Deck 10: Persuasive Messages

Question 1

Compared to you-voice, we-voice is more effective at letting customers and clients know that you have considered their interests.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In an internal persuasive message, Hadassah implies that she has every confidence in the officers of the company who are implementing the new policy the message discusses. This makes her message more persuasive to readers.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Mass sales messages can raise a company's brand awareness.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

An email from the head librarian asking community members to donate to the food drive at the local library is an external persuasive message.

Question 5

Holly tends to be more easily persuaded by people she likes. This demonstrates the principle of authority.

Question 6

Most people justify their business decisions based on the soundness of ideas, not feelings.

Question 7

When Cary writes a message to persuade customers that trying a new product will increase their sex appeal, he chooses to make it indirect and implicit. Cary has chosen a common approach for such a message.

Question 8

The ability to persuade others requires a strong listening orientation.

Question 9

Your colleagues and customers will be more easily persuaded when you show interest in them personally.

Question 10

Internal persuasive messages tend to be less direct and explicit than external persuasive messages.

Question 11

Persuasion implies that you are communicating with someone who thinks the same way as you do.

Question 12

The most important step in the AIDA model for mass sales messages is D-description of the problem.

Question 13

Internal and external persuasive messages contain many common elements.

Question 14

The FAIR test is seldom used for evaluating persuasive messages because they are not fact based.

Question 15

Jerry usually determines what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do. This is an example of the principle of reciprocation.

Question 16

Persuasive messages are directed to others who resist your ideas, products, or services.

Question 17

Using positive wording in persuasive messages helps your audience focus on the benefits rather than the drawbacks of what you are trying to promote.

Question 18

Strong nouns and verbs make persuasive messages sound boring and like all other routine business messages.

Question 19

Mass sales messages in the form of emails have high success rates.

Question 20

The tone for persuasive messages should be pushy and exaggerated.

Question 21

Which of the following is a principle of influence whereby people determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do?

A) reciprocation
B) liking
C) social proof
D) consistency
E) scarcity

Question 22

In the context of developing persuasive messages, which of the following is most likely to help you demonstrate a voice of competence?

A) using only emotional appeals in your persuasive messages
B) developing strong ideas in the interest of your audience
C) adopting the tone of mass advertising such as over-the-top appeals
D) focusing only on logical appeals
E) using the I-voice in external persuasive messages

Question 23

Which of the following is a principle of influence based on returning favors?

A) reciprocation
B) liking
C) authority
D) consistency
E) scarcity

Question 24

Which of the following is the first step in the planning process for writing persuasive messages?

A) conducting the FAIR test for the message
B) analyzing the audience
C) setting up the message structure
D) developing ideas
E) choosing a method of influence

Question 25

In the context of developing persuasive messages, the process of understanding the needs and values of others

A) is simple and happens quickly.
B) requires a strong listening orientation.
C) is a part of the FAIR test.
D) is done after message structuring.
E) has little effect on persuasiveness.

Question 26

Which statement about persuasive messages is accurate?

A) The vast majority of business messages are persuasive messages.
B) Persuasive messages require a message structure that helps reduce resistance.
C) Persuasive messages do not need as much planning as other business messages.
D) Persuasive messages are very similar to messages that express appreciation.
E) The success of persuasive messages seldom depends on the author's credibility.

Question 27

Sautéed, a restaurant in California, specializes in sautéed food. The restaurant holds a highly popular bash, featuring well-known DJs, on the last Saturday night of every month. The restaurant offers event-passes to frequent customers (who must have been billed at least $3,000 during the current month) for free. A limited number of passes are available to other customers at a high price one day prior to the event. Which principle of influence is the restaurant using?

A) liking
B) authority
C) scarcity
D) consistency
E) reciprocation

Question 28

Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the method of influence known as liking?

A) Pedro is more likely to buy the same brand of jeans that celebrities wear.
B) Nita is more likely to buy a brand of designer purse that sells out in one day.
C) Jelena is more likely to buy the brand of sports clothing that sponsors her team.
D) Jeanette is more likely to buy the same brand of cosmetics that her best friends wear.
E) Igor is more likely to buy the brand of sporting equipment that others at his club use.

Question 29

Celebrity endorsements in advertising are based on the _____ principle of influence.

