Business Communications quiz (chap. 4-8)
___ is a benefit of using email to communicate bad news.
ALL ARE CORRECT
When making a routine request, present your request early and directly in the first sentence or two. To present the main idea, you may use:
ALL ARE CORRECT -direct question, -a statement, -polite request
To achieve an appropriate tone in business writing, you should:
ALL ARE CORRECT -write confidently. -use a courteous and sincere tone. -use positive language.
Your first step in writing a sales letter is to:
ALL ARE CORRECT; - become thoroughly familiar with your product, -become thoroughly familiar with your product's competition, -become familiar with your audience
___ is critical in business writing. It involves more than freedom from errors.
Accuracy
Which of the following sentences avoids a dangling expression?
After writing the chapter, I took a break.
Which of the following sentences contains no redundancies or expletives?
Although several qualified candidates applied, the personnel director had difficulty hiring someone to fill the open position.
How you organize your bad-news message depends on the content of the message, your relationship with the reader, and:
Buffer
___ expressions refer to any part of a sentence that does not logically fit in with the rest of the sentence.
Dangling
If the reader's initial reaction to both you and your topic is likely to be positive, you can use the ____ approach.
Direct
Do not combine ___ and revising. They involve two separate skills and two separate mindsets.
Drafting
A message is neutral if you anticipate the reader will refuse to do as you ask.
F
A unified paragraph weaves sentences together so that the discussion is integrated.
F
In the active voice, the subject receives the action.
F
Mind mapping refers to jotting down ideas, facts, possible leads and anything else you think might be helpful in constructing your message.
F
Using unfamiliar words is a guideline for writing clearly.
F
When refusing routine requests, give the refusal in the last paragraph.
F
___ is a good choice for simple, neutral messages that require quick responses.
Instant messaging
Communications to your manager within an organization should be:
Less authoritarian in tone than those to your peers.
___ are written to people outside your organization and are reserved for formal communication.
Letters
___, also called clustering, is a planning process that avoids the step-by-step limitations of lists.
Mind mapping
Which of the following sentences uses parallel structure?
Our top manager is efficient, assertive, and capable.
In the ___ voice, the subject receives the action.
Passive
Which of the following is not a recommended strategy for proofreading?
Play calming music in the background while you proofread.
The following statement is the best example of a friendly closing to a neutral message:
Please let me know if I can return the favor by assisting with your upcoming project.
Planning involves making conscious decisions about the ___, content, and organization of the message.
Purpose
___ refers to modifying a message to make improvements.
Revising
Use BCC (blind computer copy):
Sparingly
A written message, including a handwritten note, is more thoughtful, more appreciated, and more permanent.
T
An audience analysis will help you understand your message from the reader's perspective.
T
Choose the direct organizational plan for communicating bad news to most audiences.
T
Choose the direct organizational plan for most persuasive messages to U.S. audiences.
T
Concise writing, short paragraphs, and a conversational style are hallmarks of writing for the web.
T
If a post is highly positive, you may want to reply to engage the sender and highlight the good feedback.
T
Instant messaging (IM) is a good choice for simple, neutral messages that require quick responses.
T
Many attention-getting openings consist of a one-sentence paragraph.
T
One of the more challenging bad-news messages to write is one that rejects someone's idea or proposal.
T
Revising refers to modifying a message to make improvements.
T
Service recovery refers to turning an upset customer into a loyal one.
T
Specific words have a definite, unambiguous meaning.
T
The AIDA plan - consisting of attention, interest, desire, and action - is an indirect organizational plan for sales letters.
T
The best feedback is actionable, meaning the employee can do something about it.
T
To convey confidence, avoid beginning sentences with "I hope," "If you agree," "I think," and other self-conscious term.
T
Typographical errors may negatively reflect on your credibility.
T
When explaining a negative decision, focus on the reasons for the bad news rather than on the bad news itself.
T
You should respond promptly to a neutral message.
T
You'll have the best chance of persuading your audience if you know your audience and adapt your message to them.
T
___ in writing refers to the writer's attitude toward both the reader and subject of the message.
Tone
Sometimes simply responding to customers isn't enough. Companies can anticipate requests and offer suggestions on sites such as:
Which of the following is NOT a strategy for receiving constructive feedback?
View the feedback as a setback.
___ refers to the inability to focus on the writing process and to draft a message.
Writer's block
End your sales letter with:
a reminder of a reader benefit
Follow guidelines for goodwill messages: be prompt, direct, sincere, specific, and:
brief
Which of the following is NOT a strategy for writing a complaint letter or negative online review?
close with an angry, aggressive tone.
A ___ sentence contains two or more independent clauses.
compound
___ notes should be sent for major business achievements—receiving a promotion, winning a new business, announcing a retirement, receiving an award, opening a new branch, or celebrating an anniversary with the company.
congratulatory
Choose the ___ plan for most persuasive messages to U.S. audiences.
direct
When a message conveys neutral or positive information to an audience who will likely be interested in what we have to say, we use a (an) ___ organizational plan.
direct
__ refers to an appeal based on credibility.
ethos
Use a ___, positive tone in the last paragraph of a neutral message.
friendly
When announcing bad news about the organization in a crisis situation, the management team should:
have a crisis communication plan.
When refusing routine requests, give the refusal:
in the first paragraph.
The ___ plan is almost always used when refusing a customer's request because the reader is emotionally involved in the situation.
indirect
Use the ___ plan when your audience may resist your message but will likely read it anyway.
indirect
Smart companies ___ the constant stream of social media posts.
monitor
To persuade an audience who is skeptical about your character or ethics, consider all of the following except:
refraining from sharing examples of your work
Always use a ___ tone with customers.
respectful
A ___ question gets the reader thinking about the topic of your message but doesn't elicit a literal answer.
rhetorical
___ your discussion of obstacles.
subordinate
Some of the most difficult messages to write are:
sympathy notes
An example of bad news a company might announce is:
that employees will be laid off.
Your objectives in planning a bad-news message are to convey the bad news and:
to retain the reader's goodwill.
A ___ paragraph gives information that is directly related to the topic, presents this information in a logical order, and omits irrelevant details.
unified
A (an) ___ letter promotes a company's products and is mailed to potential customers who have not expressed any interest.
unsolicited
