Deck 3: Planning Business Messages

Question 1

A good audience profile contains analysis of which of the following questions?

A) Where are they located?
B) Who are your audience members?
C) What is your audience's probable reaction?
D) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following correctly lists the three-step writing process?

A) Planning, writing, completing
B) Planning, writing, sending
C) Planning, writing, designing the page
D) Planning, writing, revising

Answer 2

A

Question 3

You should use approximately ________ of your allocated project time for writing.

A) one-third
B) two-thirds
C) half
D) a quarter

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A news website wants visitors to make a donation to a children's charity for Christmas. The site places banner ads on every page to encourage donations. Some ads stress the need for donation; others explain how to donate. The site aims to have at least 5 percent of the visitors donate to the charity as a result of the campaign. Which of the following is the specific purpose of the campaign?

A) To inform visitors about the need to donate
B) To inform visitors about the ways in which they can donate
C) To persuade at least 5 percent of the visitors to donate to the campaign
D) To raise money for the children's charity

Question 5

The cosmetics company Blush has a new competitor, FreshLook. To help retain its market share, Blush releases an ad campaign focusing on the unique features of its products in order to convince consumers to stay loyal to the brand. Which of the following is the general purpose of Blush's ad campaign?

A) To persuade
B) To identify
C) To collaborate
D) To negotiate

Question 6

The Toronto headquarters of a multinational company typically houses a number of employees from its various branches across the world. English is the common language of communication, but most employees are not native speakers. How does this fact affect business communications addressed to all the employees located at the company's headquarters?

A) The primary audience will be difficult to determine.
B) Geographic location will be important in determining message composition.
C) Cultural factors may inhibit understanding of the message.
D) The size of the audience will play an important role in determining message composition.

Question 7

Three reasons for planning your project in detail before you begin are ________.

A) if you don't understand the needs of your audience you will not be able to assemble the information they need
B) the writing stage is faster, easier, and less stressful
C) planning can save you from embarrassing mistakes
D) all of the above

Question 8

When deciding if your purpose is worth pursuing, ask yourself ________.

A) what likely response will it receive
B) what are audience attitudes toward the purpose
C) is the purpose realistic
D) all of the above

Question 9

The first stage of the writing process includes ________.

A) writing the introduction
B) editing for punctuation
C) establishing common ground with the audience
D) analyzing audience members

Question 10

Over the last eight months, consulting firm G&B has been in talks with Wattersons, Inc. over a potential merger. During this time, G&B employees were kept abreast of their company's plans and all their concerns regarding the merger were thoroughly addressed. As the company had assured them that their jobs would be safe, the employees were generally supportive of the move. Once the decision was finalized, G&B's top management issued a statement to the employees confirming the merger. Which of the following is the general purpose of the message issued by G&B's top management?

A) To persuade
B) To inform
C) To initiate a conversation
D) To negotiate

Question 11

Milkman Foods has developed a malted milk powder for children. Which of the following questions is MOST relevant in helping the company identify the target audience for the promotional campaign of this product?

A) Who are Milkman's competitors in the market?
B) What is the average consumption of milk in the area?
C) Who makes the buying decisions in households?
D) What do consumers expect from the product?

Question 12

The second stage of the writing process includes ________.

A) gathering information that will inform, persuade, or motivate your audience
B) adapting your message to the audience's needs
C) revising and rewriting until the message is clear and effective
D) organizing your ideas and composing the first draft

Question 13

When do you step back to proofread for typing errors and other mechanical problems?

A) Planning
B) Completing
C) Revising
D) Writing

Question 14

An effective audience analysis contains information about ________.

A) common cultural traits that tie audience members together
B) education, status, or attitude
C) experience and motivations
D) all of the above

Question 15

After writing the first draft, a writer should revise the message to make it ________.

A) clear
B) concise
C) correct
D) all of the above

Question 16

The planning stage should take about ________.

A) 10% of the time you have to produce the message
B) 50% of the time you have to produce the message
C) 70% of the time you have to produce the message
D) 30% of the time you have to produce the message

Question 17

As part of determining your purpose, you must also consider ________.

