Deck 7: Writing Persuasive Messages Proposals

Question 1

The heart of a proposal is the discussion of the problem that the proposed product or service is intended to solve.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Sales messages are highly susceptible to the use of unethical tactics.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Over the years, sales writers have developed a formula that one must follow in writing sales messages.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A solicited proposal is written in response to an explicit invitation offered by a company, foundation, or government agency that has certain needs to meet or goals to fulfill.

Question 5

One of the goals of the opening of a persuasive request is to gain attention.

Question 6

Requests that are likely to encounter resistance require a slow, deliberate approach.

Question 7

Appeals to the sense of taste and smell are classified as logical appeals.

Question 8

A product sold to the ultimate user through emotional appeal can be sold to retailers through rational appeal.

Question 9

In the common-ground persuasion technique, you first present a problem that you and the readers share and then show how doing as you propose will solve the problem for all concerned.

Question 10

Every product has a single appeal that is used to target the product's audience.

Question 11

The best organizational pattern for a persuasive message is to say what you want your readers to do right away and then use the rest of the message to support your point.

Question 12

In the context of soliciting proposals, RFP stands for "request for proposals."

Question 13

Intrinsic benefits are more short-lived than extrinsic benefits.

Question 14

One of the most widely disseminated forms of business communication is the sales message.

Question 15

A question form of opening should be avoided in persuasive requests.

Question 16

The subject line of a sales message should typically contain sensational words.

Question 17

Statements urging the readers to take action are best avoided in sales messages as they tend to be harsh and serve no purpose.

Question 18

Unsolicited proposals should resemble a sales message.

Question 19

By definition, a proposal is in written form.

Question 20

As sales writers have so many persuasive techniques at their disposal, spending time to gather information about the readers is unnecessary.

Question 21

Which of the following is true about emotional appeals?

A) Emotional appeals are best suited for selling useful products.
B) Emotional appeals should be avoided when selling to male readers.
C) Emotional appeals typically engage our senses.
D) It is best to avoid using emotional appeal when advertising products that do not perform any discernible practical function.
E) Emotional appeals are mainly based on logic.

Question 22

Which of the following is true about the scenario painting technique used in advertisements?

A) It focuses on the we-viewpoint rather than the you-viewpoint.
B) It uses the common-ground persuasion technique.
C) It restricts the use of emotional appeals.
D) It puts the reader in a simulated context that brings out a product's appeal.
E) It is an outdated technique and is no longer used by advertisers.

Question 23

Knowledge of sales message techniques helps in writing business messages because _____.

A) most jobs in business are sales related
B) sales messages restrict the use of ethically dubious persuasive tactics
C) most business messages directly or indirectly involve selling something
D) most sales messages are regarded as spam by readers
E) most persuasive messages used by businesses are unbiased

Question 24

Messages for goods and services that do not perform any discernible function will most likely _____.

A) have an emotional appeal
B) have a logical appeal
C) have a rational appeal
D) avoid using pathos to attract consumers
E) use logos to attract consumers

Question 25

A form of email sales message that is gaining respectability and acceptance is called _____ because it requires customers to sign up for email promotions on a company's website.

A) spam
B) instant messaging
C) broadcast email
D) selective spam
E) permission-based email

Question 26

Why is it considered best to organize persuasive messages in an indirect order?

A) In most cases, your reader probably is already willing to do what you want to get done.
B) In most cases, your reader is eager to read your message.
C) In most cases, the indirect method will use the we-viewpoint.
D) In most cases, your audience will be made up of potentially uncooperative readers.
E) In most cases, the indirect method restricts the use of passive voice.

Question 27

Intrinsic benefits are those that _____.

A) a reader gets directly by complying with a request
B) a reader gets indirectly and are measurable
C) a reader gets indirectly over time and are intangible
D) are short-lived as compared to extrinsic benefits
E) are added on to an extrinsic benefit

Question 28

The first step in creating a persuasive request is _____.

A) stating the request
B) developing appealing details
C) determining a strategy
D) creating a positive ethos
E) planning the layout and any visual elements

Question 29

Which of the following applies to all persuasive messages?

A) They are all received negatively.
B) They are all biased.
C) They are all ethically dubious.
D) They are all permission based.
E) They are all received positively.

