Unit 3 Business Communication

Which of the following will most likely prompt a reader to open your blog post?

A catchy title or headline

________ marketing refers to the rapid spread of messages online.

A catchy title or headline

Which of the following statements about building interest in persuasive messages is most accurate?

After capturing attention, a persuasive request must retain that attention and convince the audience that the request is reasonable.

In which of the following sentences has the bad news been placed in a subordinate clause?

Although our wellness program must be discontinued, all other benefits will remain the same.

Which of the following statements about complaint messages is most accurate?

An effective complaint message makes a reasonable and valid request and presents a logical case with clear facts.

Which of the following subject lines is most effective?

Attend Our Sales Meeting on January 30

Cassandra will be writing a bad-news letter to a customer and wants to follow the four-part indirect plan. In what order should she organize her letter?

Buffer, reasons, bad news, closing

Which of the following actions is unethical?

Exaggerating a point Omitting something crucial Providing deceptive emphasis All of these actions are unethical.

What should you do in the body of an adjustment letter?

Explain how you are complying with the claim.

The most effective sales messages follow which pattern?

Gain attention, build interest, elicit desire and reduce resistance, motivate action.

Jeannie must deliver bad news to her staff in person, and she knows they'll be upset. What should Jeannie do first to prepare for the meeting?

Gather all relevant information.

How do organizations use podcasts?

Major news organizations and media outlets podcast radio and TV shows. Colleges and universities use podcasts to allow students to access instructors' lectures, interviews, sporting events, and other content. Businesses use podcasts to send audio and video messages to customers and to provide training to employees. Organizations use podcasts for all of these purposes.

Which of the following would be the best way to begin a persuasive claim or complaint letter?

Open with an objective statement of the problem.

Which of the following messages moving downward from superiors to subordinates will most likely require persuasion?

Requesting that employees participate in a charity 5K run that takes place outside of work hours

A "limited-time offer" is an example of which psychological trigger that influences people to act or believe?

Scarcity

The best business writers do what in the opening paragraph of a routine request message?

State immediately why they are writing.

Which of the following statements about social networking sites is most accurate?

The number of social media users sixty-five and older has more than tripled in five years.

Select the best buffer to open a letter that refuses a request from a local nonprofit organization for a charitable donation.

The services you provide for homeless families in our community are necessary and important.

How do organizations use social media?

To create internal networking sites accessible only by employees To crowdsource customers for new product ideas and other suggestions To match dispersed employees and their skills Organizations use social media for all these purposes.

You are opening a new restaurant and realize that customers might post reviews online. What should you do?

Try to monitor comments. Use social media sites to interact with customers. You should do all of these.

Your firm's policy is to respond to some of the comments your customers make on Facebook and Twitter. What should you do when responding to these comments?

Use a friendly, upbeat, professional tone.

Because Maya knows that the most important part of an e-mail message is the subject line, she ________.

Viral

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.

Which of the following is an appropriate statement when saying no to job applicants?

We appreciate your interest in our company and wish you every success in your job search.

Dillon wants to adapt his sales message to his target audience. What question is his audience likely to ask while reading his message?

Why should I? What's in it for me? Who cares? Dillon's target audience will likely ask all of these questions.

Peter must deny an employee's request to work from home two days a week. What is the best way to begin this bad-news message?

You are an extremely valued member of our team, and we all benefit from being able to work with you face-to-face on a daily basis.

When writing a claim letter to a company, you're more likely to be successful if you ________.

appeal to the company's sense of responsibility and pride in its good name

When submitting a recommendation to your boss, you should ________.

back up your suggestions with facts and evidence emphasize how your idea saves money or benefits the business state your suggestions confidently and fairly do all of these.

Liliana must be able to access her company's accounting records and accounting software from remote locations. What technology will allow her to store and to access data and software application in remote network clusters?

cloud computing

To avoid charges of discrimination or wrongful actions, legal advisors recommend that organizations write employment rejection letters that are ________.

general, simple, and short

An advantage of business blogs is that they ________.

potentially reach a far-flung, vast audience

The body of a routine message that requests information or action should ________.

present details that explain your request

Avoiding pretentious, formal, or flowery language is the best way to ensure that your goodwill message is ________.

sincere

Routine request and response messages should be written using ________.

the direct strategy

A business letter is a better channel choice than e-mail when ________.

the matter requires confidentiality

The key to ethical communication lies in ________.

the motives of the sender

Kevin is writing a routine e-mail request that he believes will be received positively. The main idea or purpose of his message should be placed in ________.

the opening

Whether to use the direct or indirect strategy in composing a bad-news message depends largely on ________.

the situation the reaction you expect from the audience your goals all of these choices