A) how your message will be delivered
B) where your message will be delivered
C) is your purpose acceptable to your organization
D) all of the above

Question 18

Amy needs to draft an email explaining income tax procedures to all the employees of her company. Which of the following should she find out to help her decide what to write?

A) The primary audience
B) The needs and expectations of the employees
C) The expected reaction from readers
D) The key decision makers among the employees

Question 19

The general purpose of a business message will be to ________.

A) inform, persuade, and promote your professional reputation
B) inform, persuade, and sell your product to your audience
C) inform, persuade, and collaborate with your audience
D) inform, persuade, and eliminate the competition

Question 20

Amber Consulting decides to organize a public service ad campaign as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The company chooses the issue of water conservation and aims to inform people about the problem through its ad campaign. Which of the following will MOST weaken Amber Consulting's decision to start the campaign?

A) Statistics reveal that 60 percent of all industrial waste is dumped untreated into natural water sources.
B) The water conservation campaign complements the company's long-running clean energy campaign.
C) This issue of water conservation has been in the news for the past several months and has been the subject of numerous campaigns.
D) Research suggests that most people are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are willing to act on their beliefs.

Question 21

Which of the following allows reports and other documents that were once distributed on paper to be transferred as electronic documents?

A) IM
B) VoIP
C) PDF
D) Flash

Question 22

Which of the following types of messages sent by a company to its employees will require the richest media?

A) A message about smoking restrictions
B) A message welcoming a new manager
C) A message about leave policy
D) A message conveying the organization's goals

Question 23

Leaner media are best used for messages that ________.

A) are routine
B) are non-routine
C) require feedback
D) must be personalized

Question 24

Converting audio signals to computer data is known as ________.

A) voice synthesis
B) audio fabrication
C) voice recognition
D) voice activation

Question 25

When deciding what information to include in your message, be sure your information is ________.

A) complete
B) ethical
C) accurate
D) all of the above

Question 26

A multinational company has a presence in several countries and its employees come from different cultures and speak a variety of languages. The company needs to communicate information about a complex process to all its employees across the world. Which of the following classes of media should the company use for this purpose?

A) Written medium, so that the company has a record of the message it sends out
B) Oral medium, because a complex topic can best be explained through interpersonal communication
C) Visual medium, which require less language processing and can be standardized
D) Multimedia, as it enables audience interaction

Question 27

A message can be unethical by ________.

A) providing inaccurate information
B) misleading the audience
C) leaving some information out
D) all of the above

Question 28

Ethan was commissioned to research the market potential for a new fast food chain in a particular area. A trained market researcher, Ethan used complex statistical methods to analyze his data. He is in the process of preparing his research report and must now draft his conclusions and recommendations for the top management of the fast food chain, who are located at the firm's headquarters in Montreal. Which of the following must Ethan necessarily be aware of in order to draft his conclusions and recommendations in the most effective manner?

A) The median age of the audience
B) The geographic distribution of the audience
C) The audience's level of understanding
D) The male-to-female ratio of the audience

Question 29

Which of the following is TRUE for gathering information for written communication?

A) Information for simple messages can be gathered using informal techniques.
B) Only formal methods of gathering information can be used for complex messages.
C) Informal research techniques are not reliable sources of information.
D) Asking the audience for input is not an acceptable method of gathering information.

Question 30

Administrators of a technical college have been under pressure to increase the number of students enrolled per class. If it goes ahead, this new policy will increase revenue, which will indirectly benefit instructors; however, it will also add significantly to instructor workload and possibly diminish the learner experience. Before introducing any new policies, the administration is seeking input from instructors. The most appropriate media to choose for this communication will be ________.

A) oral, such as face-to-face meetings, since the issues are emotionally charged and complex
B) print, such as memoranda, since this will limit potentially difficult discussions
C) visuals, such as infographics, to reduce the complexity of the issue
D) digital tools, such as Survey Monkey, to capture the overall mood of the instructors

Question 31

Telephone calls, teleconferencing, voicemail messages, and audio recordings such as compact discs and podcasts are ________.

A) electronic versions of written medium
B) multimedia
C) visual media
D) versions of oral medium

Question 32

Most business communication efforts involve which of the following?

