If you’re marketing a new security system to an audience of wealthy professionals, the
consumer benefit you would most want to emphasize is
A) protection of the consumer’s property.
B) the low cost of the system.
C) the low monthly payments for the service.
D) easy, do-it-yourself installation.
Answer:
When evaluating the work of others, you should
A) make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making
changes.
B) talk with the writer about his or her intent only after you suggest changes, since this
is a good way to test the effectiveness of the document.
C) avoid talking with the writer about the document, since other readers may not have
that opportunity.
D) compare the other person’s writing style with your own, and if yours is better,
rewrite the document in your own style.
Answer:
Skilled business writers
A) use long sentences to emphasize important information.
B) keep their sentences to an average length of 40 words or fewer.
C) vary the length of their sentences.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
What’s the problem with phrases such as, “attached please find” and “we are in receipt
of”?
A) They are rude.
B) They are too intimate.
C) They are stale and pompous.
D) They involve preaching and bragging.
Answer:
The writing approach for a proposal is similar to the approach used for persuasive sales
messages, so you can
A) follow the AIDA model.
B) follow the good-news message plan.
C) minimize the “you” attitude.
D) open with a buffer statement.
Answer:
________ are the most common form of content marketing in the mobile arena.
A) Blog posts
B) Search-engine results
C) Downloadable coupons
D) Mobile-optimized videos
Answer:
Compliance reports are generally required by
A) parent companies.
B) accounting departments.
C) government agencies.
D) marketing departments.
Answer:
In today’s global business world, communication and culture
A) are not closely related and are rarely important to business communication.
B) are so closely related that separating the two is virtually impossible.
C) have become irrelevant since the advent of the Internet and the rise of social media.
D) present challenges that can be overcome simply by learning your audience’s
language.
Answer:
When using the indirect approach to write a report, you can include a descriptive
synopsis that describes
A) the names, places, and subjects mentioned in the text of the report.
B) what the report is about, without divulging how the report ends.
C) what the report is about, including how the report ends.
D) the content of the entire report for readers who lack the time or motivation to read
the report.
Answer:
An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of
those who visit the site and choose to complete the survey.
A) sampling bias
B) backchannel static
C) circular reasoning
D) transactional dysfunction
Answer:
If you include an attention line in a business letter, you should place it
A) at the top of the page, centered under the letterhead.
B) below the salutation.
C) two lines below the complimentary close.
D) on the first line of the inside address.
Answer:
According to your textbook, ________ are the most attractive features of a product.
A) desirable benefits
B) specialties
C) points of access
D) selling points
Answer:
Which of the following meeting technologies would be most effective for negotiations,
collaborative problem solving, and other complex discussions?
A) Instant messaging
B) Teleconference
C) Telepresence
D) None of the above
Answer:
When preparing a line chart, keep in mind that you should
A) never leave out increments from the vertical axis.
B) be especially careful to avoid distorting the data.
C) never include negative numbers on the vertical axis.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
________ communication flows between departments to help employees share
information, coordinate tasks, and solve complex problems.
A) Upward
B) Downward
C) Horizontal
D) Diagonal
Answer:
An appendix, a bibliography, and an index are the ________ of a formal report.
A) embedded elements
B) introductory sections
C) supplementary parts
D) conceptual portions
Answer:
Materials in an appendix are not incorporated into the text because
A) they are controversial.
B) they include bad news.
C) they are lengthy, or lack direct relevance to the report.
D) they will not be interesting to anyone who reads the report.
Answer:
Using the “return receipt requested” feature when you send an email
A) announces that your message is urgent.
B) asks the person who receives your email to fill out a questionnaire.
C) triggers a message back to you when the recipient receives or opens your email.
D) plays a short audio file when the receiver opens your message.
Answer:
A ________ uses words such as may and seems to avoid stating a judgment or fact
directly.
A) hedging sentence
B) hypothetical clause
C) defensive sentence
D) tortuous statement
Answer:
While you’re interviewing for employment, record ________ in a notebook or simple
database about each company.
A) contact information for each interviewer
B) the status of follow-up communication
C) upcoming interview appointments
D) all of the above.
Answer:
Using humor in business messages is
A) an effective way to build strong relationships with international clients you are not
familiar with.
B) usually not effective, and is always inappropriate for formal and intercultural
messages.
C) appropriate for external messages, but never for internal.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
In order to help your readers make informed decisions
A) tell them what they need to know no more, no less.
B) withhold information that doesn’t suit your needs.
C) present your raw data, so they can compile it as they see fit.
D) manipulate the data to smooth out negative trends.
Answer:
When you’re determining the approach and the software to use for a business
presentation, keep all of the following in mind except
A) Match the task to the tool, not the other way around.
B) If they are used poorly, software features only get in the way.
C) Software features can help you tell your story, but it’s the story that matters.
D) PowerPoint and other slide programs aren’t limited to creating linear flows of
bullet-point slides.
Answer:
Which of the following is not an element normally included in the introduction of a
proposal?
A) Background/statement of the problem or opportunity
B) Proposed solution to the problem
C) The scope of the proposal
D) Statement of qualifications
Answer:
The cover, title page, and table of contents are among the ________ of a formal report.
A) salutary components
B) introductory portions
C) prefatory parts
D) compulsory elements
Answer:
When a sender puts an idea into a message, the sender is ________ the idea.
A) implanting
B) encoding
C) supplanting
D) decoding
Answer:
The social media and technological skills of ________ are helping to change business
communication practices.
A) Generation X
B) Generation Q
C) Generation Y
D) Generation Z
Answer:
If you are a smoker and must go to a job interview
A) ask the interviewer politely if you can smoke.
B) smoke only if the interviewer smokes.
C) refrain from smoking before the interview.
D) smoke just prior to the interview to calm yourself.
Answer:
Businesspeople who compose messages for mobile devices should
A) keep formats simple.
B) write complex paragraphs.
C) fill in all on-screen white space.
D) assume device compatibility.
Answer:
With regards to persuasive messages in social media, the AIDA approach is limited
because it
A) cultivates long-term relationships.
B) focuses on one-time events.
C) lacks persuasive elements.
D) uses a multidirectional, conversational approach.
Answer: