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Q:
Suggesting that readers have made poor choices in the past
A) is helpful in sales messages, but not other persuasive messages.
B) is effective in persuasive messages, as long as you are subtle.
C) works well if you are trying to convince someone to make a large purchase.
D) can inadvertently insult your audience, reducing the effectiveness of your persuasive message.
E) makes them more likely to accept your argument, as long as you are blunt and forceful.
Q:
Using polite language in persuasive messages
A) enhances the effectiveness of your arguments.
B) is less effective than an aggressive "hard sell."
C) shows a lack of confidence, and should be avoided.
D) is effective only with external audiences.
E) is helpful in the body, but not in the opening or close.
Q:
In persuasive messages, limiting your scope
A) is less important than in other types of messages.
B) reduces the likelihood that your audience will be convinced.
C) is critical if your audience is to understand and accept your position.
D) is unnecessary, since audiences expect these messages to be long.
E) can reduce the effectiveness of your argument.
Q:
Avatars are
A) special chat rooms that strictly limit what can be said.
B) harmful spyware programs that help companies gather personal information on their customers.
C) used to create a more sociable experience for shoppers on websites.
D) items that are exactly the same for everyone.
E) unexpected objections raised by the audience in response to a persuasive message.
Q:
When it comes to assessing human needs,
A) psychologists have identified a number of common ones most people share.
B) it is impossible to generalize, since everyone is different.
C) money is at the top of everyone's list.
D) everyone's are exactly the same.
E) none of the above are true.
Q:
The best way to persuade an audience to do something is to
A) convince them that their existing motivations are unreasonable.
B) change their motivation by suggesting that they are unsophisticated.
C) align your message with their existing motivation.
D) use scare tactics to describe the consequences of failing to do what you have asked.
E) shame them into doing what you want.
Q:
Addressing alternative positions in a persuasive message
A) enhances your credibility and can strengthen your argument.
B) weakens your argument, unless you use an aggressive tone.
C) shows that you lack confidence in your opinions.
D) is effective only with controversial subjects.
E) requires that you use the direct approach.
Q:
An ethical persuasive argument
A) is a contradiction in terms.
B) focuses on how the audience's actions will benefit the sender.
C) includes any evidence the sender can come up with, whether or not it's relevant.
D) influences audience members by providing information that allows them freedom to choose.
E) requires admitting up front that you stand to gain a lot if the audience complies.
Q:
Unlike more traditional promotional messages, those written for social media
A) are less interactive.
B) enable companies to engage in conversations about their products and services.
C) allow for less transparency and openness with customers.
D) save money by allowing companies to rely on the news media to distribute important messages.
E) are effective only for audience members between 18 and 25 years of age.
Q:
In a marketing or sales message, product claims should be supported
A) primarily by testimonials from satisfied customers.
B) primarily by statistics from scientific studies of the product.
C) primarily by background information on the company selling the product.
D) by relevant, compelling informationoften of many different types.
E) best by emotional appeals.
Q:
Which of the following would be the best wording in a marketing or sales message?
A) The Never-Off whole-house generator requires professional installation.
B) The Never-Off whole-house generator is designed to turn on automatically when it detects a general service interruption.
C) The Never-Off whole-house generator provides the power you and your family need during electrical outages.
D) The Never-Off whole-house generator is compact and unobtrusive, so it will not present an unattractive appearance.
E) The Never-Off whole-house generator may be noisy, but the power it provides is worth it.
Q:
The interest phase of a sales message should
A) begin with a "hard sell" that makes audiences want to hear more.
B) help the audience understand how your idea will benefit them.
C) emphasize the relevance of your message to your audience.
D) avoid any attempts at answering potential objections.
E) suggest that anyone who is not interested in hearing more is foolish.
Q:
Which of the following would not be an effective technique for gaining audience attention in sales messages?
A) Stating your product's strongest benefit.
B) Emphasizing how badly you need to make some sales.
C) Explaining how your product offers a solution to a problem.
D) Promising savings.
E) Giving insider information.
Q:
If price is one of your strong selling points, you should
A) mention special offers, such as volume discounts, before actually stating the price.
B) compare the price to the cost of some other product or activity ("This exercise equipment costs less than a health club membership").
C) break the total price into smaller units ("Just six easy payments of $19.95 each will bring you this lovely collector's item").
D) give it a position of prominence, such as in the headline or as the last item in a paragraph.
E) not overemphasize it, since you might need to fall back on it later.