A) Oral medium and print channel
B) Oral medium and digital channel
C) Written medium and print channel
D) Written medium and digital channel

Question 33

To increase the formality of a message, which forms of communication are the best?

A) Texts and e-messages
B) Letters and printed memos
C) Faxes and meetings
D) All of the above

Question 34

Which of the following forms of communication is the richest?

A) A phone call
B) An email
C) A face-to-face conversation
D) A letter

Question 35

Which of the following is an advantage of visual communication methods over oral and written media?

A) They tend to be more persuasive.
B) They reach a large number of people efficiently.
C) They convey complex ideas and relationships quickly.
D) They are easy to transmit and store.

Question 36

The written medium includes which of the following?

A) Information on scribbled notes to formal reports
B) Electronic forms
C) Letters, memos, and reports
D) All of the above

Question 37

The main advantage of written channels is that they ________.

A) are more confidential
B) allow for immediate feedback
C) let you plan and control the message
D) all of the above

Question 38

Good sources of information you might need for a particular memo or email message might come from ________.

A) blogs
B) newspapers
C) personal conversations
D) all of the above

Question 39

Which of the following is a disadvantage of communication on mobile devices?

A) limited screen size
B) small buttons and text-entry screens
C) loss of connectivity
D) all of the above

Question 40

________ media communicate in the simplest ways, provide no opportunity for audience feedback, and aren't personalized.

A) Direct
B) Lean
C) Uniform
D) Rich

Question 41

Brainstorming ________.

A) is useful in the completing stage of writing messages
B) is not helpful when several people are collaborating on a message
C) can be effectively used by one person or many people
D) uses a graphic method to organize information

Question 42

When your message is complex and must be communicated quickly, which of these channels is most effective?

A) Written
B) Oral
C) Mobile
D) Visual

Question 43

When you need immediate feedback, which of these channels is most effective?

A) Oral medium
B) Written medium
C) Presentations
D) Mobile communication

Question 44

When you want to ease interaction, which of these channels is the most effective?

A) Teleconferencing
B) Oral medium
C) Written medium
D) Mobile communication

Question 45

When you want to minimize the distortion that can occur when messages pass orally from person to person, which of these channels is the most effective?

A) Presentations
B) Oral medium
C) Mobile communication
D) Written medium

Question 46

Which of the following formats is the least formal?

A) Face-to-face conversation
B) Telephone
C) Email
D) All of the above are equal in formality

Question 47

When your message requires more time and resources, which of these channels is the most effective?

A) Written medium
B) Presentations
C) Mobile communication
D) Oral medium

Question 48

When you need no immediate feedback, which of these channels is most effective?

A) Oral medium
B) Presentations
C) Written medium such as email
D) Electronic forms

Question 49

Use written medium when ________.

A) your message is detailed, complex, or requires planning
B) your message has emotional content
C) you need immediate feedback
D) you do not need a permanent record

Question 50

Which of the following statements about the scope of a message is TRUE?

A) The amount of information in a message should be reduced for a skeptical or hostile audience.
B) A knowledgeable audience will necessitate a longer message with more supporting points.
C) Limit the scope of a message in order to convey the main idea as briefly as possible.
D) A greater number of supporting points will ensure that audience interest remains high.

Question 51

When writing, Alyssa finds it best to talk through a communication challenge before beginning to write. She records herself describing what she intends to write. When she listens to the playback, she identifies ways to tighten and clarify the message. The process Alyssa uses is known as ________.

A) mind mapping
B) the journalistic approach
C) a question-and-answer chain
D) the storyteller's tour

Question 52

The ________ approach asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to distill major thoughts from unorganized information.

A) storytelling
B) journalistic
C) brainstorming
D) question-and-answer chain

Question 53

Jeremy writes articles on personal finance for a local paper. He often needs to simplify financial concepts and reduce them to everyday terms to reach his audience. In order to structure his articles, he starts with a key question from the audience's perspective and works back toward the message. Each answer generates new questions until he can identify the information that needs to be in the article. His method of working is known as ________.

A) question of fact
B) hypothetical questioning
C) the question-and-answer chain
D) rhetorical questioning

Question 54

Which of these channels reduces the communicator's ability to control the message?

