Deck 3: Building Goodwill

Question 1

In order to create goodwill with content,it is best to avoid showing why information an audience did not ask for is important.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: To create goodwill with content, it is good to show why information an audience did not ask for is important. One should also anticipate and answer questions an audience is likely to have.

Question 2

A writer should talk about an audience's feelings because it helps bond better with them.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: In most business situations, one should avoid talking about the audience's feelings. It is distancing to have others tell them how they feel especially if they are wrong.

Question 3

While using positive emphasis,it is important to check that content is appropriate,sincere,and realistic.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Positive emphasis may sometimes be overdone which results in clouding the reality of a situation. In addition, some bad news is so serious that presenting it with positive tone is insensitive. Therefore, while using positive emphasis, it is important to check that it is appropriate, sincere, and realistic.

Question 4

Impersonal expressions omit things and focus on talking about people.

Question 5

Placing information in the bottom of a first page helps deemphasizing the information.

Question 6

Bias-free language helps to sustain goodwill,is fair,and complies with the law.

Question 7

Wordiness means using fewer words than the meaning requires.

Question 8

The desirable tone for business writing is businesslike,friendly,confident,and polite.

Question 9

Focusing on alternatives and on what the audience can do when options are closed is a good way of implementing positive emphasis.

Question 10

While giving good news,a writer or speaker should predict an audience's response because it makes them feel that the writer understands them.

Question 11

It is good to use more politeness if one is asking for something that will inconvenience the audience.

Question 12

It is appropriate to talk about one's own emotions in a message of congratulations or condolence.

Question 13

Straightforward negatives build credibility while giving bad news.

Question 14

Bias-free language does not discriminate against people on the basis of sex,physical condition,race,ethnicity,age,or any other category.

Question 15

Positive emphasis can be created by putting negative information in the middle and presenting it compactly.

Question 16

Talking about oneself is a good way to demonstrate confidence and you-attitude.

Question 17

Workman,chairman,and airhostess are examples of neutral titles.

Question 18

In order to avoid assigning blame in a negative situation,it is best to use active verbs.

Question 19

When one does not know someone well,it is good to use first names to attempt to build a professional relationship.

Question 20

While organizing information to build goodwill,one should arrange information to meet an audience's needs.

Question 21

My Sunny Balcony is a popular garden store which sells products to customize home gardens.The store recently made a sale of two garden chairs to Mr.Thompson,a regular customer of the store.The store now needs to inform him that the chairs have been delivered to his home address.Which of the following should the store say to best demonstrate you-attitude?

A) "Your order at My Sunny Balcony has been processed and the delivery has been made at 1500 hours."
B) "The product you purchased at My Sunny Balcony has just been delivered to the address you provided."
C) "The garden chairs you ordered were delivered at your home address at 1500 hours."
D) "We have delivered your item sharp at 1500 hours at your home on Miller's Road."
E) "Our delivery team has confirmed that your product reached your home address at 1500 hours."

Question 22

Emma Tate recently presented a progress report to her team members on a marketing project they have been working on.She prepared her presentation well ahead of time and included all details required for it to be a success.However,her audience did not respond well to it because it lacked you-attitude.Which of the following statements did Emma most likely make?

A) "We have so far worked on getting the product marketed by print media."
B) "We have so far created a clientele base of 5800 members and 55 corporate houses."
C) "You have managed to garner interest from corporate groups in the product."
D) "You have not achieved the milestone of reaching out to a 10000 figure customer base."
E) "You have gathered funds from three main corporate groups to market the product."

Question 23

Which of the following does wordiness refer to?

A) Lack of words in a sentence or paragraph
B) Adding words to add to the meaning essential for it
C) Limited words which take away the sentence's meaning
D) Having more words than the meaning requires
E) Reducing words from a sentence to make it concise

Question 24

When talking about people with disabilities,one should use people-first language to focus on the person,instead of the condition.

Question 25

Which of the following is true about you-attitude in business communication?

A) The word "we" works well when it does not include the audience.
B) The word "I" demonstrates confidence about oneself or a company.
C) The word "I" works well when it includes an audience or a reader.
D) The word "I" suggests that one is concerned about personal issues.
E) Talking about the audience's feelings breaks communication barriers.