A) reciprocation
B) authority
C) social proof
D) consistency
E) scarcity

Question 30

In order to encourage participation in a walkathon, the organization arranging the event offers free items, such as a T-shirt or a water bottle, to all the participants. Which of the following principles of influence is being used?

A) liking
B) authority
C) scarcity
D) reciprocation
E) social proof

Question 31

The aim of persuasion is to

A) develop a plan of action to deal with a crisis.
B) increase your credibility in the eyes of your audience.
C) express sympathy for a loss suffered by your audience.
D) express gratitude toward your audience.
E) help your audience find the value in your position.

Question 32

A colleague asks you for advice on how to understand the audience of his persuasive message. Which of the following pieces of advice will you offer?

A) Focus on their values but not their needs.
B) Ask as few questions as possible to avoid annoying them.
C) Wait until the message is perfected before choosing the right audience.
D) Consider the psychological principles that impact people's decisions.
E) Use the FAIR test to conduct audience analysis.

Question 33

Which statement accurately describes persuasion in the post-trust era?

A) In the post-trust era, persuasion is rarely employed because it no longer works.
B) In the post-trust era, threats are the best persuasive technique.
C) In the post-trust era, the link between credibility and persuasion has diminished significantly.
D) In the post-trust era, persuasion is becoming increasingly difficult.
E) In the post-trust era, persuading your audience is easier because of social media.

Question 34

Which of the following is true of trying to persuade through emotion?

A) Most people justify business decisions based on emotions, not reason.
B) Business communicators should avoid injecting emotions into their persuasive messages.
C) Emotion cannot persuade customers because they do not become attached to products and services.
D) Business communicators understand that resistance to ideas, products, and services is often emotional.
E) Effective sales communications should avoid appealing to the core emotional benefits of products, services, or ideas.

Question 35

Which scenario illustrates the principle of consistency?

A) Patti mentions several examples of other people volunteering at her charity to influence her readers.
B) Marc stresses that the company anti-litter campaign occurs only once a year.
C) Maribeth describes how that local cancer center has helped several colleagues, which is why the company supports it.
D) Bill names several high-profile celebrities who support the same charity event that the company is sponsoring.
E) Maya asks volunteers to sign up by return email because then they will be more likely to carry through.

Question 36

Persuasion almost always involves

A) threatening your audience to make them accept your line of thinking.
B) dealing with someone who is open to different ideas.
C) communicating with someone who thinks differently than you do.
D) using any means short of a fistfight to get your point across.
E) forcing someone to think the way you do.

Question 37

Ralph and Shane have been best friends for more than twenty years, and they influence each other's shopping choices. When they are shopping for colognes, however, Ralph picks a cologne endorsed by his basketball idol, and Shane opts for one endorsed by his favorite pop singer. In this case, which principle of influence has affected their purchasing choices?

A) reciprocation
B) liking
C) scarcity
D) consistency
E) authority

Question 38

Which of the following principles is based on the idea that once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through and honor that commitment?

A) reciprocation
B) liking
C) authority
D) consistency
E) social proof

Question 39

Anwar is planning a persuasive message to try to convince his colleagues to contribute to their company's holiday clothing drive. The most effective argument he can use will be an argument that

A) relates the clothing drive to their need to feel good about themselves.
B) makes them feel guilty if they do not contribute.
C) shows how much effort Anwar has put into planning the event.
D) belittles the holiday charitable drives of competing companies.
E) emphasizes how much their company wants to outshine a rival company's drive.

Question 40

Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the method of influence known as scarcity?

A) Pedro is more likely to buy the same brand of jeans that celebrities wear.
B) Nita is more likely to buy a brand of designer purse that sells out in one day.
C) Jelena is more likely to buy the brand of sports clothing that sponsors her team.
D) Jeanette is more likely to buy the same brand of cosmetics that her best friends wear.
E) Igor is more likely to buy the brand of sporting equipment that others at his club use.

Question 41

In the context of persuasive messages, validating your readers means that you are

A) providing solid reasons why your product, service, or idea benefits readers.
B) demonstrating a business need-a gap between what is and what could be.
C) recognizing and appreciating others' needs and preferences as legitimate.
D) overcoming objections by providing counterpoints.
E) making a request and then providing a rationale for the request.