Question 30

The first step in writing a sales message is to _____.

A) choose the appropriate medium of transmission
B) determine the makeup of the mailing
C) choose the most persuasive channel for the message
D) determine the central appeal for the message
E) make a careful study of the product or service

Question 31

Rewards that fulfill a reader's desire to gain prestige or have more freedom are called _____ rewards.

A) intangible
B) measurable
C) concrete
D) quantifiable
E) materialistic

Question 32

Measurable rewards, such as saving time or money or acquiring a desired object, are also called _____ rewards.

A) spiritual
B) emotional
C) tangible
D) abstract
E) unquantifiable

Question 33

Consider the following advertisement for mobile phones aimed at senior citizens. "Are you tired of straining your eyes by peering into your tiny cell phone screen? Do you wish you had a phone that does what a phone is supposed to do, without all the phony jazz? We have the product just for you! With its 5-inch display designed to enhance visibility and large number pads, making calls will no longer be a pain. With dedicated one touch buttons that you can define, do more for much less! Contact us for more details; you will not regret this purchase!" This advertisement primarily focuses on _____.

A) abstract claims
B) emotional rewards
C) the common-ground persuasion technique
D) reader benefits
E) character-based appeals

Question 34

Demographic information includes details such as _____.

A) social, political, and personal preferences
B) legal and sociocultural implications
C) per capita income and gross national income
D) current market trends and foreign exchange rates
E) age, gender, income, and geographic location

Question 35

Consider the following statement: "Our latest cell phone model comes preloaded with the latest version of the operating software in addition to all the functionality of high-end cell phones in the current market." This statement primarily focuses on _____.

A) scenario painting
B) the common-ground persuasion technique
C) character-based appeals
D) reader benefits
E) product features

Question 36

_____ appeals predominate in messages for goods and services that do not perform any discernible rational function.

A) Emotional
B) Logical
C) Practical
D) Ethical
E) Feature-based

Question 37

In writing a persuasive message to readers who would prefer to know the point of the message right away, it is best to use the _____.

A) direct order
B) roundabout order
C) mixed construction
D) we-viewpoint
E) cluttered phrase

Question 38

The persuasive appeals identified by Aristotle that are based on emotions are referred to as _____.

A) ethos
B) grandiose
C) logos
D) hamartia
E) pathos

Question 39

Information such as a person's social, political, and personal preferences are called _____ information.

A) physiographic
B) geographic
C) angiographic
D) demographic
E) psychographic

Question 40

It is best to organize persuasive messages using the _____ because you will be writing to potentially uncooperative readers.

A) mixed construction
B) unstructured order
C) indirect order
D) we-viewpoint
E) nonlinear order

Question 41

The main purpose of enclosures, attachments, or links that accompany the main sales message is to _____.

A) summarize all the information stated in the main message
B) provide helpful information that does not fit into the main message
C) function as the main source of persuading a customer
D) duplicate and reiterate all the contents of the main letter
E) enable a reader to reply to the main sales letter

Question 42

Which of the following best illustrates a proposal?

A) A company's written defense for the use of hazardous material
B) An email to the employees in a company detailing the changes in company policy
C) A routine letter to a supplier acknowledging the receipt of raw materials
D) A report containing an employee's quarterly performance review
E) A supplier's presentation to encourage a company to do business with him

Question 43

The drive for action in the close of a sales message _____.

A) should take the reader through the steps of what he or she must do
B) should only hint at the desired action
C) should never be followed by a postscript
D) must not use hard-sell tactics by urging immediacy
E) is unnecessary if the rest of the message is well written

Question 44

Which of the following qualifies as a proposal?

A) A company's written defense of an environmental problem
B) A company's written list of tasks for an upcoming project
C) An analysis of the potential market for a product
D) A professor's request for funding for a research project
E) An urban planner's report on the current conditions of the city's sewage system

Question 45

Which of the following best illustrates an advertisement based on emotional appeal?

A) An advertisement primarily stressing how a product can increase a person's sex appeal
B) An advertisement emphasizing a product's lifetime guarantee
C) An advertisement primarily stressing the limited-time low selling price of a product
D) An advertisement comparing a product's enhanced features to those of the competitor's product
E) An advertisement listing three practical uses of the product

Question 46

A sales description based on factual material will most likely _____.

