Deck 4: Planning Business Messages

Question 1

Which statement best describes anticipating and profiling your audience?

A)If you don't actually know your readers, it is impossible to picture what they are like.
B)Because postings to sites like Facebook and Twitter are so brief and informal, there is no need to anticipate your audience.
C)You should adjust your tone, style, and content to accommodate the expectations and needs of your audience.
D)You should profile your primary audience only.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Jorge is working on a sales brochure to promote a new product. Which of the following will Jorge do during the third phase of the writing process?

A)He will anticipate how customers will react to the message.
B)He will proofread the brochure carefully for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
C)He will conduct all necessary research to make sure that the brochure will meet his customers' needs.
D)He will decide how to organize the brochure to make it most persuasive to his customers.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following occurs during the second phase of the 3-x-3 writing process?

A)deciding on the purpose of your message
B)profiling your audience
C)conducting research to gather the data you need to provide facts
D)evaluating whether your message will achieve its purpose

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is the primary purpose of messages that explain procedures, announce meetings, answer questions, and transmit findings?

A)to persuade
B)to sell
C)to promote goodwill
D)to inform

Question 5

A company's annual report describes the company's efforts to give back to the community. The primary purpose of this report is to inform. What is the secondary purpose?

A)to promote goodwill
B)to persuade
C)to explain
D)to convince

Question 6

Determining whether a message will be transmitted by e-mail or delivered in person is part of what?

A)selecting the appropriate audience for the message
B)using the correct tone for the message
C)adapting a message to the audience
D)selecting an appropriate communication channel for the message

Question 7

Tom is writing an e-mail message to a customer to tell him that his order has been shipped. What is his primary purpose?

A)to inform
B)to persuade
C)to sell
D)to promote goodwill

Question 8

You are in charge of preparing a sales brochure and must profile your audience. What question should you ask to profile your primary audience?

A)What do I know about this person's education, beliefs, culture, and attitudes?
B)How much money does this person want to spend?
C)Should I use an expensive brochure?
D)What kind of budget will I need to create the brochure?

Question 9

As a technical support rep, Devon is responding to a customer's question sent to him via e-mail. What is the very first task Devon should do?

A)He should hit the "Reply" button.
B)He should determine the purpose of the message he will send as a response.
C)He should start composing his reply.
D)He should conduct any necessary research.

Question 10

Victoria is writing an e-mail message to her colleagues to encourage them to take part in a charitable fundraiser. What is her primary purpose?

A)to inform
B)to promote goodwill
C)to persuade
D)to intimidate

Question 11

Neveah is writing a proposal to solicit business from a potential client. What should she expect to spend the most time on?

A)analyzing the purpose of the message and anticipating the needs of the client
B)editing, proofreading, and evaluating the proposal
C)composing the first draft of the proposal at her computer
D)researching the information to include in the proposal

Question 12

Sofia is an event planner and is responding to an e-mail request from a client. What should Sofia do during the second phase of the writing process?

A)She should check the format of the message.
B)She should proofread for spelling and grammar errors in the message.
C)She should determine the best organizational pattern for her reply message to the client.
D)She should analyze the situation and anticipate how her client will respond to her message.

Question 13

Which of the following takes place during the third phase of the 3-x-3 writing process?

A)researching information for the message
B)anticipating the audience reaction
C)evaluating the message to decide whether it will achieve its purpose
D)drafting the message

Question 14

How can someone become a better business writer?

A)Follow a systematic process such as the 3-x-3 writing process.
B)Stretch ideas to make them longer.
C)Remember that quantity enhances quality.
D)Sit down and draft messages quickly.

Question 15

In addition to being purposeful and audience-oriented, what other characteristic describes business writing?

A)technical
B)economical
C)aggressive
D)feelings-oriented

Question 16

Which of the following takes place during the first phase of the 3-x-3 writing process?

A)editing the message to make sure it is clear, conversational, concise, and readable
B)writing the rough draft
C)gathering any needed information through formal or informal research techniques
D)analyzing the audience and your purpose for writing

Question 17

Which statement is NOT true of business writing?

A)Business writing is different from writing done in high school and college classes.
B)Business communicators should recognize that quantity enhances quality of their documents.
C)Business writers should have a definite purpose to fulfill in each message.
D)Business writing should be focused on the reader.

Question 18

Omar is writing an e-mail message about a new delivery service. In anticipating and profiling the audience, which of the following should he do?

A)He should call or e-mail all members of his audience to learn more about them.
B)He should realize that he can't write a good message unless he knows exactly who the readers will be.
C)He should try to get a general idea of who his audience is.
D)He should not worry at all about who his audience is.

Question 19

What is the primary purpose of messages that sell products, convince managers, motivate employees, and win over customers?

