E-mail is appropriate for
An executive summary of a formal report is usually no longer than ________ percent of the original document.
10
Determine the mean of the numbers 6, 17, 22, 28, and 37.
22
Determine the mode of the numbers 38, 24, 46, 38, and 54.
38
What statement about a business plan is most accurate?
A business plan helps manage a company and raise capital.
With what type of audience should you avoid a question-and-answer period at the end of your presentation?
A hostile audience
You must write a letter convincing your reader to donate money to your company's annual United Way campaign. What indirect benefit to the reader could you incorporate within your letter?
A statement regarding the need for charitable donations and the power of giving
Appendixes of formal reports and proposals are typically labeled ________.
A, B, and so on
What is the best advice to follow when dealing with disappointed customers in print or online?
Address the problems immediately and personally
Alex wants to adapt a sales message to the target audience. What question is the audience likely to ask while reading the message?
Alex's target audience will likely ask all of these questions.
Which message would be most effective when organized indirectly?
An e-mail message asking employees to donate to a local charity through payroll deductions
Peyton is beginning a new position and much of the work will be accomplished through a smartphone. What advice should Peyton follow when receiving and making phone calls?
Avoid conversations in public areas
Taylor is writing a claim letter to a company about a damaged product that he received. As Taylor is composing the letter to the company, what advice should Taylor follow?
Begin the claim with sincere praise, an objective statement of the problem, a point of agreement, or a quick review of what he has done to resolve the problem
What is the correct order of ideas when using the indirect strategy to reveal bad news?
Buffer, reasons, bad news, pleasant close
Select the best subject line for a memo delivering bad news to employees.
Change in Parking Benefit
Which of the following is an example of a talking heading?
Changes to Employee Benefits
Which of the following is not a component of persuasion?
Coercion
A cross-functional team has been formed to come up with ways to improve communication among departments. Team members are now taking part in a brainstorming session. They are in what stage of the project?
Collecting information
What is the best advice for expressing price in a sales letter if price may be an obstacle?
Compare your prices with those of a competitor
Emerson is writing a formal report for the first time. Which of the following strategies should Emerson employ?
Delay writing the report until Emerson has collected all the data and drawn the primary conclusions
Which of the following is the best question to include in a mail survey?
Do you approve of a flat-rate income tax?
________ is the ability to understand and enter into the feelings of another and is important to convey in negative messages.
Empathy
What is a disadvantage of text messaging?
Employees using free consumer-grade instant messaging systems might reveal privileged information and company records.
Which of the following is the best opening for an adjustment letter?
Enclosed is a check for $35 as reimbursement for the two broken espresso cups you received.
Which of the following is the best tip for employees who use social networking sites?
Establish boundaries, and don't share information online that you would not be comfortable sharing openly in the office
Which of the following subject lines would be most effective for an e-mail or memo?
FYI: Photoshop Training, May 15
"It gives me great pleasure to extend my congratulations" is an effective way to begin a goodwill message.
False
A goal in conveying unfavorable news in writing should be to make the receiver call or write back to clarify the message; this way, the writer has a chance to explain further.
False
A good technique for de-emphasizing negative news is to place it at the end of a paragraph.
False
A purpose statement is not necessary when preparing an informational report.
False
Action information, including deadline dates, should be placed in the body of a routine request message.
False
As long as you paraphrase (versus quote) the information you find during your research, you do not have to give credit to the original source.
False
Bad-news messages should always be organized indirectly.
False
Chao is writing an adjustment letter granting the customer's claim request. Chao should use the indirect strategy to deliver this message.
False
Delivering your presentation extemporaneously means reading directly from your slides and/or notes.
False
Down-editing is not recommended when responding to e-mails because it adds to reading time and can seem rude.
False
Giving unhappy customers a chance to cool down is important, so companies should wait at least 72 hours to respond to a complaint.
