Reader-Friendly Reports: A No-nonsense Guide to Effective Writing for MBAs, Consultants, and Other Professionals

GRAPHS AND CHARTS

The four questions about graphs are (1) whether, (2) where, (3) how, and (4) which.

Whether to Use a Graph

Yes, yes, yes. Use as many as you sensibly can. Well-drawn graphs are tremendous attention grabbers and are more effective than many pages of prose in making a point. Look at any issue of Bloomberg Businessweek to see how graphs can make a smashing headline for an article. You’ll find things like this:

Figure 1

Wiftandia’s Balance of Payments Is Improving Dramatically

Having seen only this much (12 square inches, 30 seconds) you already have a clear outline of the whole subject.

Where to Put the Graphs

First of all, a graph ...