checklist

5. Executive Summary (last to be done)/Letter of Transmittal (last to be done)/Completed

Proofreading Checklist.

PROOFREADING & EDITING PROPOSAL:

Each student in the team will need to take part in the proofreading and editing of the proposal. There will be a checklist that EACH student will sign off on to indicate that they have reviewed the ENTIRE recommendations proposal and feel that it has met the proper formatting and content requirements.

NOTE: In order to properly proofread, you will need to double-check the required expectations with what your team members included in their parts.

Please understand that this proposal will be several different files because you need to ensure proper page numbers. There will NOT be any page numbers on the COVER PAGE and TABLE OF CONTENTS. Plus, the LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL will be found in the beginning of the proposal not attached or bound in the project.

It is recommended that the LAST team member to review the proposal complete the TABLE OF

CONTENTS to ensure that all the page numbers are correct and that all sections are formatted

consistently.

DETAILED REQUIREMENTS OF EACH PART OF THE PROPOSAL:

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL—no page number (submitted as a separate sheet of paper)

You will need to include a letter of transmittal to be located on your CONSULTING FIRM’S LETTERHEAD. A letter of transmittal is a letter that gives the “gist” of the recommendation proposal. This letter is a message of goodwill and information. It is not meant to be persuasive. You should use a DIRECT APPROACH…by including the main points first and supporting them with evidence in the body and/or conclusion.

 Paragraph 1: Indicate the purpose of the proposal and the intended audience (who will receive the report)

 Paragraph 2: Summarize the proposal objectives and areas of focus (i.e. department /organizational image, membership/involvement, as well as activities/event to increase exposure). Briefly touch upon the recommendation ideas your consulting team has developed.

 Paragraph 3: Conclude the letter by indicating your availability to be contacted for additional information or clarification. Include your contact information (you can make this up), but it should include the partners’ names.

This letter must be properly formatted. Create a letterhead for your company. This letter will be on the letterhead with .3 top/.3 bottom/1.0 right/1.0 left margins. Use the same font as the proposal. This is

NOT to be indicated in the Table of Contents.

COVER PAGE—no page number (beginning of proposal)

Your cover page will need to look extremely professional. You may want to put a border around the cover page. You will need to include the CONSULTING TEAM’S LOGO AND INFORMATION—INCLUDING TEAM MEMBER NAMES. Also, you will need to indicate the name of the ORGANIZATION / COMPANY YOU ARE REPRESENTING (AND THEIR LOGO). The title should indicate that it is a recommendations proposal (i.e. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PROPOSAL FOR THE Student Government Association. The names of your team and the date (Fall 2014) will need to be included on the cover page. Do NOT put our course number or my name on it as it is not important and takes away from the professionalism of your purpose, which is responding to the RFP.

TABLE OF CONTENTS—no page number

You will need to include a table of contents. DO NOT PUT A PAGE NUMBER ON THE COVER PAGE OR TABLE OF CONTENTS. The first page number on your proposal should be on the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Each section will need to begin on a new page. You may want to go online to research/view proposals to see which format your team prefers using a search engine like Google.com or Ask.com.

The table of contents should be double spaced between major sections and single spaced between sub-sections (i.e. areas of focus, recommendations, etc.). Research for examples.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY—page number (this is the FIRST PAGE)

THIS IS COMPLETED LAST. The executive summary is the LAST thing you do with the exception of the table of contents and possibly the letter of transmittal. The executive summary is the summary of your entire proposal. You will provide the reader with a snapshot of what is to follow. This statement will contain all of the key information and can be considered “a sales document” designed to convince the reader that this proposal should be considered for support. You will need to include in a narrative format:

 Introduction of the Proposal (Paragraph 1)

 Statement of Need (Paragraph 2)—This paragraph briefly describes the need for your consulting team to make recommendations to improve the three areas of focus; in other words, the

Threats and Weaknesses facing the organization. (Refer to the Statement of Need Section)

 Recommendations (Paragraph 3)—This paragraph should include a brief description of how your consulting team’s recommendations will benefit your department/organization’s target audience(s). You will indicate the department/organization’s areas of weakness or threats and how your consulting team will HELP turn them into strengths and opportunities . (See Recommendations Section)

 Conclusion/Your Team (Paragraph 4)—This paragraph is the final, concluding paragraph of this section. Indicate how your consulting team has the best, well-researched recommendations that will assist the department/organization’s areas of focus (strong image, increased membership or involvement, and events/activities to increase exposure and communications).