A) have an emotional appeal
B) avoid using the logical appeal
C) have a rational appeal
D) use pathos to attract consumers
E) avoid using logos to attract consumers

Question 47

If you select a rational appeal as your central theme, you should _____.

A) describe your product based on what it can do for your reader
B) describe your product based on how it appeals to the senses
C) use pathos to attract consumers
D) avoid using logos to attract consumers
E) avoid specific details

Question 48

Of the following, the most appropriate attention-gaining opening for a sales message is _____.

A) a brief description of the company's history
B) a statement that introduces a need that the product will satisfy
C) a description of the company's products or services
D) a statement that brings credit to the company
E) any kind of surprising statement

Question 49

Which of the following sentences best illustrates effective sales writing?

A) We've introduced two new flavors for the season: Juicerz Lime and Juicerz Litchi.
B) Juicerz, is now available in lime and litchi flavor.
C) Lime and litchi are the two new Juicerz flavors to watch out for this season.
D) You can now enjoy the refreshing taste of Juicerz in two new flavors-lime and litchi.
E) Our ever-loyal customer base has grown larger after the introduction of Juicerz Lime and Juicerz Litchi.

Question 50

Which of the following is a characteristic of a strong sales message?

A) A vague subject line open to multiple interpretations
B) A heavy use of sensational words
C) Absence of visual elements
D) Seeing the proposed product or service through the reader's point of view
E) Emphasis on the we-viewpoint

Question 51

Which of the following sentences is most positively worded?

A) Jell yogurt has nine grams of fat per serving.
B) Jell yogurt is ninety five percent fat free.
C) Jell yogurt does not contain more than nine grams of fat per serving.
D) Jell yogurt is not fully fat free.
E) Jell yogurt contains five percent fat.

Question 52

Proposals differ from reports in that proposals _____.

A) use the we-viewpoint
B) use prefatory material
C) present information in a useful form
D) are intentionally persuasive
E) use the direct approach

Question 53

Which of the following is an example of an internal proposal?

A) An employee's email persuading her superior to replace her desktop with a laptop
B) A vendor's email proposing to handle the distribution of a company's products
C) An email from the head of one company to another proposing to share resources on similar projects
D) An email from a department manager to an auditing firm scheduling an internal audit for her department
E) An email from the founder of an organization to the general public denying a charge of fraud

Question 54

Which of the following is an example of an internal proposal?

A) An employee's email persuading his superiors to choose his team over an external agency for a particular project
B) A vendor's email proposing an internal-communication platform for a company
C) An email from the head of one company to another proposing to share resources on similar projects
D) An email from a department manager to an auditing firm scheduling an internal audit for her department
E) An email from the founder of an organization to the general public denying a charge of fraud

Question 55

Which of the following is an important step in planning a direct mail or an email sales message?

A) Formatting the message for readability
B) Developing the main appeal
C) Gaining attention
D) Determining the makeup of the mailing
E) Holding attention in the opening

Question 56

Which of the following is true about the use of postscripts in sales messages?

A) It is illegal to add postscripts in sales messages.
B) The use of postscripts in sales messages de-emphasizes its major appeal.
C) A sales message can use a postscript as a part of its design.
D) They are no longer effective.
E) Postscripts should be avoided in sales messages as they divert attention from other enclosures in the message.

Question 57

Which of the following, despite being incorrect and inappropriate in other forms of business writings, is commonly used in sales writing?

A) Conversational style of writing
B) You-viewpoint
C) Visual emphasis devices
D) Active voice
E) Sentence fragments

Question 58

Which of the following is true about proposals?

A) They should describe the product or service and let the readers decide how it will benefit them.
B) Proposals can be in oral form.
C) A solicited proposal is one that you submit without an official invitation to do so.
D) They have the same basic goal as reports: to inform or solve problems.
E) They are not similar to sales messages.

Question 59

The main place for getting attention in email messages is the _____.

A) first line of the concluding paragraph
B) subject line
C) body of the message
D) end of the opening paragraph
E) final sentence of the message

Question 60

Phrases such as "Do it now" and "Act today" should be used to urge immediate action because _____.

