WRTG 3016-090 Business Writing

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

communicate clear expectations

When speaking on behalf of your team in a routine message, you might seek _______ from other team members to make sure they agree with what the message says.

feedback

Routine messages that include directions are much like those that

set expectations

To maintain goodwill when making a routine request, you should compose your message with a tone that has which of the two characteristics?

1. other-oriented 2. positive

Your appreciation message will be less effective if it:

1. places too much focus on you 2. contains excessive phrases of gratitude.

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

5 to 15 minutes

In a business message expressing gratitude, which of the following is the least likely to seem exaggerated or excessive? a. "Great job." b. "What an honor it was to work with you." c. "Fabulous job" d. "I am really deeply grateful for your help."

"Great job"

Components of Directions

1) State goal 2) Give step-by-step directions 3) State goodwill

Components of Sympathy Messages

1. Express sympathy, concern 2. Offer support 3. State goodwill

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

1. How much detail does my audience expect? 2. How would my audience want to receive this information?

An announcement should include which of the following components?

1. organized information 2. concise wording

Components of Requests

1. Make a request 2. Provide rationale 3. Call to action 4. State goodwill

Components of Apologies

1. Make acknowledgement 2. Express regret 3. Take responsibility 4. Offer commitment 5. State goodwill

Components of Claims

1. Make claim 2. Provide rationale 3. Call to action 4. State goodwill

Steps of writing a routine message:

1. Plan --Get the message right. 2. Write --Get the delivery right. 3. Review --Double-check everything

Components of a Routine Business Message

1. State the primary message (in ten words or fewer) 2. provide details in paragraphs of 20-80 words 3. restate the request or key message in more specific terms. 4. State goodwill.

Which of the following should take place more frequently?

1. Supervisors thanking employees 2. Employees thanking supervisors 3. Employees thanking each other

If too little information is provided in your routine message, which of the following are likely to occur?

1. Your credibility will be diminished. 2. The receiver will be less apt to do what your are requesting.

It is appropriate to extend sympathies to a professional contact when:

1. a loved one becomes seriously ill 2. a loved one passes away

An effective apology contains which of the following components?

1. admitting that you offended someone 2. expressing regret for your actions 3. promising to not commit the offense again

When delivering an appreciation message, an exaggerated display of gratitude may

1. appear unprofessional 2. seem insincere

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

1. bulleted lists 2. numbered lists 3. special formatting

A poorly delivered business apology may

1. cause more problems 2. make the first mistake seem even worse

An effective announcement generally contains which of the following items?

1. complete details 2. attention-getter

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

1. cultivates interpersonal trust 2. improves your credibility

When explaining your expectations to employees that you manage, what are the three main elements to include?

1. deadlines for the project 2. each person's role/responsibilities 3. how the work will be coordinated among all the people who are involved.

Factors that lead to personal offenses include:

1. different communication styles 2. personality clashes 3. careless comments

Components of Expectations

1. explain overall expectations 2. describe responsibilities 3. provide deadlines 4. discuss coordination 5. state goodwill

Components of an Announcements

1. gain attention 2. give announcement 3. provide details 4. call to action 5. state goodwill

Components of Appreciation Messages

1. give thanks 2. provide rationale 3. state goodwill

Sending thank-you notes accomplish which of the following?

1. maintain strong working relationships 2. boost repeat business

Components of Inquiry Responses

1. provide responses 2. state goodwill

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

1. specify what the claim is 2. explain why the claim is being made 3. make a call to action

Which component should be included in an effective message of appreciation?

1. statement of goodwill 2. a brief rationale 3. an expression of thanks

An effective routine message will allow the recipient to:

1. understand the responsibilities involved 2. understand the main idea within seconds 3. quickly process the information

When drafting a business message that includes instructions, when should you have other people read your directions to make sure they are clear enough?

1. when describing a complex procedure 2. when describing a technical procedure

The most effective thank-you notes are:

1. written by hand 2. sincere 3. sent promptly

A person reading a well-crafted announcement should grasp all of its important information in _______

10 to 15 seconds

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

20-80 words

Steps to reviewing your routine message:

Double-check everything - get feedback from others, especially when writing on behalf of a team or unit - ensure your message is fair - proofread thoroughly

True or false: In general, you should avoid making apologies for routine mistakes and offenses because they are likely to damage your personal credibility.

False

Steps to writing a routine message:

Get the delivery right - aim for helpful, professional, reader-centered tone - show your respect for the reader and their time - use subject lines and formatting to create a simple design - use bullets, numbered lists, and hyperlinks

Steps to planning a routine message:

Get the message right. - identify the exact needs of your audience - gather relevant, accurate information - create a front-loaded, direct, complete and detail-oriented message

Why is it NOT advisable to compose a business message that includes step-by-step instructions written in narrative from within a paragraph?

The narrative format for instructions is more difficult to follow.

Routine business messages generally focus on:

Things to be done at work and maintaining camaraderie at work.

Workplace colleagues will evaluate which of the following based on your approach to routine business messages?

Your reliability, responsiveness, and commitment

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

Which two of the following types of routine business messages tend to be relatively infrequent?

apologies and expressions of sympathy

It is optional but appropriate to include a(n) _______ at the end of a lengthy routine request.

call to action

When making a claim, you message will be more effective if it balances ________ with _________.

directness; politeness

In a request memo, the main goals are to convey information in a way that is ________.

easy to read and complete

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

efficiency

What kind of tone is most effective when providing directions in a message?

helpful

Handling a routine message typically requires ________ other types of business correspondence

less time than

Which of the following techniques should not be used when responding to an inquiry?

mixing responses in a single paragraph

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

no more than 10 words

When making a claim to a company, the explanation that you lay out should be:

professional, logical, reasonable

An announcement is what type of communication?

one-to-many

What drafting a routine message, you should strive for a _____ tone.

professional, reader-oriented, helpful tone

Which of the following is NOT a component of a claim?

providing responses

Thank-you notes for customers and clients _________, whereas thank-you notes for collogues ________.

require more formality and respect; should be more casual but not excessive in showing appreciation

Proofreading and requests for feedback should take place during the _______ state of routine message development.

reviewing

By a large margin, most business messages are

routine messages

The most important element of any expression of sympathy is that it should be

sincere

When providing directions in a routine message, you should give ________ instructions

step-by-step

The _______ of the routine request should be clear and specific.

subject lines

What is the most important goal of a routine business message?

to capture the reader's attention

When employees explain their reasons in the text of routine requests, the company is better able to maintain _______ by keeping written records that show why decisions were made.

transparency