Question 1

Social media, like Facebook, have limited use in business settings.

Accepted Answer

Social media, like Facebook, can have significant benefits for businesses such as increasing brand awareness, promoting products or services, and engaging with customers.

Question 2

The five-step process for writing any business document begins with:

Accepted Answer

Identifying one or more objectives for the document is the first step in the five-step process for writing any business document. This helps in determining the purpose and audience of the document and guides the research, organization, and writing process.

Question 3

Business writing involves an audience analysis, much like business speaking.

Accepted Answer

Business writing, just like business speaking, requires an understanding of the audience for whom the communication is intended. This includes factors like their level of education, their role or position in the company, their familiarity with the topic, and their communication style preferences. By analyzing the audience, a writer can tailor the message to ensure it is received and understood effectively.

Question 4

Experienced writers need to spend very little time editing and revising their work.

Accepted Answer

Even experienced writers need to revise and edit their work to ensure that it is polished and effective for its intended audience. No writer is perfect, and even the most experienced writers make mistakes that need to be corrected through careful revision and editing.

Question 5

Email subject lines should be as short and general as possible.

Accepted Answer

Effective email subject lines should be concise but specific enough to give the recipient a clear idea of the email content, improving open rates.

Question 6

According to the chunking principle, readers are able to comprehend and remember ________ units of information at a time?

Accepted Answer

The chunking principle suggests that people can remember and comprehend 5-9 units of information at a time, which is often referred to as the "magic number" in psychology.

Question 7

Business blogs should be written with which of the following objectives in mind:

Accepted Answer

Business blogs should aim to achieve all of the objectives listed - engaging readers' interest, cultivating a personal relationship, and seeking feedback. The ultimate goal of a business blog is to increase engagement, build a loyal readership, and ultimately drive sales or other business objectives. Engaging readers' interest is important because it encourages people to come back to your blog for more content. Cultivating a personal relationship with readers creates a sense of community and fosters trust. Seeking feedback shows that you value your readers' opinions and can help you improve your blog over time.

Question 8

In a progress report, you should emphasize the work you've completed since the last report over other activities.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of a progress report is to update stakeholders on the progress made since the last report, so it is important to focus on the work that has been completed.

Question 9

There is no type of business writing that should be written in a manner similar to conversation.

Accepted Answer

Some types of business writing, such as emails or instant messaging within teams, can be more conversational to facilitate better communication and rapport among colleagues.

Question 10

What is the specific problem with the following sentence? "The report was delivered by Kelly."

Accepted Answer

The sentence is written in passive voice, which can weaken the sentence and make it less engaging. The sentence could be rewritten in active voice to make it stronger and more direct, such as "Kelly delivered the report."

Question 11

When preparing a letter to be transmitted digitally (rather than in hard copy), you should remember that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of When preparing a letter to be transmitted...

Question 12

Which of the following business documents is designed to give internal and external stakeholders information about day-to-day business operations?

Accepted Answer

A brief report is a document designed to provide internal and external stakeholders with information about day-to-day business operations. It is concise, usually one to two pages in length, and provides a summary of important information such as sales figures, production data, and financial results. A business letter is a formal communication used for specific purposes such as making inquiries, sending proposals and soliciting for sales while a memo is usually used for internal communication between employees in an organization. A proposal is designed to persuade stakeholders to take a particular course of action, such as investing in a new project or buying a product or service.

Question 13

Evidence shows that readers pay more attention to carefully edited documents than they do sloppy ones.

Accepted Answer

This is supported by research and common sense. Careful editing ensures that a document is easily readable and free of errors, which can increase its credibility and professionalism. Sloppy documents can be distracting and may cause readers to lose interest or trust in the material.

Question 14

The best strategy for communicating a positive impression in a business letter is:

Accepted Answer

Carefully considering your audience and purpose is essential in crafting a business letter that leaves a positive impression. This means tailoring your language, tone, and content to the recipient, while keeping your main message clear and concise. Adding creative touches can be useful in some contexts, but should always be professional and appropriate for the situation. While preparing an outline can be helpful, it's not necessarily the most important factor in creating a positive impression.

Question 15

Jamie is Director of Event planning for her organization. She would like a means to publicize events at the organization's annual conference in real-time for members who cannot attend. Which of the following media would be a good choice for Jamie?

Accepted Answer

All of the options provided are effective means for real-time communication and can be used to publicize events at an organization's annual conference to members who cannot attend. Blogs can provide detailed updates and insights, Facebook status updates can reach a broad audience of members who follow the organization's page, and Twitter is ideal for quick, real-time updates during the events.

Question 16

Business communicators should always adopt a formal style when writing letters.

Accepted Answer

While formal style may be appropriate in some situations, such as legal or highly professional correspondence, it may not always be necessary or appropriate for every business communication. The style chosen should be based on factors such as the purpose of the message, the relationship between the sender and recipient, and the company culture.

Question 17

Proposals should be written after carefully reading:

Accepted Answer

Proposals should be written after carefully reading the RFP (Request for Proposal) document, which outlines the specific needs and requirements of the prospective client. This is the most important source of information for crafting a winning proposal. While it is also helpful to learn more about the client through their website or personal communications, these should supplement and not replace the information provided in the RFP. Reading the newspaper is not typically relevant to proposal writing.

Question 18

A proposal is an invitation to qualified businesses or individuals to bid for specific work.

Accepted Answer

A proposal is a document submitted by businesses or individuals to offer their services or solutions to a problem, not an invitation to bid. An invitation to bid is typically called a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ).

Question 19

Which of the following statements offers the best advice for formatting a business letter?

Accepted Answer

It is essential to pick a standard format and use it consistently throughout the letter for maintaining professionalism and creating a good impression. Block style is also a standard format, but other formats like modified block or semi-block can also be used depending on the requirement. Keeping the message brief is also important, but it does not relate to formatting. Varying fonts and spacing can make the letter look cluttered and unprofessional.

Question 20

Effective contemporary business writing is straightforward and down-to-earth.

Accepted Answer

Effective contemporary business writing should be simple, clear, and easy to understand. Using jargon, technical terms, or convoluted sentences can make the message confusing and ineffective.

Quiz 13: Business Professional Writing: How Do I Best Present Myself in Writing