You will need to “pump up” your consulting team’s image by indicating your team’s reputation, previous consulting experience, etc., which helps to establish your team’s credibility. (Refer to

the Company Background Section).

STATEMENT OF NEED—page number

This section is the first and most important part. Developing this section sets the stage for all other aspects of the proposal. This section indicates in paragraph format WHY organization needs your consulting team’s expertise based on the areas of focus. You will need to find or “make up” this evidence by using the assumptions provided and your additions and by actually researching in the library, internet, or other organizations.

ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SUB-SECTIONS MUST BE INCLUDED IN THIS SECTION (you can re-name the sections, but the “gist” of the questions should be addressed), UNLESS INDICATED AS OPTIONAL:

Introduction

 This is a few sentences describing the important components of this section. Preparing the reader for what will be included.

History of Organization

 What is the history of the department/organization’s image? Some research involved.

 Who make up their internal audience (employees, students, college administration, etc.)

 Who make up their external audience (customers, clients, suppliers, government,

competitors, students etc.)

 What types of rewards or benefits does their target market(s) expect from this organization?

Organizational Needs (you’ll need to be somewhat creative to provide all of the answers)

 Who will benefit from your team’s proposed recommendations? (consider all stakeholders)

 Why does this department/organization “matter” importance to their stakeholders?

 Why might your recommendations be necessary or desired by the various stakeholders?

 Why haven’t these areas of focus been addressed sufficiently in the past? What are other competing departments/organizations doing to address these areas of focus? Are they effective?

Conclusion

 End the section by indicating “In closing,” “In summary,” “In conclusion,” etc. along with a few sentences highlighting the section and the fact that your consulting firm has done sufficient research to address their communication concerns.

COMPANY BACKGROUND—page number

This section helps to describe the background of your consulting team. NOTE: This is where your consulting team will need to PROVE your credibility. ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SUB-SECTIONS MUST BE INCLUDED IN THIS SECTION.

Introduction

 This is a few sentences describing the important components of this section. Preparing the reader for what will be included.

Company Values:

 When did this consulting team originate? Why? What teamwork or leadership principles do the consulting team value?

 Indicate the consulting team’s experience and competence in this professional field or

working with professional organizations or other companies in recommending effective communication strategies?

 Explain the importance of your consulting team’s ethics and integrity (establish

trustworthiness).

Internal and External Communications

 Indicate how your consulting team “communicates” with their employees, clients, vendors,

etc. (tone, motivation, frequency, etc.). Procedures for decision making, team work, etc.

 Describe the overall importance of “listening” and “nonverbal communication” your

consulting team values.

Conclusion

 End the section by indicating “In closing,” “In summary,” “In conclusion,” etc. along with a few sentences highlighting the section and the fact that this is a good investment based on the facts presented.

**IMPORTANT**

To assist you in this section, you may want to look up various consulting companies on the internet or think about a company you know (and/or respect) to find out what makes them successful and consider

some of their practices and develop them into this proposal.

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS—page number

This section helps to describe the existing communication strategies along with the department/

organization’s SWOT Analysis related to their communication strategies. You will need to be creative but realistic when developing these.

Introduction

· This is a few sentences describing the important components of this section. Preparing the reader for what will be included.

Current Communications

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

 Indicate narratively how the department/organization “communicates” in writing, orally, electronically, via internet, through U.S. Mail, etc. to their “internal” stakeholders— (department--employees & administration) or (organization--executive officers & UWG administration).

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

 Indicate narratively how the department/organization “communicates” in writing, orally, electronically, via internet, through U.S. Mail, etc. to their “external” stakeholders— (department—students, community, businesses)—(organization—members, non-members, alumni, community).

 **MANDATORY** THIS CHART CAN BE BOTH INTERNAL & EXTERNAL: You MUST create a chart (or table) describing these current communications and indicate how effective these communications are to the stakeholders (members, vendors, students, companies, executive board, etc.) –this may be in the form of a feature/benefit chart, frequency table, frequency timeline, etc.

SWOT Analysis

 Prepare a S-W-O-T Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) by describing it first in a paragraph and then inserting a chart/figure of the SWOT Analysis. You will need to refer the reader to the chart in this section. Therefore, you will need to label the chart. YOU MUST CREATE A CHART OR FIGURE FOR THIS PART OF THE SECTION. Again, prior to placing the chart into the document, you must briefly describe the chart and indicate to the reader to refer to the chart/figure, which will be below the narrative.

Competition Comparison (create a comparison)

 You will need to compare your department/organization to a competitive department/organization possibly on another campus or a different department/organization on campus that may have similar goals and objectives to see the similarities and differences related to their communication strategies.

