Business Communication Essentials, 8e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 9 Writing Persuasive Messages
1) Which of the following is an essential element of persuasive messages?
A) Trust
B) Marketing
C) Sales
D) Value
E) Action
2) Which of the following best describes the goals of persuasion?
A) Attempting to get the audience to purchase your product
B) Attempting to change an audience’s attitudes, beliefs or actions
C) Presenting the audience with a choice
D) Using a neutral buffer to attract the people to the product
E) Using the indirect format to have people change their minds now, or at some point in the
future
3) Which of the following is true for persuasive messages?
A) The messages must be competitive.
B) The message must be based on positive social outcomes.
C) The message must be argumentative.
D) The message must use lively words and phrases.
E) The message must be highly visual.
4) Steps in planning successful persuasive messages include what?
A) Planning, writing, completing
B) Neutral buffer, reasons, decision, courteous close
C) Reasons for the message, supporting data, courteous close
D) Analysis, gathering information, selecting channel and medium, organizing
E) Analysis, audience, selecting channel and medium, writing
5) Messages that try to convince the audience to consider, then purchase products and services
are called what?
A) Direct messages
B) Indirect messages
C) Business messages
D) Persuasive business messages
E) Marketing and sales messages
6) When planning a persuasive message, which of the following is the least important
consideration when considering the audience?
A) Who is my audience?
B) Where is my audience located?
C) How will the culture of the audience influence the message?
D) How might the audience resist?
E) What does the decision maker consider most important?
7) The age, gender, income, education and other quantifiable characteristic of people are called
what?
A) Demographics
B) Target market
C) Culture
D) Psychographics
E) Attributes
8) Personality, attitudes, lifestyle and other psychological characteristics of an audience are
known as what?
A) Demographics
B) Target market
C) Culture
D) Psychographics
E) Attributes
9) Before attempting to change an individual’s attitudes, beliefs or actions, which of the
following must be understood?
A) Demographics
B) Psychographics
C) Motivation
D) Desires
E) Culture
10) To encourage a positive response to your persuasive message, which of the following would
be most effective?
A) Use industry-specific words and phrases.
B) Send the message as high up the organizational chain of command as possible.
C) Send the message in a variety of ways including email, blogs and print.
D) Use positive and polite language regardless of audience.
E) Establish credibility by using technical jargon and buzzwords.
11) Which of the following would not encourage a positive response to your message?
A) Using positive and polite language
B) Understanding cultural differences
C) Being sensitive to organizational cultures
D) Establishing your credibility
E) Explaining why previous choices were poor choices
12) Which of the following has the greatest impact on the effectiveness of persuasive messages
in the workplace?
A) Social culture
B) Organizational culture
C) Social media
D) Customer and client relationships
E) Emotional culture
13) Which of the following is least likely to encourage a positive response to a persuasive
message?
A) Positive and polite language
B) Respecting cultural differences
C) Using industry-specific terminology
D) Being sensitive to organizational cultures
E) Establishing your credibility
14) To convince a skeptical audience, which of the following should be done?
A) Use emotional manipulation.
B) Display expertise in the subject matter.
C) Provide objective evidence.
D) Allow time for research.
E) Include a benefit for quick decision making.
15) Emphasizing beliefs, attitudes and background experiences is one way to establish what?
A) Credibility
B) Objectiveness
C) Subject matter expertise
D) Common ground
E) Fairness
16) When completing a persuasive message, which of the following helps determine the
distribution process?
A) Design elements
B) Social media
C) Length
D) Distribution method of competitors
E) Audience expectation and your purpose
17) During the completion process for the persuasive message, which of the following matches
the purpose and organization to the needs of the audience?
A) Revising for clarity and conciseness
B) Having an experienced colleague who knows the audience review the draft
C) Using design elements that compliment your argument
D) Meticulous proofreading
E) Matching the distribution method to fit the audience’s expectation
18) Persuasive messages are often unexpected and unwelcome.
19) Most persuasive messages use an indirect approach.
20) The direct approach can effectively be used for persuasive messages.
21) A persuasive message that seems appropriate in the culture of the organization is likely to be
appropriate in other organizations.
22) If you are not well known to your audience, the message should rely more on the strength of
your reputation, allowing the audience to learn more about you as an expert.
23) Discuss important considerations in the completion stage of developing a persuasive
message.
24) Identify and discuss methods to persuade an audience that is skeptical or hostile.