Question 26

One should use terms which suggest that competent people are unusual.

Question 27

Janice Hampton,a guest relation executive at the Sterling Hotel,needs to write a letter to a guest who has recently become a star club member of the hotel.Which of the following should she say which will best demonstrate you-attitude in the letter?

A) "You will be delighted to know that you are now a star club member of the hotel."
B) "It gives me pleasure to inform you that you are now a star club member of the hotel."
C) "I am sure you will be happy to know that you are now a part of our star club family."
D) "We at the Sterling Hotels are glad to inform you that you are a star club member."
E) "You are now a star club member of the Sterling Hotel."

Question 28

Which of the following does you-attitude focus on?

A) Differentiating between different audience members
B) Emphasizing on the needs of the writer or speaker
C) Stressing on the audience's point of view
D) Giving more preference to important audience members
E) Using negative emphasis to convey good news

Question 29

Which of the following helps in creating goodwill?

A) Me-attitude
B) Neutral emphasis
C) Negative emphasis
D) Biased language
E) You-attitude

Question 30

In order to ensure that a photograph is bias-free,one should check relationships and authority figures as well as numbers.

Question 31

Language is nonracist and nonageist when it treats all races and ages fairly,avoiding negative stereotypes of any group.

Question 32

When one knows a reader's name but not the gender,it is good to use the reader's first name in the salutation.

Question 33

While communicating about people with disabilities or diseases,positive emphasis takes precedence over you-attitude.

Question 34

While choosing photographs and illustrations,one should ensure that the general impression suggests that diversity is welcome and normal.

Question 35

Which of the following does revisions in you-attitude result in?

A) Changed meaning of a sentence
B) Shorter, crisper sentences
C) Reduction of information
D) Creation of vague concepts
E) More information

Question 36

One should use language free from sexism by using neutral titles that do not imply that a job is held only by men or women.

Question 37

Every title that contains the word "man" should be avoided because it involves using sexist language.

Question 38

Jennifer Reese needs to write to her client,Mark Lewis,about new requirements for a project.She has recently got to know that Mr.Lewis' mother passed away and in her letter empathizes with the client saying,"I am sorry to hear about your mother's death." What does the sentence indicate?

A) Lacks you-attitude because it begins with the word "I"
B) Lacks you-attitude because it talks about the writer's emotion
C) Shows good you-attitude because it focuses on the writer's emotions
D) Shows good you-attitude because it empathizes with the reader
E) Lacks you-attitude because it does not focus on the reader's needs

Question 39

Business communication uses singulars to eliminate sexist generic pronouns.

Question 40

Sweeney's Ice-cream Parlor recently advertised their new sundaes through fliers at malls and Sunday markets.Their initiative was a huge success because the fliers were created with the audience in mind and talked about them instead of the company.Which of the following did Sweeney's Ice-cream Parlor most likely say in the fliers?

A) "We at Sweeney's are now offering fresh fruit sundaes at $5!"
B) "There are brand new flavors available at our parlor on St. Marks Street!"
C) "We are now serving the best fresh fruit sundaes in the city!"
D) "Sweeney's is launching their new sundaes today!"
E) "You can now try our new fresh fruit sundaes for only $5!"

Question 41

Captain J's,a popular burger joint in California,recently improved on their quality of burgers by adding more layers of meat and cheese to it.To spread the word about their improved burgers,they distributed fliers to passers-by at streets.Which of the following would best help Captain J's promote their new burgers by creating positive emphasis?

A) "Captain J's now has appetizing burgers on their menu!"
B) "We assume you will like Captain J's new burgers!"
C) "Captain J's now has even better tasting burgers!"
D) "Now you can try out delicious burgers at Captain J's!"
E) "We think you will now like Captain J's tasty burgers!"

Question 42

Martina,a campaigner at an environmental organization,has asked her project members Megan and Alana to write individual progress reports on the campaign.Megan had not achieved the objectives of the campaign and her report was filled with negative connotations.On the other hand,though Alana too had not achieved her objectives,her report avoided the use of negative words.Which of the following did Alana's report most likely incorporate?