Question 42

When you reduce the confidence and positivity in your message, you run the risk of

A) being perceived as pushy.
B) being perceived as an exaggerator.
C) making your message seem self-serving.
D) making your idea seem weak or unexciting.
E) appearing to focus only on logic.

Question 43

Which statement about choosing attention-getters for persuasive messages is true?

A) For external persuasive messages, the primary means of gaining attention is demonstrating a business need.
B) Writers have more flexibility choosing attention-getters for internal persuasive messages than for external persuasive messages.
C) Issuing a challenge is a poor attention-getter, but its use should be avoided in persuasive messages.
D) Posting a testimonial is a good attention-getter, particularly for external messages.
E) Posing a rhetorical question is an attention-getter that writers should avoid in the post-trust era.

Question 44

If your audience is emotionally resistant to your solution, a good practice is to

A) provide the rationale before making the request.
B) use the direct approach to help them warm up to your ideas.
C) use statements that are vague and ambiguous.
D) use the hyped-up language of mass advertising.
E) make a request but avoid providing a rationale.

Question 45

The writing style of most persuasive messages tends to be

A) exaggerated and explicit.
B) direct and explicit.
C) direct and implicit.
D) indirect and explicit.
E) indirect and implicit.

Question 46

The writing style of your persuasive messages should be

A) action-oriented and lively.
B) unbelievable and enthusiastic.
C) dull or unexceptional.
D) pushy and exaggerated.
E) direct and explicit.

Question 47

Internal persuasive messages tend to be

A) more indirect than external persuasive messages.
B) more implicit than external persuasive messages.
C) based on emotional appeals.
D) based on logical appeals.
E) more author-centered than reader-centered.

Question 48

Typically, internal persuasive messages focus mostly on

A) negative emotions.
B) the reciprocation principle of influence.
C) the scarcity principle of influence.
D) logical appeals.
E) positive emotions.

Question 49

Which statement accurately describes the use of you-voice in persuasive messages?

A) Writing in the you-voice to customers is just a stylistic choice.
B) Using the you-voice deemphasizes customer benefits.
C) Using the you-voice forces you to personalize the message for your readers.
D) Using the you-voice implies a high level of self-centeredness.
E) Using the you-voice in persuasive messages emphasizes the writer's objectivity.

Question 50

Which of the following best summarizes the differences between internal and external persuasive messages?

A) Internal persuasive messages emphasize self-centeredness, whereas external persuasive messages emphasize reader needs.
B) While internal persuasive messages raise a need, external persuasive messages provide a rationale.
C) Internal persuasive messages focus on promoting ideas, whereas external persuasive messages focus on promoting products.
D) Internal persuasive messages tend to be slightly more indirect and implicit than external persuasive messages.
E) Internal persuasive messages use the you-voice, whereas external persuasive messages that use the I-voice.

Question 51

Which of the following will help you reduce skepticism once you have described your solution?

A) restating the need for the solution
B) showing appreciation for your readers' views
C) discussing positive points about your competitor's products
D) agreeing with your readers' objections
E) providing a strong rationale

Question 52

Which of the following is a result of making tangible statements in persuasive messages?

A) It lets the I-voice take center stage over the you-voice.
B) It focuses on your company and deemphasizes benefits to your customer.
C) It is just a stylistic choice and has no outcomes of its own.
D) It adds to the excitement of the message.
E) It allows your readers to sense the impact on a personal level.

Question 53

The first task of most persuasive messages is to

A) express gratitude to the readers.
B) gain the attention of the readers.
C) provide a strong rationale.
D) establish that a problem exists.
E) appreciate the readers' views.

Question 54

External persuasive messages, with the exception of those that emphasize price, are generally based on

A) strong logical appeals.
B) the scarcity principle of influence.
C) strong emotional appeals.
D) the authority principle of influence.
E) the liking principle of influence.

Question 55

The use of the we-voice is an appropriate way to

A) emphasize shared work goals in internal persuasive messages.
B) emphasize reader benefits in external persuasive messages.
C) deemphasize self-centeredness in internal persuasive messages.
D) emphasize objectivity in persuasive messages.
E) depersonalize external persuasive messages.