False
In a sales letter promoting its new hybrid vehicle, a car company is focusing on indirect benefits in the following sentence: Our new hybrid model will save you hundreds of dollars annually on gasoline expenses.
False
Instructions or directives moving downward from superiors to subordinates usually require high levels of persuasion.
False
Letters that deny applications for employment should be courteous and tactful and offer specific information explaining why the candidate was not hired.
False
News releases should cover the answers to the five Ws and one H (who, what, when, where, why, how) in the first sentence to be most effective.
False
Paraphrasing is the act of using another's ideas without proper documentation.
False
Secondary data result from firsthand experience and observation.
False
The final step in Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process is proofreading the product.
False
The use of blogs to engage with consumers is consistent across industries.
False
When organizations are involved in a crisis such as serious financial problems or public controversy, they should share the news with the public before informing employees.
False
When using the AIDA strategy to present a persuasive message, you should motivate action in the body of your message.
False
You should wait at least a week after an event or incident to send a goodwill message to seem most sincere.
False
Which of the following transitions is best to clarify points?
For example
Which statement about a formal report is accurate?
Formal reports represent the end product of thorough investigation and analysis.
What is the most accurate statement about infographics?
Good infographics tell a story and help the reader make sense of large amounts of data.
What tool is best to analyze verbal data?
Grids
Choose the best opening for a response to a routine request e-mail.
I would be delighted to speak at your meeting on February 1.
What is the best advice for blogging?
Identify your audience and tailor your message to your audience
Jordan will be giving a presentation that outlines six reasons the company should change its inventory method. What organizational strategy would work best?
Importance
Alex will be writing an analytical report that discusses three potential new locations for the company and wants to follow the indirect strategy. How should Alex organize the report?
Introduction/Problem, Facts/Findings, Discussion/Analysis, and Conclusions/Recommendations
Julen wants to encourage the boss to consider a new process for evaluating employee performance. What type of report will Julen most likely prepare?
Justification/recommendation report
What is the best advice to follow when writing an online review or complaint?
Keep your review or complaint clean, polite, and succinct
Which of the following sentences delivers bad news using the passive voice?
Merchandise refunds are not given at our company without a receipt.
Which of the following best prompts action in a persuasive message?
Our professional landscaping services will help you make a good first impression with your customers. Call us by June 30 to take advantage of our summer discount.
When delivering bad news face-to-face within an organization, what is the best advice to follow?
Outline what you have to say and rehearse before delivering the bad news
________ reports are written at regular intervals to keep management informed of operations and activities.
Periodic
Which of the following is the best opening for a routine claim letter?
Please send a contractor to repaint our office conference room.
________ establish rules of conduct to be followed within an organization.
Policies and procedures
To stay in control during your talk, to build credibility, and to engage your audience, which of these guidelines should you follow?
Present your first sentence from memory
Which of the following headings is not grammatically balanced with the other headings?
Prevent Identify Theft
Which statement regarding proposals is accurate?
Proposals may be intended for internal or external audiences. Proposals are written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment. Proposals may be solicited or unsolicited.
What is the best advice to follow when responding to customers online?
Respond in a friendly, upbeat, yet professional tone
Which of these is the most effective closing for an e-mail message?
So that we may meet our project deadline date, please provide answers to these questions by March 18
In identifying a best-selling item, advertisers are hoping to appeal to which psychological trigger?
Social proof
What item would be most appropriate to include in an appendix of a report?
Survey form
Which statement is most accurate regarding team-based written and verbal presentations?
Teams should make meetings a top priority.
Choose the best closing for a routine request message that asks the receiver to complete a survey.
Thanks for returning your completed survey before October 15, when we will start compiling the results.
Businesses use blogs to keep customers and employees informed and to interact with them. What is the biggest advantage of business blogs?
They potentially reach a far-flung, vast audience.
Which of the following is not a goal in writing adjustment letters?
To encourage future correspondence with the customer
"Are you in favor of banning texting while driving to save lives?" is an example of a leading question.