A)to persuade
B)to inform
C)to promote goodwill
D)to educate

Question 20

Which of the following statements best describes the 3-x-3 writing process?

A)Experienced writers usually spend the most time on the third phase of the writing process.
B)The steps of the writing process must always be followed in order.
C)The 3-x-3 writing process is useful only for longer, more complex documents.
D)The writer decides whether a document achieves its purpose in the first phase of the writing process.

Question 21

Francis is starting his first full-time job after graduating from college, and he wants to sound conversational but professional on the job. What is the best advice you can give him?

A)He should avoid sending text messages on the job because doing so will make him look unprofessional.
B)He should strive for an informal, conversational tone in most business messages.
C)He should use texting-style abbreviations such as BTW and slang in his professional messages to be concise and to show that he's up-to-date with technology.
D)He should use high-level diction in most business messages.

Question 22

Anthony is part of a virtual team collaborating on a written proposal. Which of the following collaboration tools can best help his team work together on this shared document?

A)Facebook
B)wikis
C)Twitter
D)a blog

Question 23

Which of the following statements best describes the "you" view?

A)The "you" view emphasizes first-person pronouns such as I, we, and our.
B)Second-person pronouns such as you and your can be overused and misused.
C)The "you" view can be used effectively in all business messages.
D)First-person pronouns, such as I, we, and our, should be avoided in business messages because they take the focus off the reader.

Question 24

You want to simplify your language and use short, familiar words that your audience will recognize. Which of the following sentences has the best wording?

A)Your remuneration will be commensurate with your results.
B)Please substantiate that the new colour scheme doesn't obfuscate the overall message.
C)Employees are invited to attend a special luncheon next week.
D)Your presence at Friday's meeting is compulsory.

Question 25

Kendra is part of a team that will be preparing a presentation to the board of directors about a new product idea. What will her team likely do the first time they meet?

A)brainstorm for ideas
B)begin their research
C)prepare PowerPoint slides
D)compose a first draft of the presentation

Question 26

Which of the following statements best describes the phases of team writing?

A)In preparing big projects, teams will usually function together for each phase of the writing process.
B)Team members are more likely to work together during Phase 2 of the writing process than any other phase.
C)To save time, teams should go through the revision and evaluation phase just one time.
D)Team members will usually gather at the beginning of a project to brainstorm.

Question 27

You want to use precise, vigorous words to give your readers more information and keep them interested. Which of the following sentences has the best wording?

A)Your order will ship next week.
B)Please get back to me as soon as possible.
C)Our latest income statement shows a decrease in profits.
D)The March balance sheet reports a 10 percent decrease in expenses for the first quarter of the fiscal year.

Question 28

Which of the following sentences avoids showing gender bias?

A)Two firemen will collect the toy donations.
B)Every flight attendant must submit her security clearance card before boarding.
C)All managers and their wives are invited to Friday's cocktail party.
D)The servers at Cafe Divine are always professional.

Question 29

Because of budget cutbacks, you must lay off your receptionist. What is the best way for you to deliver this message?

A)Send her an e-mail message.
B)Send her a brief text message.
C)Meet with her in a face-to-face conversation.
D)Leave her a voice mail message.

Question 30

Which of the following is the best wording to avoid racial, ethnic, age, and disability bias?

A)Hsiao-Nan Yi, a Chinese American, was elected board president.
B)James O'Keefe, 56, will deliver the keynote address at the awards banquet.
C)AARP membership is open to anyone age 50 or over.
D)Our new receptionist is confined to a wheelchair.

Question 31

Which sentence best illustrates the "you" view?

A)Our walking tours include free admission to all museums.
B)We are happy to send you our current calendar of walking tours.
C)We look forward to having you join us on one of our exciting walking tours.
D)You will receive your complete walking tour itinerary one month before your trip.

Question 32

Cassandra is trying to decide whether to call her boss or to send an e-mail message. Cassandra is in the first phase of the writing process.

Question 33

Aimee has composed the following e-mail message to her supervisor: I'm not trying to rat on Cynthia, but she's been taking too many smoke breaks. What level of diction is Aimee using?

A)formal
B)conversational
C)unprofessional
D)middle-level

Question 34

Robert is gathering data for a business proposal he is writing. Robert is in the first phase of the writing process.

Question 35

You want your writing to sound positive and courteous. Which of the following sentences has the best choice of wording?

A)Please give us your feedback about your online ordering experience.
B)You claim that your order arrived with two damaged items.
C)We cannot process your order until we receive your credit card number.
D)Turn in your sales figures by Monday.

Question 36

Which of the following best describes team writing?

A)Team writing is especially important for short documents such as memos, letters, and informational briefs.
B)Because collaboration usually takes longer, team writing is not useful for documents with short deadlines.
C)Effective teams are usually eager to implement their recommendations.
D)Team-written documents and presentations are not standard in most organizations because collaboration has many disadvantages.