A) "It is unfortunate that I did not manage to achieve the objectives of the campaign."
B) "I failed to achieve the campaign milestones only because of lack of time."
C) "My inability to achieve the campaign objectives may create backlogs in the campaign."
D) "I have not achieved all the milestones but will do so by the end of the week."
E) "I feel inadequate for not achieving the objectives because I worked very hard on it."

Question 43

For which of the following is the lowest level of politeness used?

A) An order
B) A question
C) A clarification
D) An indirect request
E) A query

Question 44

Which of the following statements represent double negatives?

A) Work doubly hard to reach your targets.
B) It is important to reach your sales targets.
C) Never fail to reach you sales targets.
D) Always ensure you reach your sales targets.
E) Make sure you work hard to reach your targets.

Question 45

Patrick Rowe is a manager at a software firm.Jack Blair,Patrick's team member,is facing technical issues with software system.While communicating with Blair,Rowe used an impersonal statement to talk about the issue.Which of the following did Patrick say?

A) "This new software system has been giving us problems for a while now."
B) "You should really know how to operate this new phone system by now."
C) "You will attend a training seminar on the new software system next week."
D) "Why did you not tell me you did not know how to resolve such problems?"
E) "Sam Todd has worked on this system before and will be able resolve the problem."

Question 46

Isabella Rodgers works as a sales manager at an insurance firm and needs to present a report for her team on their performance results.The team has underperformed and has not managed to reach the targets of the quarter.Which of the following would best help Isabella address the team using appropriate you-attitude?

A) "You have not achieved the sales targets that you had committed to."
B) "I have noticed that you have underperformed in this quarter."
C) "You must perform doubly well now to make up for the low sales."
D) "You will be disappointed to know that you have underperformed."
E) "The sales figures this quarter have not reached our expected targets."

Question 47

Which of the following is an example of a non-sexist job title?

A) Poetess
B) Stewardess
C) Mailman
D) Flight attendant
E) Sculptress

Question 48

Which of the following sentences carries the highest level of politeness?

A) "Submit your campaign report to me latest by Friday."
B) "Please submit your campaign report by Friday."
C) "All campaign reports must be submitted latest by Friday."
D) "Would you please submit your campaign report by Friday?"
E) "Please ensure that you submit your campaign report by Friday."

Question 49

Which of the following is true of using a nonsexist language?

A) Indicates marital status when one knows a reader's gender
B) Uses traditional gender pronouns to refer generally to someone
C) Uses terms that assumes everyone in the audience as heterosexuals
D) Uses gender neutral job titles instead of stereotypes
E) Uses "Mrs." salutation for all married women

Question 50

Which of the following should be undertaken while organizing information which creates goodwill?

A) Presenting information that interests the audience in the middle of a paragraph
B) Arranging information which meets all of the writer or speaker's needs
C) Using headings and lists so readers can find key points quickly
D) Avoid anticipating an audience's questions because it distracts from key points
E) Prevent showing data that the audience did not ask for as important

Question 51

Raymond Wells needs to welcome the new sales executives at his organization and introduce them to the rest of the team.He does not know them well and are meeting them for the first time.When he introduces them to the team,his introduction sounds sexist.Which of the following did Wells most likely say?

A) "Please welcome Joe Boston, Brian Ellis, and Melissa West."
B) "Please welcome Mr. Boston, Mr. Ellis, and Ms. West."
C) "Please welcome Mr. Boston, Mr. Ellis, and Mrs. Melissa."
D) "Please welcome Joe, Brian, and Melissa."
E) "Please welcome our new sales executives to the team."

Question 52

Which of the following sentences contain hidden negatives?

A) The products you ordered will reach you ahead of time as you requested.
B) The products you had ordered for were delivered to you as per schedule.
C) The e-mail contains the details of the delivery time and products delivered to you.
D) I think the products you ordered has been delivered to your home address on time.
E) The courier service has confirmed that the delivery of products has been on time.

Question 53

Which of the following does business communication use to eliminate sexist generic pronouns?