True
A complimentary closing such as "Cheers" or "All the best" is optional in the closing of an e-mail message, but providing your name is mandatory.
True
Abusive language that is spoken within the presence of others or written to others is actionable (can result in a lawsuit).
True
Agendas, minutes of meetings, progress reports, and procedures are usually organized by time.
True
Anticipating the audience helps writers determine how much background material to include, how much detail to add, and what method of organization and presentation to follow.
True
Based on their function, business reports usually fall into one of two categories: informational or analytical.
True
Business letters remain a powerful tool to promote services and products, boost online and retail traffic, and enhance customer relations.
True
Chun is including large amounts of data in a report. Incorporating graphics can help Chun clarify the data for readers.
True
Claim letters are taken more seriously than telephone calls or e-mails.
True
Communication is unethical when the sender has the intent to deceive.
True
Delivering bad news gradually is sometimes an effective approach.
True
Functional headings show the outline of a report but provide little insight for readers.
True
Generally, the direct strategy is best for requesting straightforward adjustments.
True
In determining which business plans to fund, investors search for a concept whose growth potential distinguishes it from others rather than the most unique product or service.
True
In the body of a claim letter, explain the problem and justify your request.
True
In the sentence, "Although we must discontinue the health club benefit, all other benefits will remain unchanged," the bad news has been de-emphasized.
True
Lihua should discuss the strengths and weaknesses of direct and indirect competitors in the market analysis section of the business plan.
True
Most messages in the workplace are positive or neutral.
True
Ryan is writing a complaint letter and believes it will be most effective if the appeal is made to the receiver's sense of responsibility and pride in the company's good name.
True
Social media has drastically shortened business response times to claims.
True
The first rule of e-marketing is to communicate only with those who have given permission.
True
The first step in planning a persuasive message is determining its purpose.
True
The major advantage of line charts is that they show changes over time, thus indicating trends.
True
The organizational strategy is indirect when the conclusions and recommendations, if requested, appear at the end of the report.
True
The same information may be included in the letter of transmittal, executive summary, and introduction of a formal business report.
True
When writing a persuasive message, it is important to expect resistance from your audience.
True
Your primary goal in writing a sales message is to get someone to devote a few moments of attention to it.
True
What advice should you follow to produce professional-looking reports?
Use a consistent type font throughout the report
Which of the following is good advice when sending texts or instant messages on the job?
Use good grammar and proper spelling
Which of the following is the best statement to include in a goodwill message?
Warmest congratulations on earning your MBA. Your hard work will certainly pay off for you.
Select the best closing sentence of a bad-news letter.
We appreciate your interest in our organization, and we wish you the best of luck in your job search.
Which question should you ask to anticipate your audience?
What do my readers need to know about this topic?
Web sources should be evaluated for their authority, content, accuracy, and currency. What question should you ask to determine the currency of a Web source?
What is the date of the source?
Which technique is most important to implement when writing an e-mail sales message?
Write a catchy and targeted subject line
To help you paraphrase effectively, which of the following should you practice?
Write your own version of the original document without looking at it as you write
________ reports examine problems with two or more solutions.
Yardstick
Nearly every written report should begin with ________.
a review of secondary research
Today, ________ percent of hiring managers use social media as part of their screening processes.
about 70
Demarco is writing a purpose statement for a report to be submitted to the supervisor. To express clearly what Demarco intends to do in the report, Demarco should use ________.
action verbs
Landry wants to provide the audience with copies of the PowerPoint slides to use for future reference. The best time to distribute handouts is ________.
after the presentation ends
The first step in writing a report is to ________.
analyze the problem and purpose
Potential risks for businesses that use social media include productivity loss, embarrassment if employees make damaging posts, and ________.
attracting the wrath of a huge Internet audience
A ________ is especially effective in comparing related items, illustrating changes in data over time, and showing segments as a part of the whole.
