In the text of a report, only the most important visuals should be referred to by number.
The main advantage of messaging is the speed at which most people can type,
regardless of the devices they’re using.
Infographics are limited to showing stylized versions of charts and graphs.
In general, user-generated content sites have yielded disappointing results for
companies that have used them for business purposes.
A synopsis is generally more comprehensive than an executive summary.
Examples and evidence should be determined before the main idea has been developed.
Most business letters are printed on letterhead stationery.
A major advantage of electronic presentations is the ability to make changes easily at
the last minute.
Think in “small chunks” of information when writing for someone who’ll read your
message on a smartphone.
Plain language is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those who do
not have a college degree.
In business presentations, maintaining consistency among your visuals is less important
than impressing the audience with a wide range of special effects.
Smartphones and tables are ideal for mobile blogging.
In most cases, text slides should contain a maximum of four or five lines with no more
than four or five words per line.
When listing work experience on a rsum, you should emphasize significant
achievements in each job.
All feedback should deliver criticism and allow the receiver to determine how to
improve the process.
Readers receiving routine replies are generally interested in what you have to say, so the
direct approach will work best with these types of messages.
If a message is fact-based, it will not be interpreted based on culture or personal beliefs.
A linear presentation doesn’t flow in any particular direction. Instead, it gives the
presenter the option to move back and forth between topics.
You should be able to summarize the main idea for a speech in a single sentence that
links your subject and purpose to the audience’s frame of reference.
Don’t bother mentioning unpaid community service activities on your rsum.
Business communication uses of microblogging are limited to the publication of brief
updates.
Multi-page websites are easy for mobile users to navigate.
Clichs are a valuable tool in business writing, as readers find such words and phrases to
be comfortable and familiar.
The habits you exhibit while using your mobile device exemplify your attitude toward
the people around you.
The “slide sorter view” in presentation software allows you to see a batch of slides,
either all at once or in significant portions.
Timing and media choice are important considerations with condolence letters.
A combination rsum combines descriptions of your education and employment
background.
Businesspeople rarely have to deliver negative news.
If you want to illustrate a process or procedure, the best type of visual to use is a
flowchart.
When using the Internet to conduct research, you can be reasonably sure that any
information you find will be accurate.
If you want to create a podcasting channel, plan on using a wide variety of topics and
themes to keep the audience guessing and coming back for more.
The more two people or two groups of people share experiences (personal, professional,
and cultural) the more likely it is that receivers will get the intended meanings senders
encode into their messages.
Social media releases include social networking links, “tweetables,” and other sharable
content.
The majority of rsums are subjected to keyword searches in an applicant tracking
system or other database. Keywords that will catch a computer’s attention include
A) college degrees.
B) industry-specific jargon.
C) technical terms associated with a specific profession.
D) all of the above.
________ is NOT a primary function of the preview section in the introduction to a
presentation.
A) Identifying your main supporting points
B) Establishing your credibility as a speaker
C) Summarizing the main idea of your presentation
D) Revealing the order in which you’ll develop your main points
The ________ is the form a message takes and the ________ is the system used to
deliver the message.
A) channel; medium
B) medium; channel
C) schema; pipeline
D) package; tunnel
Which of the following is used to add visual interest to an interview or to smooth over
transitions?
A) Indirect lighting
B) B-roll material
C) Props
D) Omnidirectional microphones
E) Different filming locations
How can you help make information more pertinent to your audience and increase your
chances of acceptance?
A) Send the information through several channels
B) Incorporate knowledge management systems
C) Prioritize the information needed and get rid of what is not needed
D) Be sure all information is ethical
E) Send the information to as large an audience as possible
How do serif and sans serf typefaces differ?
A) Serif typefaces present an informal look, whereas sans serif faces create a formal
look
B) Serif typefaces work only below 10 or 12 points; sans serif work at any size
C) Serif typefaces are used for print messages; sans serif are used for digital messages
D) Serif typefaces have small crosslines (serifs) at the ends of each letter stroke; sans
serif faces do not
E) Serif typefaces are obsolete in business
Body movement can send an unintentional message based of which nonverbal cue?
A) Facial expression
B) Gesture and posture
C) Vocal characteristics
D) Personal appearance
E) Time and space
Which of the following takes place when the listener makes up their mind about a
message before fully hearing the message?
A) Defensive listening
B) Misinterpreting
C) Paraphrasing
D) Categorizing
E) Visual listening
Which written medium should be used when you want to mimic spoken conversation?
A) Social media
B) Orientations
C) Narratives
D) Teasers
E) Messaging
Why is it important to respond to any communication from a company during the
application process within 24 hours?
A) It is an indication of unprofessionalism
B) It allows them to feel like they are in control of the process
C) The company might move on to other candidates
D) The company might feel that you are not serious about the position
E) A company usually hires the first person who meets most of the requirements
When writing an employment termination letter, you should
A) include words that are open to interpretation, such as difficult and untidy.
B) clearly present the reasons for the action.
C) not get too caught up in trying to preserve a good relationship with the employee.
D) make clear to the employee that you have carefully researched relevant employment
laws.
