Communicating at Work, 12e (Adler)
Chapter 12 Types of Business Presentations
1) A ________ is a short presentation that provides an interested and knowledgeable workplace
audience with specific information they need to know to do their jobs.
A) report
B) briefing
C) fill-in talk
D) training
2) Sarah has been asked to take a couple of minutes to summarize for her subordinates the new
safety policies adopted by the board of directors. Sarah’s presentation is called a(n)
A) proposal.
B) explanation.
C) training.
D) briefing.
3) After signing a major public relations contract with the city, Leon presented few informal
remarks to his team, outlining what he expected from them in this future endeavor. Which type of
presentation did Leon deliver?
A) briefing
B) training
C) manuscript
D) report
4) All of the following are characteristics of a briefing EXCEPT it
A) lasts about 2 or 3 minutes in length.
B) has a high-interest attention-getter.
C) may include simple visual aids.
D) presents a summary of a position.
5) A typical briefing
A) focuses on preparing employees to do the job at hand.
B) is organized with an attention-getter, thesis, preview, body, and call to action.
C) lasts about fifteen minutes.
D) is delivered in a passionate, dramatic style.
6) A(n) ________ presents information that you (or a group or person you represent) have learned
or done.
A) report
B) explanation
C) training
D) briefing
7) Once a month, Samantha is responsible for summarizing to her immediate supervisor all the
projects her research team has accomplished that month, along with an account of the team’s
expenses for the month. Samantha’s monthly presentations are
A) status reports.
B) budget requests.
C) trainings.
D) briefings.
8) All of the following are elements of a status report EXCEPT
A) identify barriers to completing the task.
B) explain how you are dealing with obstacles.
C) state the current progress of your project.
D) compare the advantages of your product versus other products.
9) The typical order of points in a status report is
A) introduction, background, what happened, results, additional resources.
B) attention-getter, thesis, preview, body, call to action.
C) purpose, current state, obstacles, next milestone, forecast for the future.
D) attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action.
10) A presentation delivered upon the completion of an undertaking is called a ________ report.
A) final
B) feasibility
C) progress
D) technical
11) The typical order of points in a final report is
A) attention-getter, thesis, preview, body, and call-to-action.
B) introduction, background, description of what happened, results, additional resources.
C) purpose, current state, obstacles, next milestone, and forecast for the future.
D) attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action.
12) Which of the following is NOT recommended if you are delivering a technical report to a
nontechnical audience?
A) Include additional examples if audience members look puzzled.
B) Use analogies to clarify concepts.
C) Prepare visuals with precise data shown in the format that is customary for your field.
D) Teach technical terms if they are essential to understanding the presentation.
13) A(n) ________ report evaluates various potential actions and recommends one of the courses
of action.
A) evaluation
B) progress
C) feasibility
D) final
14) A feasibility report typically contains all of the following elements EXCEPT
A) evaluation of solutions.
B) criteria.
C) methodology.
D) a humorous opening line.
15) Which of the following is NOT advised as a strategy for helping adults learn?
A) Show them that the material has value in their personal lives.
B) Give them a chance to take an active role in the learning process.
C) Keep the tools you use to engage the audience to a minimum.
D) Have the audience practice the skills you are teaching.
16) A(n) ________ is a presentation that teaches listeners how to do something.
A) training
B) active learning
C) status report
D) briefing
17) After working on a new computer software system for the past two years, Richard was selected
to explain to employees how to use the software. Which of the following workplace presentations
is Richard giving?
A) status report
B) training
C) final report
D) briefing
18) The first step in planning a training program is to
A) write a report.
B) identify the specific results you want to bring about.
C) locate the staffing and physical resources you will need.
D) choose a training approach.
19) All of the following approaches will help your audience understand and remember the material
you present in your training session EXCEPT
A) choose one approach and stick to it.
B) use a variety of tools to present the material.
C) include hands-on activities.
D) incorporate quizzes.
20) Which of the following is NOT a strategy to use in a training session?
A) Cover only necessary information.
B) Start with the least important detail and work up to the most important details.
