Module 3 Exam

Jordan needs to inform his employees that they will receive a twenty percent salary cut to help the company survive a recession. If Jordan communicates this bad message in an evasive and misleading manner, it will likely

negatively affect Jordan's credibility.

The first task of most persuasive messages is to

gain the attention of the readers.

Which of these is the most expensive medium for sending mass sales messages?

hard-copy letters

The writing style of most persuasive messages tends to be

indirect and implicit.

Which statement about apologies is accurate?

All apologies are not necessarily good apologies.

A colleague asks you for advice on how to understand the audience of his persuasive message. How would you advise this person?

Consider the psychological principles that influence people's decisions.

Many routine business messages involve such things as teams coordinating their assignments, customers buying products, and colleagues asking if they can meet. Such messages are known as

requests

Which guideline is recommended for messages that express sympathy?

Handwrite your expression of sympathy whenever possible.

What are claims?

requests for other companies to compensate for or correct mistakes they have made

In the context of developing persuasive messages, the process of understanding the needs and values of others

requires a strong listening orientation.

Taylor has to write a letter denying a customer's request for a free replacement on her two-year-old business laptop, which is past its warranty. Which buffer statement is most appropriate for Taylor to use?

I am sorry to hear that your laptop is no longer performing as expected.

Which statement accurately describes persuasion in the post-trust era?

In the post-trust era, persuasion is becoming increasingly difficult

Read the request Sharon sent to her supervisor below. Then choose the answer that most accurately evaluates the email. SUBJECT: Request for vacation time in October Leon, as we discussed yesterday, I would like to take the first week in October as vacation time. My niece is getting married, so I want to travel to San Francisco to help with last-minute planning. My current project ends September 20, so the trip should not interfere with any department deadlines. Would you be able to let me know by the end of this week so I can book my airline ticket while I can still get a discount rate?

The email is specific, positive, and shows concern for the department.

Why is efficiency one of the primary goals when sending routine messages?

The volume of routine messages is high.

What is the best example of a less-direct message?

The warranty clause has expired so we will not be able to replace your television.

What can you do to encourage employees to read announcements?

Use a specific, catchy subject line that creates interest.

Which statement accurately describes the use of you-voice in persuasive messages?

Using the you-voice forces you to personalize the message for your readers.

Which statement accurately describes appreciation messages?

You should begin your appreciation messages with an expression of thanks.

A message that makes a claim is most likely to end with

a call to action

What is a common component of all routine messages, including messages that express sympathy?

a statement of goodwill

While receiving a difficult performance review, a person with high emotional intelligence is most likely to

accept the negative feedback.

The writing style of your persuasive messages should be

action-oriented and lively.

What should be avoided when conveying bad news to customers?

an accusatory tone

Thomas has to inform one of his subordinates, Sadie, that she is no longer being considered for a promotion. In his message, he should end with

an expression of goodwill.

Zoe's company changed its telecommuting policy, and it was Zoe's responsibility to let everyone know. Zoe sent out a(n)

announcement

It is important to ask colleagues to review persuasive messages because persuasive messages

are directed to people who resist your ideas, products, or services.

Celebrity endorsements in advertising are based on the ________ principle of influence.

authority

The mum effect results when employees in an organization

avoid sharing bad news because they do not want to be blamed.

Persuasive messages should conclude with a(n)

call to action.

Most sales messages contain a(n) ________; one of the most common is price.

central sales theme

What types of messages are reserved for major professional milestones?

congratulations

Which principle is in play when an employee works overtime to finish a project because she promised the team they would make the deadline?

consistency

The degree to which the bad-news message receiver can alter the outcome is referred to as

controllability

A person with high emotional intelligence will usually

develop a reframing statement to manage emotions.

In the context of developing persuasive messages, what is most likely to help you demonstrate a voice of competence?

developing strong ideas in the interest of your audience

Although it may soften the blow of a bad performance review, the sandwich approach to delivering bad-news may also

encourage poor performers

While writing a routine message, you should

ensure the tone of the message is reader-centered.

