Week 5:

Routine messages that include directions are much like those that

set expectations.

When a professional contact encounters a personal loss, it is ______ to extend sincere sympathies

appropriate

It should take about ______ to complete a routine business message.

5 to 15 minutes

To be an effective routine message, a claim should do which of the following?

*Make a call to action. *Specify what the claim is. *Explain why the claim is being made.

Which of the following are true of routine business messages?

*Readers are unlikely to resist them. *Readers usually respond positively to them. *They convey straightforward information.

Which of the following would be considered a business announcement?

*a notice that the office Christmas party will be held in the conference room *a statement that the company is changing its dress code *a mass email informing customers that the company is moving to a new location

Sending thank-you notes can accomplish which of the following?

*boost repeat business *maintain strong working relationships

When responding to inquiries, which of the following are the three best ways to set off separate questions?

*bullets *special formatting *numbered lists

All routine business messages should contain which of the following components?

*the primary message within the first two sentences *the primary message in the subject line *details

It is appropriate to extend sympathies to a professional contact

*when a loved one becomes seriously ill. *when a loved one passes away.

The ______ planning process can be completed quickly for most routine messages.

AIM

A routine message should be written with which two of the following questions in mind?

How would my audience want to receive this information? How much detail does my audience expect?

In routine business correspondence, the primary message should appear in

the first sentence or two.

Managers and supervisors need to ______, even if they are afraid of going beyond their authority.

communicate clear expectations

A company writes to one of its suppliers, requesting an adjustment to the invoice for a recent shipment because some of the merchandise was missing. This type of business message is known as ______.

a claim

Factors that lead to personal offenses include

different communication styles. personality clashes. careless comments.

Numerous routine messages are handled daily. Therefore they need to be produced with

efficiency

After harming someone at work, whether intentionally or not, business professionals with high ______ will quickly try to make amends.

emotional intelligence

Establishing clear expectations, especially when you are the supervisor or manager, directly

improves your credibility. cultivates interpersonal trust.

How much time do most readers expect it will take to grasp the main point of a routine business message?

less than 10 to 15 seconds

Your response to inquiries will be more effective if you ______ so that readers can easily identify your answers.

mark each question with a bullet or number

In a routine business message, how long should the primary message be?

no more than 10 words

When drafting a routine message, you should strive for a ______ tone.

professional reader-oriented helpful

Messages that include directions usually

offer guidelines for specific tasks.

An announcement is what type of communication?

one-to-many

In response to a routine business request, the reader is likely to express little or no ______ to what the message is saying.

resistance

By a large margin, most business messages are

routine messages.

Which of the following are characteristics of effective thank-you notes?

sincere written by hand sent promptly

The ______ of a routine request should be clear and specific.

subject lines.

What is the biggest challenge in a routine business message?

to get your readers to pay attention