How can you write a consulting report that meets your client's expectations?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing, you need to understand who your audience is and what they want from your report. Your audience may include different stakeholders, such as senior executives, managers, staff, or external parties. Each of them may have different levels of knowledge, interest, and influence on the decision-making process. Therefore, you need to tailor your report to address their needs, questions, and concerns. You can use a stakeholder analysis tool to identify your audience and their expectations.

2 Follow a logical structure

A consulting report should follow a logical structure that guides your audience through your analysis, findings, and recommendations. A common structure is the pyramid principle, which starts with the main message or conclusion, followed by the supporting arguments or evidence, and then the details or implications. The pyramid principle helps you to communicate your key points clearly and concisely, and to avoid burying them in the details. You can use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to organize your report into sections and subsections.

3 Use clear and simple language

A consulting report should use clear and simple language that avoids jargon, acronyms, and technical terms that may confuse your audience. You should also use active voice, short sentences, and transition words to make your report easy to read and understand. You should also proofread and edit your report for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, and use consistent formatting and style throughout your report. You can use tools such as Grammarly or Hemingway to check and improve your writing quality.

4 Include visuals and appendices

A consulting report should include visuals and appendices that complement and enhance your written content. Visuals, such as charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, or images, can help you to illustrate your data, trends, patterns, or relationships in a more engaging and impactful way. Appendices, such as data sources, calculations, assumptions, or references, can help you to provide more details or information that may not fit in the main body of your report. You should label and reference your visuals and appendices clearly and appropriately in your report.

5 Solicit feedback and revise

A consulting report should solicit feedback and revise based on the input from your client, team, or other experts. Feedback can help you to identify gaps, errors, or inconsistencies in your report, and to improve your content, structure, or presentation. You should seek feedback from different perspectives and sources, and be open and receptive to constructive criticism. You should also revise your report accordingly and ensure that it aligns with your client's goals, requirements, and preferences.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?