As a result of the mum effect, the message that reaches the top executives of an organization is usually

falsely positive.

To show your sincerity in an appreciation message, you should

focus exclusively on the recipient

External persuasive messages often

focus more on promoting products and services.

What is a component of setting expectations?

providing deadlines

What is the advantage of front-loading a routine message?

It makes it easier to get the reader's attention.

What is the foremost requirement of an expression of sympathy?

It must be sincere

You are a senior manager who needs to evaluate five supervisors in your department. Which supervisor appears to be the most effective at delivering performance reviews?

Jessica helps the poor performers of her team understand the ways in which they are hurting organizational performance.

Which person best exemplifies setting measurable and realistic expectations?

Malia tells Edward, a machine operator, to reduce the amount of defective parts he produces by 40 percent.

Which employee statement is a counterproductive response to a negative review?

My boss doesn't care about my work, so why should I care what he thinks?

What is an advantage of delivering bad news in person?

One can use verbal and nonverbal cues to show concern and sensitivity.

Which statement about persuasive messages is accurate?

Persuasive messages require a message structure that helps reduce resistance.

Which of these is a component of a persuasive message?

Provide a rationale

What is an effective way to write procedures and directions?

Put the different steps in a numbered list.

What is the main challenge that authors of routine messages have to overcome?

Readers receive so many routine messages that it is hard to catch their attention.

What is accurate about developing routine messages?

Routine messages need to be reviewed.

Carmela manages a sales team and most of her subordinates have performed well. However, one of the team members, Dirk, has been performing poorly. Carmela has created a file that records Dirk's performance issues and contains a few emails from colleagues criticizing him in confidence. While delivering the negative feedback to Dirk, Carmela should

keep the negative emails from other colleagues private.

What is the most effective way of delivering a bad-news message to a long-term client?

meeting with the client, providing a rationale, and explaining the impacts

Which step is most important in planning routine messages?

message structuring

Thoren is looking for a colleague to give him feedback on a persuasive message he has written.Which colleague would be the best choice?

one who may resist in the same way as Thoren's audience

What is most likely to damage the credibility of the author of routine messages?

overly general messages

Aiko has to tell Demetrius that his attitude and mannerisms have offended some customers. She also must inform him that he is on probation for six weeks and will be fired if his behavior does not improve. It would be best for Aiko to deliver this message in a(n)

personal meeting.

What is the most appropriate tone for persuasive messages?

positive

A person who has to deliver a bad-news message should gather as much information as possible from a variety of sources to reduce the

probability of making subjective judgments.

Failure to set expectations will most likely lead to

professional disappointments.

What should you focus on during the reviewing step of writing a routine message?

proofreading

A message is said to be indirect when it

provides the rationale for a request before making the request.

What will help you reduce skepticism once you have described your solution?

providing a strong rationale

In order to encourage participation in a walkathon, the organization arranging the event offers a free T-shirt and water bottle to all participants. Which principle of influence is being used?

reciprocation

Which bad-news message is most likely to be communicated in writing?

rejection of a colleague's idea

Anthony is trying to convince his colleagues to contribute to their company's holiday clothing drive. The most effective persuasive argument he can use is an argument that

relates the clothing drive to their need to feel good about themselves.

A shopper is more likely to buy a product if she hears that it sells out quickly. Her behavior illustrates the principle of influence known as

scarcity.

Which aspect of bad news indicates how serious or detrimental a bad-news message is?

severity

What is a characteristic of a strong routine message?

short paragraphs

In a bad-news message, a buffer is a statement that is likely to be used to

show appreciation.

What is a principle of influence whereby people determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do?

social proof

Which element is usually found in a set of directions but not in a set of expectations?

step-by-step instructions

Candy is writing a brochure to explain the benefits of buying produce from local farmers at the farmers' market rather than from chain grocery stores. What information will most likely make her brochure effective?

stories about local farm families who participate in the farmers' market

A person who has to deliver bad news should avoid

taking the blame for something that is not their fault.

What is an example of a bad-news message that is characterized by high severity and high controllability?

telling an employee that her performance needs improvement or she will be fired