A) Singulars
B) First-person I
C) Pronoun pairs
D) Marital status
E) Third person

Question 54

James is an executive at fashion house,Shawn Hill.He recently received feedback from a corporate client that they liked their new eco-friendly line of clothing.James' colleague,Victor,already prepared an e-mail response for the client but James found the communication negative.Which of the following should James say in the e-mail which replaces the negative connotation with positive emphasis?

A) "I hope you liked our designs well enough to place an order with us."
B) "I am hoping you will from now on place all your important orders with us."
C) "We at Shawn Hill look forward to receiving a lot more orders from you."
D) "I assume you found exactly what you were looking for in our designs."
E) "Whenever you need eco-friendly clothing, please let us know."

Question 55

Which of the following represents negative information in the best possible manner?

A) "We failed to raise funds for the charity event happening next week."
B) "We have been unsuccessful in organizing funds for the event."
C) "The weak funding plan resulted in insufficient funds for the charity event."
D) "We have not finished gathering funds for the charity event next week."
E) "We will be able to raise sufficient funds by beginning of next week."

Question 56

Sarah Lawson works at a luxury clothing brand.She needs to write to Loretta Franklin,a client with who she has over the years established a personal relationship.Which of the following should she use to address her client?

A) Madam
B) Mrs. Franklin
C) Loretta
D) Loretta Franklin
E) Ms. Loretta Franklin

Question 57

For which of the following should passive verbs be used?

A) Sharing poor progress results of a project
B) Discussing job roles in a project
C) Explaining audience benefits for a product
D) Informing about incentives for selling a product
E) Explaining perks of a new position

Question 58

_____ is an implied attitude of a communicator toward an audience.

A) Stress
B) Tone
C) Emphasis
D) Amplification
E) Filler words

Question 59

Which of the following is a way to deemphasize negatives?

A) Focusing on limitations to solve a problem efficiently
B) Justifying negative information by giving a reason
C) Using hidden negative in place of negative connotations
D) Avoid linking negative information to an audience benefit
E) Placing negative information in the beginning

Question 60

Which of the following is a desirable tone for business writing?

A) Chummy
B) Groveling
C) Friendly
D) Stiff
E) Legalistic

Question 61

What should one do when one does not know a person's name or gender?

Question 62

What are the key elements to ensure that a positive message is sincere and appropriate?

Question 63

What are the five steps that create a positive emphasis in a message?

Question 64

What are some of the key points to keep in mind about hidden negatives? Explain.

Question 65

What are passive verbs and impersonal expressions? When should they be used in a message?

Question 66

What are some key points to ensure that one is using nonracist and nonageist language?

Question 67

What are the three main guidelines to be followed while organizing information to build goodwill in a message?

Question 68

Enlist the five techniques that a writer should use to convey you-attitude.

Question 69

How should negative information be presented in a message?

Question 70

John Perkins works as a human resource executive at a restaurant in London.He recently recruited a Food and Beverage Manager for their restaurant and while introducing the employees to him said,"Meet Mrs.Stephens,the waitress for the dine-in section." He figured that since he does not know whether she is married or not,it is safer to refer to her as Mrs.His statement was considered inappropriate by most staff in the restaurant.Explain what was wrong with Mr.Perkins' statement.

Question 71

What are the key guidelines to be followed while using content to demonstrate you-attitude and build goodwill?

Question 72

Define you-attitude,positive emphasis,and bias free language.How do they help in building goodwill for messages?

Question 73

Karen Holmes recently led a team on the "Campaign against Deforestation in Indonesia." The headquarters of her company in Amsterdam has now sent her a review on the project which criticizes the team work and communication strategies used.How should she communicate the review to her team members which makes them take the issue seriously and work on changes?

Question 74

Lisa Dunn has been recently designated to work on the Palm Oil Campaign in Indonesia.She knows the campaign has been spanning over a period of three years and now needs to write to Barbara Hunt,the communications manager,for updates on the campaign till date.She has never interacted with Hunt before and understands that she has to go out of her way to source this information.What are some things Dunn needs to keep in mind while communicating with Hunt?

Question 75

Susan Daniels has recently moved to the communications team of her company and realizes that one of her new team members,Lee Pierce moves around in a wheelchair.She has never worked with anyone in such a situation and is weary of the kind of communication she should use with him.What are some key points she should remember while communicating with him?