Deck 2: Adapting Your Messages to Your Audience

Question 1

The _____ audience receives the message first and routes it to other audiences.

A)initial
B)primary
C)watchdog
D)secondary

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In which of the following situations would your manager be considered both the primary and initial audience?

A)Your manager asks you to compile the latest sales figures and put them in an informative report so she can decide if your new marketing strategies have paid off.
B)Your manager asks you to compile sales figures for the last fiscal year so she can send them to her boss,who needs the information to prepare himself for an upcoming board meeting.
C)You write a proposal to your manager suggesting a new promotional idea in the hope that she will like it enough to pass it on to the division chief,who has the power to implement a new plan.
D)Your company's newsletter needs information on your department's softball team,which your manager wants to see before it's passed on to the editor.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When addressing a business audience,avoid using conversational language in your message as it will generate a negative reaction from the audience.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

When addressing a business audience,use headings and bullet lists to use up white space in formal documents.

Question 5

Within a given industry,such as banking,companies share a similar organizational culture.

Question 6

A discourse community is a group of people who share assumptions about their particular culture and values.

Question 7

Critical thinking involves gathering as much information as you can about someone or something,and then making decisions based on that information.

Question 8

Messages are transmitted via channels.

Question 9

One must know and understand the audiences to identify the information that will attract and hold their attention,and motivate them to comply with a message.

Question 10

The _____ may be asked to comment on your message or to implement your ideas after they've been approved.

A)primary audience
B)initial audience
C)secondary audience
D)gatekeeper

Question 11

In the communication process,channel overload occurs when more messages are transmitted than the human receiver can handle.

Question 12

Different frames of reference frequently cause miscommunication.

Question 13

A watchdog audience has the power to stop a message.

Question 14

The primary audience receives the message first and routes it to other audiences.

Question 15

Choose channels that best suit your purposes and audience needs.

Question 16

In terms of the types of audiences,a supervisor or executive assistant who decides whether or not you can speak to your manager is _.

A)the neutral audience
B)the secondary audience
C)a gatekeeper
D)a watchdog

Question 17

The _____ audience makes the decision to act on a message.

A)watchdog
B)primary
C)initial
D)secondary

Question 18

When addressing a business audience,unintentional cultural,gender,religious,and economic assumptions in messages can offend readers and cost you business.

Question 19

Demographic factors are subjective and measureable.

Question 20

In oral communication,meaning and morale can be jeopardized when people choose efficiency and formality over real communication.

Question 21

When writing to both external and internal audiences,which of the following language styles is most suitable?

A)A more formal style in third person
B)An informal style to relate to more people
C)A more formal style using elaborate vocabulary
D)An informal style written in first person to have a more personal feel

Question 22

A _____ pays close attention to the communication between the communicator and the primary audience and may base future actions on its evaluation of the communicator's message.

A)initial audience
B)secondary audience
C)gatekeeper
D)watchdog audience

Question 23

How is an organization's culture expressed?

A)Through their office décor and furniture
B)Through their frequency of social gatherings after work
C)Through their choice of meeting venues and frequency of meetings
D)Through values,attitudes,and philosophies

Question 24

When trying to reach a larger audience:

A)Use multiple channels and multiple media.
B)Simplify your communication as much as possible.
C)Deliver your communication repeatedly to ensure everyone has had equal opportunity.
D)Make sure everyone is at the same educational level.

Question 25

Audience reaction is strongly influenced by:

A)Weather conditions
B)Time of day the message is received
C)Objective logic
D)Personal,social,political,religious,and class associations

Question 26

In the communication process,_____ occurs when the communication medium cannot handle all the messages being sent.

A)noise
B)feedback
C)channel overload
D)information overload

Question 27

Which of the following must you avoid when developing a message?

A)Mix of paragraph lengths to create white space
B)Bias-free photographs
C)Conversational language
D)Unintentional cultural assumptions

Question 28

_____ characteristics are qualitative rather than quantitative and include values,beliefs,goals,and lifestyles.

A)Demographic
B)Geographic
C)Psychographic
D)Geodemographic

Question 29

Which of the following must you consider when doing an audience analysis?

A)Their favourite places of interest.
B)Their current knowledge of your topic.
C)Their physical characteristics,such as weight and height.
D)Their preferences for places to hold meetings.

Question 30

_____ is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes,to feel with that person.

A)Empathy
B)Critical thinking
C)Apathy
D)Intuitiveness

Question 31

_____ involves gathering as much information as you can about someone or something, and then making decisions based on that information.

A)Perceptiveness
B)Multi-tasking
C)Critical thinking
D)Formal logic

Question 32

"I couldn't understand a word they were saying.They spoke all at once." This is an example of which of the following elements of the communication process?

A)Channel overload
B)Noise
C)Decoding
D)Frames of reference

Question 33

When you are writing to audiences with different needs,it is better to:

A)Use a variety of styles to accommodate everyone.
B)Meet the needs of the gatekeepers and primary audiences first.
C)Get straight to the point of your message instead of starting with an introduction.
D)Use technical terms and jargon instead of simple words.

Question 34

The advantage of writing is primarily to be on record.Why is this important?

A)To show that you are sensitive to the emotional needs of people
B)To present the big picture first and emphasize your major point
C)To make sure people know where you stand and how you feel
D)To present your reasoning or details step by step

Question 35

Oral communication is suitable:

A)When you want to present complex financial data.
B)When you want to create a permanent record of your message.
C)When you need to send routine business messages.
D)When you want an immediate response.

Question 36

_____ data is used by marketers to analyze and appeal to audiences according to where they live and what they buy.

A)Cognitive
B)Behavioural
C)Geodemographic
D)Psychographic

Question 37

In the communication process,_____ occurs when more messages are transmitted than the human receiver can handle.

A)noise
B)feedback
C)channel overload
D)information overload

Question 38

Which are some of the ways you can find out what matters within your organization?

A)Ask your boss
B)Observe who is fired
C)Listen to colleagues stories around the water cooler (rumours)
D)Pay attention to who is disciplined

Question 39

_____ characteristics can be objectively quantified,or measured,and include age,gender,and religion.

A)Demographic
B)Behavioural
C)Psychographic
D)Cognitive

Question 40

Communication channels should be selected based on the factor(s)of:

A)Physical capabilities of sender and receiver.
B)Speed and efficiency.
C)Environmental influence such as weather and temperature.
D)Receiver's ability to read and write.

Question 41

What are some strategies you can use to choose the appropriate medium for your communication?

Question 42

Since audience analysis is central to the success of your message,what information do you need to consider about your audience?

Question 43

How do different frames of reference cause miscommunication?

Question 44

What is organizational culture?

Question 45

What are the advantages of oral communication?