A) Mobile communication
B) Oral medium
C) Written medium
D) Presentations

Question 55

When you want to read the audience's body language or hear the tone of their response, which of these channels is most effective?

A) Teleconferencing
B) Mobile communication
C) Oral medium
D) Written medium

Question 56

When your message has an emotional component, which of these channels is the most effective?

A) Mobile communication
B) Presentations
C) Oral medium
D) Written medium

Question 57

Use oral medium when ________.

A) your message is simple
B) your message has no emotional content
C) you do not need immediate feedback
D) you need a permanent record

Question 58

Stella is working on a tourism brochure for the Bahamas. She needs to find new and interesting ways of presenting information that has been covered many times before. She begins to write as many ideas, questions, and possibilities she can think of without considering order or importance. She looks for connections among the various ideas to help her find the best way to present the information. Which of the following methods is Stella using?

A) The journalistic approach
B) Mind mapping
C) Brainstorming
D) A question-and-answer chain

Question 59

________ is the process of using a graphic method to generate and organize ideas. It begins with a main idea and then branches out, connecting all other related ideas to the main idea.

A) Blue-sky thinking
B) Idea designing
C) Brainstorming
D) Mind mapping

Question 60

Leo needs to create a presentation on a controversial topic. Before beginning work, he outlines the major points and plans the flow of the presentation. Which of the following should Leo avoid in order to express his ideas clearly and concisely?

A) Explaining the implications of the main idea
B) Increasing the number of supporting points
C) Providing examples and evidence
D) Providing only a few strong examples

Question 61

It is important to reach the decision makers or opinion moulders in your audience.

Question 62

The general purpose of a business message is a statement of what you hope to accomplish with your message.

Question 63

The direct approach is best when ________.

A) the audience is likely to be receptive to the message
B) the audience is likely to react negatively to the message
C) the message is highly emotional
D) the message is controversial

Question 64

Which of the following is TRUE of the direct approach to presenting information?

A) It is used when the audience may react negatively to the message.
B) It generally presents evidence to build a case before reaching a conclusion.
C) It generally starts with the main idea and follows up with the evidence.
D) It is used when audience receptivity to the message is not known.

Question 65

For small projects, it is okay to skip the planning step.

Question 66

Company files, supervisors, and colleagues may be good sources for the information you need for a particular memo or email message.

Question 67

In business messages, you need to state your specific purpose as precisely as possible, even identifying which audience members should respond, how they should respond, and when.

Question 68

If you are unsure what an audience wants, the best solution is to include more information to be more complete.

Question 69

The general purpose of a business message is to inform, persuade, and collaborate with your audience.

Question 70

In any communication situation, it is equally important to meet your own needs and those of the recipients.

Question 71

Which of the following is TRUE of the indirect approach to presenting information?

A) It avoids tough issues if the audience is hostile.
B) It usually begins with a conclusion or recommendation and follows up with evidence.
C) The main idea is withheld until a logical and persuasive case can be built up.
D) It is used when a positive reception is expected from the audience.

Question 72

Approximately half of the time used in a project should be in the completing phase.

Question 73

Writing is a two-step process.

Question 74

Include only enough information to accomplish your objective, focussing on the primary decision makers.

Question 75

In the indirect approach to drafting a message, the ________.

A) main idea is usually followed by the supporting points
B) main idea requires no explanation or argument
C) main idea is usually presented at the beginning of the message
D) main idea usually appears towards the end of the message

Question 76

Information overload can occur when you send messages that won't change anything.

Question 77

Planning complex messages in business rarely requires you to conduct formal research to locate and analyze all the information you need for your purpose and audience.

Question 78

Clarifying the purpose of your message, gathering necessary information, and tailoring your message to the needs and expectations of your audience takes place in the "writing" stage of the writing process.

Question 79

The second stage of the writing process is organizing and writing the first draft.

Question 80

In which of the following cases will a direct approach be the appropriate message strategy?

A) When the audience is hostile to the message
B) When the message is extremely long
C) When the message is non-routine or unusual
D) When the audience is likely to disbelieve or doubt the content of the message