bar chart
If your report requires that you make recommendations, they should ________.
be expressed as numbered commands that are practical and evolve from the findings
Instruction messages will be most readable if you divide the instructions into steps, list the steps in the order in which they are to be performed, arrange the items vertically with numbers, and ________.
begin each step with an action verb using the imperative mood
The section of a formal report that discusses, analyzes, interprets, and evaluates the research findings or solution is the ________.
body
Kesse is preparing to deliver a presentation to a cross-cultural audience. An effective technique would be to ________.
break the presentation into short, discrete segments and encourage discussion after each topic
At the beginning of an oral presentation, Skyler uses a quotation from Abraham Lincoln. Skyler is attempting to ________.
capture the audience's attention
Reading a presentation directly from notes or slides ________.
causes the audience to lose confidence in the speaker's expertise
During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process, Quinn asks the following questions about the message: Are the ideas understandable? Have I used plain English and familiar words? If the message is passed on to others, will they need further explanation? In asking these questions, Quinn is evaluating the message for ________.
clarity
Recommendations should be phrased as ________.
commands
A manager at General Electric (GE) is preparing a sales report presenting the results of three of GE's divisions. This report should be organized by ________.
component
The most widely read portions of a report are generally the sections devoted to the ________.
conclusions and recommendations
Written responses to disappointed customers should aim to do all of the following except ________.
demonstrate the writer's excellent vocabulary
AIDA, the indirect strategy for persuasive messages, seeks to gain the attention, interest, ________, and action of the audience.
desire
Businesses have embraced podcasting for sending audio and video messages that ________.
do not require a live presence yet provide a friendly human face
Asking yourself whether what you have written is too blunt or too subtle is an example of ________ your message.
evaluating
The part of a formal report that highlights the important points for people who may not have time to read the entire report is the ________.
executive summary
A set of data can produce only one set of conclusions.
false
All multimedia presentations should include animations to keep the audience's attention.
false
All reports, whether analytical or informational, should be delivered as paper copy.
false
Another word for mode is average.
false
Because of the prevalence of social media, it is now appropriate to use it for personal reasons while at work.
false
Companies choose to use blogs for reasons other than public relations.
false
Conclusions and recommendations serve the same purpose.
false
Executive summary and abstract are interchangeable terms for the summary in the front matter of a proposal.
false
For optimal professionalism when answering telephone calls for others in the workplace, you should tell a caller your coworker's exact whereabouts rather than simply saying that the person is not available.
false
Instagram is the most used social media platform.
false
Most proposals are unsolicited.
false
Quoting experts or citing newspapers, journals, books, Web resources, and other secondary sources can help you establish the scope of your topic.
false
RFP stands for request for payment.
false
Readers tend to look for deadlines and action information in the body of an e-mail message or memo.
false
Reese is proofreading the final copy of a report for the third time. At this point Reese should be checking for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and other mechanical errors.
false
Short informational reports should be organized using the indirect strategy.
false
The body of a short presentation (20 or fewer minutes) should focus on eight to ten main points.
false
Unlike e-mail, instant and text messaging are not subject to legal discovery and may not be used in lawsuits.
false
When conveying negative news, you can minimize potential legal issues by avoiding abusive and careless language and ________.
feelings
Effective telephone calls include a three-point introduction: addressing the person you are calling by name, identifying yourself and your affiliation, and ________.
giving a brief explanation of your reason for calling
The major differences between the direct and indirect strategies are whether you start with a buffer and ________.
how early you explain the reasons for the negative news
When you are preparing a message that will refuse a typical request, you should first determine ________.
how the message will affect the receiver
Cameron is preparing a trip report and should begin the report by ________.
identifying the event
Every PowerPoint slide should generate interest, highlight points, introduce or review key points, provide a transition, or ________.
illustrate and simplify complex ideas
When incorporating a graphic in the body of your report, you should ________.