A) readers prefer the commanding tone of such words
B) they emphasize the we-viewpoint
C) readers expect these words in all sales messages
D) a persuaded reader may otherwise tend to put off a purchase
E) they help readers understand how to make a purchase

Question 61

List the steps involved in creating a persuasive request. Also, define the common-ground persuasion technique.

Question 62

Why are sales messages considered a controversial area of business communication? How has the widespread use of emails added to the controversy?

Question 63

Explain how to drive for the sale at the end of a sales message.

Question 64

What is scenario painting? Compose a message for a product or service of your choice by using this technique.

Question 65

An important job at the beginning of any unsolicited proposal is to _____.

A) give background information
B) state the dire consequences of ignoring the proposal
C) gain attention
D) present the writer's credentials
E) request acceptance

Question 66

For proposals, there is always a need for the description of what the writer proposes to do. This description is _____.

A) most effective when put at the end of the proposal
B) irrelevant in situations where an RFP has been issued
C) the primary content of any proposal
D) most effective when it avoids the you-viewpoint
E) irrelevant in sales proposals

Question 67

What is the main difference between proposals and reports? Explain the approach to be taken when writing unsolicited proposals.

Question 68

How can you get readers to open your sales letter? Your email sales message?

Question 69

Consider the following statement which is a part of a proposal: "By accepting the proposal, you will not only have saved $3000 off the standard price but will also have taken the first step toward a more efficient, productive organization."
This statement primarily focuses on the _____.

A) background of the proposal
B) features of the product
C) description of the plan of the proposal
D) terms and conditions related to the proposal
E) benefits of the proposal

Question 70

Which of the following is an example of an external proposal?

A) An email from an employee to the CEO about creating an employee volunteer program
B) A presentation by the founder of an organization to local business leaders about ways to attract international talent to the city
C) An email from an employee to his manager stressing the need for additional team members for a project
D) An email from the HR manager of a technology firm to their finance department containing the pay structure of new employees
E) A memo from an employee to her manager requesting Six Sigma training

Question 71

Why is information generally organized in an indirect order for persuasive messages? When is it appropriate to organize information in a direct order?

Question 72

Which of the following is an example of an external proposal?

A) An employee's email persuading his superiors to choose his team over an external agency for a particular project
B) An email from the head of one company to another proposing to share resources on similar projects
C) An email from an employee to his manager stressing the need for additional team members for a project
D) An email from the HR manager of technology firm to their finance department containing the pay structure of new employees
E) A memo from an employee to her manager requesting for Six Sigma training

Question 73

Which of the following statements is true of solicited and unsolicited proposals?

A) Solicited proposals should be objective, not persuasive.
B) Unsolicited proposals should be objective, not persuasive.
C) Unsolicited proposals use the direct method of organizing content.
D) Solicited proposals use the indirect method of organizing content.
E) Unsolicited proposals are written and submitted without any invitation.

Question 74

Which of the following applies not only to proposals but also to all other types of messages?

A) There is a set pattern that must be followed.
B) The content must be adapted to the reader of the message.
C) The you-viewpoint should be avoided.
D) Initialisms, abbreviations, and contractions are forbidden.
E) Formal language is required.

Question 75

Explain the main types of appeals of sales messages. Give an example for each type of appeal.

Question 76

When _____ a proposal, one should consider urging or suggesting the desired action.

A) presenting cost of
B) describing the plan of
C) providing evidence of ability to deliver
D) developing the conclusion of
E) stating the benefits of

Question 77

Differentiate tangible rewards from intangible rewards and intrinsic benefits from extrinsic benefits.

Question 78

Presenting information on matters such as the qualifications of personnel, success in similar cases, the adequacy of equipment and facilities, operating procedures, and environmental consciousness is necessary to _____.

A) make the proposal the required length
B) establish an organization's ability to perform
C) present a clear cost analysis for the proposal
D) detail the benefits of a proposal for a given scenario
E) create a clear description of the proposal's intention

Question 79

The primary means by which organizations solicit proposals is the RFP. RFP stands for _____.

A) requested financial proposition
B) regulations for proposals
C) request for proposals
D) request for price
E) rules for proposals