The Appendix section should include any supplementary information that will help your audience understand the survey study better, such as any additional graphs, charts, and tables, a copy of the actual survey, the invitation email, etc. This is a good place to put transcripts of historic documents and other lengthy documentation that does not fit in the main body of your report.
Useful Hints and Phrases for the Report
Make sure you clearly note on the cover page of the report the level of privacy associated with the content. The more common labels for privacy include:
- Confidential: Private information not for general distribution, usually limited to only approved individuals, often limited to just those in the presentation room.
- For Management Review Only: Distribution limited to management levels, not for distribution to employees below the rank of manager.
It is common for certain phases to get repeated over and over throughout the report. Here are several common phases with examples of how to say the same thing.
- To introduce: The purpose/aim of this report, As requested, This survey was carried out/ conducted by means of . . ., The questionnaire consisted of etc.
- To generalize: In general, Generally, On the whole, etc.
- To refer to a fact: The fact is that . . ., In fact, In practice, etc.
- To conclude/ summarize: In conclusion, All things considered, To sum up, all in all, It is not easy to reach any definite conclusions, If any conclusions may be drawn from the data, It is clear that, The survey shows/indicates/demonstrates, etc.
Present tenses, reported speech and an impersonal style should be used in survey reports. Use a variety of reporting verbs such as claim, state, report, agree, complain, suggest, etc.
Recommendations for Effective Presentations
Often the delivery of the report content is also requested as a PowerPoint presentation. Excel slides can be too complex and confusing for the audience to easily follow, so here are some useful hints to share the data you have collected in a more “audience-friendly” way. These concepts apply equally to any method of data visualization, whether that is for a presentation, a survey dashboard, or an advertising campaign. It is important to consider each of the points below regardless of how you are presenting the information you have collected.
- Use charts and graphs to illustrate big ideas. Keep it simple, and don’t give too much detail. Label all variables with units.
- If reproduction will be in color then use contrasting colors. However, if any copies may get made in black and white, use different black and white patterns. Check if the audience or client has brand colors that are important to utilize.
- Use graphics for instructional purposes or reasons. Don’t add clip-art just to add art that can confuse or distract the audience.
- Don’t crowd your reports with too much information. Make sure to use appropriate amounts of white space.
- Make good use of the space available in the slide. Enlarge the graphs and have the text large enough that it is easy to read from across a room.
- One graph per slide is ideal. Two graphs maximum per slide. This will make your data easier to understand. If you must have two visuals, make sure the accompanying text is simple.
- Always make sure your graphs are appropriately labeled to allow your audience to accurately identify what idea/information is trying to be conveyed. If necessary, ask a colleague or friend to interpret a graphic without any explanation to ensure you are accurately conveying your points.
- Use fonts appropriately. Serif fonts are typically easier to read. However, the audience or client may have a font preference. Reports should not have more than two fonts throughout the report. Experiment with type styles, sizes, and colors. Don’t be afraid to bold text, underline or italicize if you are trying to emphasize a point.
- Keep titles short. About 5–7 words will get your point across.
- Avoid using busy slide backgrounds. Multiple colors or gradients can make text hard to read.
- Avoid showing a lot of data without interpretation of that data. The details are appropriate for the Appendix of the report, not for the presentation or main body of the report.
- Make sure your presentation “stands on its own”. Some people may forward the presentation to other interested parties, i.e., those employees who missed the initial presentation; make sure they will be able to understand your work and recommendations by reading the slides.
The next section of this chapter provides a basic sample report based on a survey initiative conducted by an auto insurance company in the Houston Texas market. We hope this example helps to contextualize the information from earlier sections of this chapter and can provide a good starting point for future survey initiatives.