include a reference to the graphic in the text
Goodwill messages should ________.
include specific incidents or characteristics of the receiver
A social media ________ is a consumer who is loyal to a brand and uses their large following on online platforms to promote a product or service.
influencer
Using the indirect strategy enables the writer to ________.
keep the reader's attention until the reasons for the bad news have been explained
The most important part of your preparation for a presentation is ________.
knowing your purpose
Ren just got off the phone with a prospective client and wants a permanent record of the conversation. To create a formal record that confirms the conversation and continues to build the relationship, Ren should prepare a ________ and send it to the client.
letter
The persuasive document that briefly presents the major features and benefits of a formal proposal is called the ________.
letter of transmittal
The ________ section of a business plan provides an overview of complementary products and services and a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of your direct and indirect competitors.
market analysis
Receivers of bad news are less disappointed if they know the reason for the rejection, feel the news was revealed sensitively, and believe the ________.
matter was treated seriously and fairly
E-mail is appropriate for
messages to multiple receivers use as a cover document when sending longer attachments short, informal messages that request information and respond to inquiries
When selling an idea to management, writers often are successful if they make a strong case for saving ________.
money
You receive a suspicious text message from an unknown sender asking you to click on a link to access your current credit score. This is likely an example of
phishing
A press release should ________.
present the news early in the message
A good introductory paragraph for a business report should tell the purpose of the report, describe the significance of the topic, and ________.
preview the main points
A feasibility report identifies whether managers should ________.
proceed with the proposed option
Stressing how a product or service will help the reader make money is an example of a(n) ________.
rational appeal
ABI/INFORM Complete (ProQuest), Business Source Premier (EBSCO), JSTOR Business, Factiva (Dow Jones), and LexisNexis Academic are examples of ________.
research databases
One of the most important goals in a letter that refuses credit is to ________.
retain customers on a cash basis
Grant proposals aim to ________.
secure funding
Writing for social media ________.
shines a close light on your writing skills and can affect your career
An example of an informational report is one that ________.
shows a manufacturing firm has complied with environmental regulations
When developing a multimedia presentation using PowerPoint, what is the maximum number of bullets you should generally use per slide?
six
Formal proposals differ from informal proposals in ________.
size and format
The purpose of business reports is to convey information, answer questions, and ________.
solve problems
Advik must write a message to employees to convey the new procedure for handling customer complaints. Advik should ________.
state the purpose of the message immediately
The most important part of an e-mail message is its
subject line
What is the most frequently used graphic in a report?
table
When you are writing to complain about something and you believe that your request is justified and will be granted, you should use ________.
the direct strategy
Reagan is writing the opening for a business message that makes a routine request. Reagan believes the request will be received positively; therefore, Reagan should begin with ________.
the main idea
A decision matrix is most helpful when there are a number of complex options to consider.
true
A progress report should describe current problems, as well as anticipate future problems and possible solutions.
true
An effective summary saves time by reducing a report or article by 85 to 95 percent.
true
Conflict and confrontation among a team can create better final products by promoting new ideas and avoiding groupthink.
true
Corporate blogs can be especially useful for creating brands, relationships, and virtual communities.
true
Every presentation should focus on audience benefits.
true
Incorporating visuals into your presentations can reduce the effects of stage fright.
true
Most nonnative speakers of English understand written text much better than they comprehend spoken English.
true
Prezi is an example of zoom presentation software, which allows speakers to focus in and out of images to help the audience understand and remember content, details, and relationships.
true
Recruiters now routinely check applicants' online presence in the screening process.
true
The budget section of a proposal represents a contract.
true
The most important section of a formal report is the body.
true
The two most powerful keys to audience comprehension are good organization and intentional repetition.
true
A ________ is a Web-based presentation, lecture, workshop, or seminar that is transmitted digitally with or without video.
webinar
A blog is a(n) ________.
website with journal entries on any imaginable topic usually written by one person