Conclusion

 End the section by indicating “In closing,” “In summary,” “In conclusion,” etc. along with a few sentences highlighting the section and some of the important facts presented in this section.

As you can imagine, your consulting team will need to check out similar departments/organizations with the same target audience for comparison purposes at other universities. You will need to cite the other

department/organization’s website(s) in the REFERENCES section.

RECOMMENDATIONS—page number

In this section, you will provide your consulting team’s recommendations to your selected

department/organization in order to improve their strategic communications. You will include:

Introduction:

 This is a few sentences describing the important components of this section. Preparing the

reader for what will be included.

Recommendations :

· Departmental/Organizational Image (2 recommendations)

· Increase Membership or Student Involvement (2 recommendations)

· How the organization may function more effectively in their role on campus (2 recommendations)

· Develop External Communications to increase Image and Involvement (2 recommendations)

Conclusion

 End the section by indicating “In closing,” “In summary,” “In conclusion,” etc. along with a few sentences highlighting the section and why these recommendations will benefit the department/organization, their areas of focus, and their stakeholders (target audiences).

NOTE: You will need TWO recommendations for EACH area of focus (a total of 8). These recommendations can be for one or more stakeholders (i.e. members, publishers, partners, directors, community, awards, other events, networking, etc.) FOR EACH RECOMMENDATION, YOUR CONSULTING TEAM MUST BE PERSUASIVE IN GETTING THE DEPARTMENT/ORGANIZATION TO HAVE AN INTEREST AND DESIRE IN ORDER TO GET ACTION, WHICH IS GETTING YOUR PROPOSAL ACCEPTED.

You will need to describe EACH recommendation so that it is easy-to-understand. You may want to make a chart or illustration to describe these recommendations.

(OPTIONAL) FUNDING REQUIREMENTS—page number

If any of your team’s recommendations require that your selected department/organization will need to fund or spend money to incorporate these recommendations, you can develop an OPTIONAL Funding Requirements Section. For example, if you feel that certain members or students should attend a professional development workshop to improve their knowledge, leadership, etc. You will need to (1) know the details of the suggested workshop and (2) know how much it will cost to attend, etc.

Another example, perhaps the department/organization’s website is in dire need of an upgrade (or they don’t have one). If you recommend upgrading their website and their database management system of members (so that the website is password protected), you can recommend a webmaster, web software upgrade, and/or other related things. Estimate reasonable costs for these recommendations. To do so, describe the funding needed in narrative (sentence/paragraph format), but all show the required funding in a table or chart format.

NOTE: The above item is optional even if you do have some recommendations that may

cost money.

Conclusion:

End the section by indicating “In closing,” “In summary,” “In conclusion,” etc. along with a

few sentences highlighting the section and the fact that these funding requirements will be

extremely beneficial to the department/organization.

CONCLUSION—page number

Your team will need to summarize the main points of this recommendations proposal. This is very similar to what you will write in your executive summary except from the understanding that your audience has ALREADY read this proposal. Whereas, the executive summary, you must write it with the understanding that the audience has NOT read the proposal. Include:

Introduction

 This is a few sentences indicating the end of the proposal and how the department/organization should hire your consulting company to implement the proposed recommendations.

Body

 This needs to focus on highlighting the recommendations of the proposal and the benefits.

Remember to be PERSUASIVE so that your proposal is approved. Once again…this section MUST

be PERSUASIVE.

Conclusion

 End the section by indicating “In closing,” “In summary,” “In conclusion,” etc. along with a few sentences highlighting the entire proposal and your consulting team’s desire to implement these recommendations.

 At the end, you must create a complimentary close with EACH co-owners signature. It will look like this:

Respectfully submitted,

(Name)	(Name)	(Name)	(Name)
CEO**	President **	**	Co-Owner**

**OR WHAT EVER TITLES EACH TEAM MEMBER HAS BEEN GIVEN**

REFERENCES—page number

YOU WILL NEED A MINIMUM OF 4 SOURCES (ONE OF THE SOURCES WILL BE FROM A DEPARTMENT OR ORGANIZATION FROM A DIFFERENT UNIVERSITY SO THAT YOU CAN COMPARE YOUR ORGANIZATION/DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER EXISTING SCHOOL’S DEPARTMENT/ORGANIZATION.

ASSUMPTIONS RELATED TO THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

These assumptions negate your need to do 3-5 hours of research that is required of this project by the UWG’s Department of Marketing. My goal is to ensure that you spend the necessary time to exceed the expectations for this Team Project and devote the time towards effective business communication (writing/composition, proposal preparation, letters of correspondence and improving your presentation skills which are all incorporated into this assignment).