25) Identify and discuss key steps when planning persuasive messages.
26) Which of the following are designed to elicit a preferred response in a nonsales situation?
A) Persuasive business messages
B) Persuasive marketing messages
C) Sales and marketing messages
D) Direct messages
E) Indirect messages
27) Within the three-step writing process, which of the following is not part of the four essential
strategies for persuasive messages?
A) Framing your arguments
B) Analyzing the audience
C) Balancing ethical, emotional and logical appeals
D) Reinforcing your position
E) Anticipating objections
28) Using the AIDA model will help in which essential strategy for persuasive messages?
A) Framing your arguments
B) Analyzing the audience
C) Balancing emotional and logical appeals
D) Reinforcing your position
E) Anticipating objections
29) What does AIDA stand for, when referring to persuasive messages?
A) Action, interest, demand, attention
B) Attention, interest, desire, action
C) Attention, interpersonal, demand, action
D) Action, interest, desire, attention
E) Action, interpersonal, demand, attention
30) Which step of the AIDA plan encourages the audience to hear about your main idea?
A) Action
B) Interest
C) Interpersonal
D) Desire
E) Attention
31) Which step of the AIDA plan includes detail that prompts the audience to imagine how the
solution might benefit them?
A) Action
B) Interest
C) Demand
D) Desire
E) Attention
32) Which step in the AIDA plan allows the writer to explain how the change will benefit the
audience and answers potential objections?
A) Interpersonal
B) Interest
C) Demand
D) Desire
E) Attention
33) Which section of the AIDA plan would include any deadlines that might be applicable?
A) Action
B) Interest
C) Demand
D) Desire
E) Attention
34) Which of the following best describes a limitation of the AIDA plan?
A) AIDA is built on long-term relationships.
B) AIDA is built around a single event.
C) AIDA demands a decision from the audience.
D) AIDA is a multidirectional method.
E) AIDA is a conversational approach.
35) Which of the following are based on the feelings or sympathies of the audience?
A) Persuasive messages
B) AIDA-formatted messages
C) Emotional appeals
D) Direct appeals
E) Logical appeals
36) Most persuasive business messages rely on what?
A) Analogy
B) Emotion
C) Induction
D) Deduction
E) Logic
37) Which of the following allows the writer to borrow from something familiar to explain
something unfamiliar?
A) Attention-getting devices
B) Analogy
C) Circular reasoning
D) Cause and effect
E) Reinforcement
38) Working from specific evidence to a general conclusion is an example of what?
A) Analogy
B) Induction
C) Circular reasoning
D) Deduction
E) Cause and effect
39) Working from a generalization to a specific conclusion is an example of what type of
reasoning?
A) Analogy
B) Induction
C) Circular reasoning
D) Deduction
E) Cause and effect
40) Being sure there is plenty of evidence before drawing conclusions will prevent what?
A) Inductions
B) Hasty generalizations
C) Circular reasoning
D) Eliminating assumptions
E) Strong analogies
41) Trying to support a claim by restating the claim in different words is called what?
A) Cause and effect
B) Generalization
C) Circular reasoning
D) Mistaken assumptions
E) Faulty analogies
42) When reinforcing your position, you should pay special attention to what?
A) The logic of the arguments
B) Emotional appeal
C) Potential objections
D) Word choices
E) Message format
43) When developing a persuasive message, when should audience objections be addressed?
A) As soon as the objection is mentioned
B) When all objections have been voiced
C) Before the audience develops a negative mindset
D) After the product or service has been delivered
E) As the audience absorbs the message
44) Which of the following is a common mistake in persuasive communication?
A) Failing to eliminate all objections
B) Using emotional appeals
C) Presenting all sides of the issue before explaining the advantages of your position
D) Involving the audience in the design of the solution
E) Failing to look at the message from the audience’s perspective
45) Which of the following is a common mistake in persuasive communication?
A) Pressuring someone to make a decision
B) Using the process of give and take
C) Connecting with the audience at an emotional level
D) Using vivid language
E) Thinking that persuasion is a one-time opportunity
46) Building a relationship with your audience at the right emotional level will help the writer
avoid which common mistake in persuasive communication?
A) Using a hard sell
B) Resisting compromise
C) Relying solely on great arguments
D) Assuming persuasion is a one-shot effort
E) Convincing the audience to say “yes” in one step
47) Employees who are forced into accepting a decision or plan are generally more likely to react
positively to the motivation.