Question 56

Which of the following is an appropriate tone for persuasive messages?

A) positive
B) exaggerated
C) deceptive
D) authoritative
E) questioning

Question 57

External persuasive messages tend to

A) focus more on promoting ideas.
B) be more direct than internal persuasive messages.
C) be more explicit than internal persuasive messages.
D) focus more on promoting products and services.
E) use the we-voice more than other voices.

Question 58

Using the "you-voice" is most appropriate to emphasize

A) shared work goals in internal persuasive messages.
B) reader benefits in external persuasive messages.
C) product features in internal persuasive messages.
D) shared ideas in external persuasive messages.
E) an impersonal tone in all persuasive messages.

Question 59

It is most appropriate to use an impersonal voice in

A) persuasive messages to emphasize shared work goals.
B) external persuasive messages to emphasize reader benefits.
C) internal persuasive messages to deemphasize self-centeredness.
D) persuasive messages to emphasize objectivity.
E) external persuasive messages to depersonalize the message.

Question 60

A message is said to be indirect when it

A) provides the rationale for a request before making the request.
B) expresses gratitude toward or appreciation of the readers.
C) contains full and unambiguous meaning.
D) requires reading between the lines to gauge the entire meaning.
E) politely asks people to do or think differently.

Question 61

What are the benefits and drawbacks of mass sales messages?

Question 62

What is the right tone to use for persuasive messages?

Question 63

Which of the following is the most expensive media for sending mass sales messages?

A) online banner ads
B) mass emails
C) online pop-up ads
D) hard copy letters
E) company website ads

Question 64

Which of the following is a component of the AIDA approach to mass sales messages?

A) gaining attention
B) discussing ideas
C) analyzing deadlines
D) making announcements
E) answering queries

Question 65

Why is the FAIR test especially important for reviewing persuasive messages in the post-trust era?

Question 66

The AIDA model of mass sales messages is aimed at getting customers to think

A) "I've seen this product or service before."
B) "What is the benefit of this product of service?"
C) "This business wants my money."
D) "I want this product or service."
E) "Famous people use this product or service."

Question 67

It is important to ask colleagues to review persuasive messages because persuasive messages

A) use more formal language than other business messages.
B) are more personal and idiosyncratic than other business messages.
C) use difficult direct structure and explicit language.
D) are directed to people who resist your ideas, products, or services.
E) must be extremely objective and neutral to be effective.

Question 68

How can you increase your own credibility when writing persuasive messages in the post-trust era? Consider what you learned throughout the entire chapter.

Question 69

Sandy is writing a brochure to explain the benefits of buying produce from local farmers at the farmers' market rather than from chain grocery stores. Which of the following is most likely to make her brochure effective?

A) stories about local farm families who participate in the farmers' market
B) statistics about how much money is spent at farmers' markets nationally
C) statements to make people feel guilty about not supporting local farmers
D) information about how much fuel is saved by not shipping produce long distances
E) a lecture about how important it is to put money into the local economy

Question 70

Describe the AIM planning process for persuasive messages. Explain why it is important.

Question 71

What are the various principles of influence as identified by Dr. Robert Cialdini? Describe any two of these principles.

Question 72

Describe a strategy that can be used to personalize persuasive messages.

Question 73

In the model for mass sales messages called AIDA, "D" stands for

A) destination.
B) difference.
C) development.
D) desire.
E) drive.

Question 74

Chinua is making a brochure to explain to customers the benefits of having their hot water heaters flushed every year. Which of the following will make the brochure more persuasive?

A) Use the I-voice to convey his expertise.
B) Dismiss any objections that customers might have.
C) Use formatting to make each benefit stand out.
D) Include national statistics about hot water heaters.
E) Try to make people feel guilty for not maintaining their heaters.

Question 75

Discuss the importance of reason and emotion in persuasive messages.

Question 76

What have you learned in this chapter about how to make external persuasive messages more effective and appealing? Explain the full range of techniques to be used.

Question 77

In business communication, by applying the FAIR test, you can avoid

A) validation.
B) depersonalization.
C) manipulation.
D) attribution.
E) reciprocation.

Question 78

How are internal and external persuasive messages similar, and how are they different?