Listed below is a repeat of what was provided at the beginning of this assignment for your reference.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION MISSION

The “Student Government Association” is the official voice and representation of the student body at the University of West Georgia. They enact programs necessary for the general welfare of the student body, promote unity, justice, liberty, equality, and peace among the students, faculty, and staff. They encourage a higher quality of education for the students, actively participate in Faculty Senate Committees, and give students the opportunity to address grievances through a judiciary process.

This Student Government Organization has expressed areas of concerns and needs for the recommendations from your consulting company. I have made a few assumptions to suggest a number of communication problems that prevent the organization from operating effectively for the purpose of this assignment. This will preclude you contacting the SGA to survey their issues related to their needs. This is only a partial list of items that could exist within a similar organization. You may use some of these to develop your recommendation, be creative and add your own realistic scenarios and/or research the department personnel through interviews to gain additional insight. Also investigate a small amount of time in how other similar organizations may function at other universities within the state.

1. Currently, there is a lack of internal communication within the organization that impedes an effective working relationship within the staff.

2. There is little outreach to other university organizations to be more involved in activities

3. The current website (should be researched) has not been updated for years

4. Communication between departments is lacking

5. Adding new staff is difficult due to their known issues

6. There is no involvement within the local community, Chamber, Rotary etc.

7. Lack of communication between faculty, staff members and students

8. Few students come to the organization to express grievances via a judiciary process

9. They do not communicate or promote their active role of enhancing the general welfare of the student body

10. Their efforts towards promoting a higher quality of education goes unnoticed due to poor communication

PART II: PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION (15-20 Minutes)

You will be developing a RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSAL with your team members for your consulting firm for an organization or department for the department described within this project.

This presentation will help you develop communication skills when sharing your solutions and recommendations to others. This presentation needs to be as consistent and professional as possible.

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

You will be assessed as a team based on subject knowledge, organization, and mechanics; see sections below:

OPENING: Your team will need to capture the audience’s attention with a good “hook” or “creative and interesting” beginning. Your team must state the desired outcome and preview the key points of the presentation. Provide your audience with some benefits they will receive after listening to the presentation.

BODY: Your team will need to provide relevant and effective content. Be sure that your key points are clear and have achieved your desired outcome. Make sure that your recommendations are reasonable with enough detail so that the audience can understand the main idea(s). Your presentation must be organized so that it is easy-to-follow.

KEY POINTS OF YOUR TEAM’S PRESENTATION:

 Introduction of YOUR Consulting Team (describe who each team member is with name, expertise (if desired), and/or what areas of the proposal they worked on (if desired).)

 Statement of Need (this needs to be a strongly supported section to reinforce where

the company is now and where it “can” be with your team’s recommendations.)

 Internal & External Communications (this should be a section that will BRIEFLY give an

overview of what types of communications are “currently” in place.)

 Recommendations (this section will need to give recommendations to the company on areas of strategic communication that will strengthen the organization’s image, internal communications, and external communications.)

CLOSE: MANDATORY – Create a company name, logo, titles and business cards for your team. Your team will need to review the key points with a strong emphasis on the value of your recommendations and presentation. Give your audience a memorable “take away” in your conclusion.

VISUAL SUPPORT: Your presentation must have good visual appeal, and your team’s slides must reinforce your key points in a consistent font sizes/titles/subtitles/etc., aesthetically-pleasing format, and any other transitions or animations to appeal to your audience.

You will be assessed individually based on eye contact; body language poise, enthusiasm, and presentation skills. Dress appropriately for the presentation.

DELIVERY: You (separate from your team) should have a polished and professional presentation. Be aware of your nonverbal communication through your posture, demeanor, etc. You must sound credible, somewhat natural and conversational (not too casual or informal…there is a difference). You should only ‘quick reference’ any notes or note cards you may have and try to develop a rapport with your audience possibly through humor, stories, anecdotes, etc. You shouldn’t stare at the slides when you are speaking, but possibly glance at them to point out information. You should maintain good eye contact and a clear tone of voice.

GRADING

The amount of effort you and your team put into this project will be reflected in the grade that you “earn”. Check out the GRADE SHEET FOR TEAM PRESENTATIONS to see the actual criteria you will be required to meet.

NOTE: The team will receive a TEAM GRADE for the opening, body, closing, and visual support; and individual students within the team will receive a separate grade for DELIVERY. This will help individuals in the group who have “over” prepared to not be brought down in the grade by team members that may not have put as much effort into preparing for the presentation.