C) Emphasize the organization of your material.
D) Link the topic to the audience.
21) Which of the following is NOT recommended for helping you emphasize the organization of
your material in a training session?
A) Use signposts.
B) Number your main points.
C) Avoid redundancy.
D) Add internal previews and summaries.
22) ________ are personalized remarks that you insert into a presentation.
A) Signposts
B) Interjections
C) Previews
D) Jargons
23) All of the following are tips for delivering your training session EXCEPT
A) use specialized terminology.
B) explain the payoffs your audience will gain by listening to your presentation.
C) compare your topic to concepts the audience is already familiar with.
D) start with an overall picture of what you plan to discuss.
24) Adam was explaining security procedures to new interns at his firm. It was difficult for the
interns to understand what Adam was talking about because he used technical language they
weren’t familiar with. Which strategy for presenting an effective training is Adam failing to use in
the above situation?
A) Incorporate activities that directly involve the audience.
B) Explain how the information will help the audience.
C) Avoid jargon.
D) Compare unfamiliar concepts to familiar concepts.
25) One clear way to link the familiar to the unfamiliar for an audience is to
A) ask for direct participation by audience members.
B) include a startling statistic.
C) use personal interjections.
D) compare and contrast new information to information the audience already knows.
26) When giving an explanation of a complicated concept or process, you will usually be most
successful when you
A) compare the concept with one already familiar to the audience.
B) give a long, detailed explanation.
C) mention each point only once to avoid confusion.
D) use technical language to build your credibility.
27) All of the following will help you link your training to audience interests EXCEPT
A) demonstrate that your information can bring positive consequences for your listeners.
B) read from a well-prepared script.
C) provide examples and comparisons your listeners can personally relate to.
D) show how your information can help listeners avoid negative consequences.
28) ________ are a type of virtual meeting commonly encountered in business settings.
A) Reports
B) Briefings
C) Webinars
D) Seminars
29) Which of the following can webinars be used for?
A) training demonstration
B) e-Learning
C) in-person sales presentations
D) reputation management
30) What type of webinar shares free content with the purpose of collecting participants’
information?
A) product demonstration
B) lead generation
C) customer retention
D) reputation management
31) Which of the following lists the pro and con for using a presentation webinar format?
A) easy to create; unscripted
B) engaging; potential for conflict
C) engaging; may go off script
D) easy to create; less engaging
32) Which webinar format has the highest potential for failure?
A) interview
B) Q&A
C) product demonstration
D) panel
33) Which of the following is a helpful tip to use when preparing a webinar?
A) Design a non-interactive session.
B) Identify a specific topic.
C) Select an engaging host.
D) Prepare for questions.
34) A ________ is a meeting organized with the purpose of sharing important information about
an organization with the media.
A) panel discussion
B) press conference
C) training program
D) status report
35) Which of the following are purposes of a press conference?
A) Political candidates can communicate their stance on issues.
B) Department heads can offer in-house appraisals to their employees.
C) Officials may respond to emergencies.
D) Researchers can reveal scientific breakthroughs.
36) Which of the following are accurate statements about press conferences?
A) Press conferences should not be used for minor announcements.
B) Invitations in the form of news releases should be sent to journalists.
C) Press conference should have a spontaneous feeling, and thus should not be rehearsed.
D) Hosts should be trained in working with the media.
37) Which of the following are helpful tips for the host and speakers in press conferences?
A) Use long, detailed statements.
B) Identify talking points.
C) Consider using visual aids.
D) Anticipate answers for a variety of questions.
38) The location for a press conference should
A) be free of noise and distractions.
B) be able to accommodate large TV production trucks.
C) have a multi-box device.
D) have enough parking for the media, but not for anyone else.
39) Which of the following is NOT one of the organizational plans suggested for persuasive
presentations?
A) cyclical analysis
B) problem solution
C) criteria satisfaction
D) comparative advantages
40) Use a ________ pattern of organization when the audience does NOT feel a strong need to
change from the status quo.
A) motivated sequence
B) problem solution
C) criteria satisfaction
D) topical analysis