Question 37

What is So that your needs can better be met in the future, please complete the online survey about your recent flight with Southwest Airlines an example of?

A)identifying the purpose of your message
B)spotlighting audience benefits
C)emphasizing sender benefits
D)analyzing the task

Question 38

What is the process of creating a message that suits your audience?

A)anticipation
B)adaptation
C)research
D)analysis

Question 39

When choosing the best channel for your message, you should consider the importance of the message; the amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required; the necessity of a permanent record; the cost of the channel; the degree of formality desired; and the confidentiality and sensitivity of the message. What other factor should you consider?

A)the receiver's preference and level of expertise
B)the ability of the channel to showcase your technical expertise
C)your own communication channel preferences
D)the ability of the channel to make your company look cutting edge

Question 40

Preparing a business message or presentation is easier and more efficient if you have a systematic process to follow.

Question 41

Team-written documents and presentations are standard in most organizations because collaboration produces a better product.

Question 42

I have decided to allow you to take Friday off effectively applies the "you" view.

Question 43

You can start lowering your energy expenses immediately is an example of an audience-focused sentence.

Question 44

The sentence You neglected to provide your account information makes good use of positive language.

Question 45

You need to give me an answer by Friday is an example of sentence that uses a positive tone.

Question 46

Words like denigrate, the undersigned, and expropriate should be used in business messages because they will make you sound more professional.

Question 47

Team writing is especially important for documents that require the expertise or consensus of many people.

Question 48

Profiling the audience means anticipating how both primary and secondary audiences will react to a message.

Question 49

The only factor that matters when choosing a channel to send a business message is the cost involved.

Question 50

Business communicators generally spend the most time on the prewriting phase of the 3-x-3 writing process.

Question 51

Because jargon can be confusing, it should never be used in business writing.

Question 52

Every message you write should begin with the notion that your audience is thinking What's in it for me?(WIIFM)

Question 53

Good attorneys always defend their clients demonstrates better business writing than A good attorney always defends his client.

Question 54

The third phase of the writing process involves editing, proofreading, and evaluating your message.

Question 55

The first question to ask yourself when composing a business message is What channel should I use to send the message?

Question 56

A face-to-face conversation is considered a richer medium than a written report or proposal.

Question 57

Anticipating and profiling the audience for a message helps a communicator determine what words and tone to use.

Question 58

Text messages, e-mail messages, business letters, memos, and reports are most effective when they use a formal tone.

Question 59

Professional business messages should not include texting-style abbreviations such as BTW, slang, sentence fragments, or chitchat.

Question 60

Exhibiting sarcasm or anger in a business message can help you get your point across or meet your goals.

Question 61

When profiling your audience, what types of questions should you ask about your primary audience? What types of questions should you ask about your secondary audience? List three of each.

Question 62

List four factors that should be considered when selecting the best channel for your message.

Question 63

During the analyzing part of the prewriting phase, you must first determine the ____________________ of your message.

Question 64

____________________-written documents and presentations are standard in most organizations because collaboration has many advantages.

Question 65

The three phases of the 3-x-3 writing process include ___________, writing, and revising.

Question 66

The primary purposes for sending business messages are typically to inform and to ____________________.

Question 67

______________ is technical or specialized terms used within a field such as Human Resources or Geology.

Question 68

Business writing should be purposeful, economical, and ___________ oriented.

Question 69

Henry is preparing two messages: 1) a message to a long-time client to apologize for an error in a recent order, and 2) a message to his staff listing the final details of the upcoming company picnic.
Choose the medium for each message based on the ten levels of richness in workplace communication, and explain your answer.

Question 70

When choosing the best channel for your message, what information should you consider when deciding whether to choose a rich or a lean medium for your message?

Question 71

A(n) ____________ message may be defined as one that is generated, stored, processed, and transmitted electronically by computers using strings of positive and nonpositive binary code (0s and 1s).

Question 72

They hired a female doctor to administer flu shots is an example of a sentence that shows gender ______________.

Question 73

A secondary purpose of business messages is to promote ____________________ so that you and your organization look good in the eyes of your audience.

Question 74

Putting yourself in your reader's shoes is called ____________________.

Question 75

In team writing projects, team members usually work most closely together during Phase 1, the prewriting phase.

Question 76

You will be pleased to know that your application has been approved, which emphasizes second-person pronouns, is an example of the ____________________ view.

Question 77

List the three steps of the 3-x-3 writing process and briefly describe what occurs during each phase.

Question 78

Good writers spend most of their time ____________________, which is the third phase of the writing process.

Question 79

Business communicators should anticipate both primary and ____________________ audiences.