E) offer to meet and discuss the issue so there is no confusion on the employee’s part.
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.
E) follow a journalistic approach.
As you’re reviewing your slide deck for the final time, make sure the slides are
A) audience centered.
B) fully operational.
C) concise and grammatical.
D) all of the above.
What do the choices you make to express yourself, including words and how you use
them, create?
A) Manner
B) Tone
C) Style
D) Meaning
E) Abstract
A ________ offers regular podcasts on a consistent theme, designed for a public
audience.
A) cyber scheduler
B) social stratagem
C) podcasting channel
D) programming network
Successful teamwork, productive meetings, effective listening, and nonverbal
communication all depend on ________ among all participants.
A) face-to-face contact
B) mutual respect and consideration
C) common cultural reference points
D) the use of the latest communication technology
________ is a measure of how effectively a company engages with its various online
stakeholders in a mutually beneficial exchange of information.
A) Impression management
B) Marketplace share
C) Product potentiality
D) Brand socialization
Identify the voice in the following sentence: “Based on negative client feedback, the
marketing department abandoned the campaign.”
A) Active
B) Passive
C) Vocative
D) State of being
When a message includes difficult concepts that cannot be conveyed in words, what can
a visual aid add?
A) Completeness
B) Conciseness
C) Connectedness
D) Compelling narrative
E) Clarity
Why is it important to package your proposal attractively and make it inviting and
readable?
A) It is an indication of hands-on experience
B) Readers will prejudge the quality of your products by the quality of the proposal
C) Readers are more likely to be convinced because of the AIDA format
D) It is an indication that you cared enough to create the proposal from scratch instead
of using boilerplate text
E) Information from databases will be easier to notice and understand
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) incorporate footnotes to explain data.
E) make it as colorful as possible.
Which of the following is the process of making informal connections with people who
could have beneficial business contacts?
A) Career counseling
B) Networking
C) Planning
D) Applying
E) Public relations
When should a presenter use the indirect approach to a presentation?
A) When there are 10 minutes or less to present
B) When the message includes routine information
C) When there is no time to give a preview to the audience
D) When unfamiliar with audience members
E) When the message involves negative news or persuasion
Groupthink refers to
A) the willingness of individual group members to withhold contrary or unpopular
opinions, even when those objections are legitimate, and to favor majority opinion.
B) the four-step decision-making process in groups.
C) software programs that help groups make decisions.
D) the basic rules that underlie a group’s behavior and guide the group to make its
decisions.
Which of the following is defined as the characteristics and experiences that identify
each of us as individuals?
A) Diversity
B) Minority
C) Cultural competency
D) Ethnocentrism
E) Xenophobia
A disadvantage of electronic presentations is
A) they are difficult to include in online meetings and webcasts.
B) they are difficult to store or transport.
C) they can be time-consuming to create.
D) they cannot be customized for different audiences.
E) the cost of the specialized equipment needed to create the presentation.
Which of the following accounts for more than half of a brand’s global reputation?
A) Target marketing
B) Sentiment analysis
C) Reputation analysis
D) Cold calling
E) Brand socialization
Which of the following will show a hostile audience that your message is credible?
A) Use claims that are emotionally based
B) Make promises based on the needs of the audience
C) Incorporate logic, evidence, and compelling narratives
D) Use high pressure and “hard sell” tactics
E) Identify which of the audience’s beliefs or attitudes are incorrect
Negative messages about business transactions are designed to
A) confirm the customer’s expectations.
B) explain how you plan to resolve the situation.
C) show the audience that whatever has happened, your company is not at fault.
D) let the audience know which of your employees caused the problem.
E) show the audience other goods or services your organization can provide.
Which of the following will make an application letter more effective?
A) Knowledge and professionalism
B) Creative graphics and design elements
C) Bold, bright colors
D) Salary history
E) A firm belief that no one will do the job as well as you
What can be used to develop ideas about how the audience should think or what you
hope to accomplish with the message?
A) A specific purpose
B) A goal statement
C) A general purpose
D) Tone
E) Specific word choices
Explain why taking the initiative to find job opportunities is essential in today’s job
market.
When doing business in other cultures, what are some strategies you can use to promote
effective intercultural communication?
Explain how to balance emotional appeals and logical appeals to persuade an audience.
Explain why editing for conciseness is important, then list the four steps it involves.
Identify and discuss some of the ways Twitter is being used in business today.
How does the three-step writing process apply to podcasting?
What are the five most common techniques for developing paragraphs?
Identify and discuss guidelines to follow when using photographs as visuals.
Briefly describe how to meet an unfamiliar audience’s informational needs.
List the four steps involved in planning an oral presentation.
Briefly explain the difference between a planning outline and a speaking outline.
What is the potential disadvantage of distributing handout copies of your slides before
your presentation begins?
Discuss the purpose of performance reviews.
Discuss the value of using headings in reports and proposals.
Discuss the importance of navigation slides when in a long or complex presentation.
List the three most common strategies for structuring analytical reports.
What four topics areas are commonly covered in the introduction to a business
proposal? Briefly explain each one.
How should you adapt the three-step writing process for wikis?