Q:
In marketing and sales messages, you can deemphasize the price of your product by
A) mentioning it in the middle of a paragraph after you've presented benefits and selling points.
B) stating it right at the beginning.
C) commenting on how wealthy your readers probably are.
D) simply saying the benefits outweigh the costs.
E) doing all of the above.
Q:
In marketing and sales messages, the best way to handle potential objections is to
A) avoid mentioning them.
B) identify them up front and try to address as many as you can.
C) explain why the objections aren't really important.
D) suggest that anyone who has them simply needs to do more research.
E) imply that they stem from remarkable ignorance.
Q:
If the audience for your marketing or sales message promoting a new security system is made up of wealthy professionals, which of the following consumer benefits would you want to emphasize most?
A) the reliability of the system when protecting the consumer's property
B) the low cost
C) the attractive appearance of the device
D) easy, do-it-yourself installation
E) how many hundreds of households have the system installed
Q:
An effective approach to presenting the benefits of a product is to
A) describe them with highly complex terms.
B) show them in a list or a table, identifying each feature and describing the benefits it offers.
C) list the features, and challenge the audience to figure out the benefits.
D) choose one direct benefit and one indirect benefit.
E) exaggerate them.
Q:
In marketing and sales messages, what is the primary difference between selling points and benefits?
A) Selling points are positive whereas benefits are not.
B) Selling points focus on the user rather than the product.
C) Selling points focus on the product rather than the user.
D) Benefits are completely unrelated to the audience.
E) None of the above are correct.
Q:
When writing a persuasive claim letter, you should
A) assume that the other person has no interest in helping you.
B) use a confident and positive tone.
C) mention as many additional complaints as possible about the company.
D) say you have already contacted an attorney (even if you really haven't).
E) repeatedly say how disappointed you are in the company.
Q:
When writing a persuasive request for action, you should
A) use the direct approach.
B) demonstrate that helping you will indeed solve a significant problem.
C) ask for more than you actually want so that you'll have a cushion for negotiation.
D) avoid flattery.
E) make fantastic claims about the benefits of complying, since no one is likely to follow up.
Q:
When preparing a persuasive request, it is vital to
A) show that you understand and respect the audience's concerns.
B) emphasize how you will benefit if the request is fulfilled.
C) emphasize the negative consequences of not complying with the request.
D) suggest that there are no other alternatives, even when there are.
E) show readers that you are not overly concerned about their objections.
Q:
One way to overcome audience resistance to your message is to
A) use the hard-sell approach.
B) present all sides of the issue before making the case for your position.
C) emphasize your impeccable logic.
D) speak negatively about your competitors.
E) do all of the above.
Q:
When writing persuasive messages, one way to avoid faulty logic is to
A) avoid induction.
B) avoid deduction.
C) avoid praising your opponent.
D) avoid hasty generalizations.
E) stick to vague, hedging statements.
Q:
Which of the following uses a deductive approach to persuasion?
A) Because the stock market is expected to fall next month, shares of our company stock will probably also decline.
B) It is important for our sales force to operate like a well-oiled machine.
C) Our stock price is like a marathon runner, slowly making progress towards our goal.
D) Have you heard what happened to stock prices last week?
E) None of the above.
Q:
An analogy lets you
A) reason from one specific piece of evidence to another specific piece of evidence.
B) reason from specific evidence to a general conclusion.
C) reason from a generalization to a specific conclusion.
D) make generalizations without backing them up.
E) do all of the above.
Q:
An advertisement stating that a new resort offers "freedom and comfort along with great value" is using
A) an emotional appeal.
B) an analogy.
C) an inductive appeal.
D) both logical and emotional appeals.
E) circular reasoning.
Q:
Compared to more traditional approaches, using social media for promotional messages
A) is far more expensive.
B) allows for the same strategies and techniques.
C) requires a different, more interactive approach.
D) is generally less effective.
E) reaches a much smaller audience.
Q:
The AIDA approach for persuasive messages should be used with
A) the direct approach only.
B) the indirect approach only.
C) a combination of the direct and indirect approachesnever one or the other.
D) either the direct or the indirect approach.
E) neither the direct nor the indirect approach.
Q:
The secret to a successful action phase in the AIDA model is
A) getting readers to change their minds.
B) increasing the audience's awareness of your product or service.
C) emphasizing how taking the action you propose will benefit the audience.
D) creating a win-lose situation, with you as the winner.
E) telling the audience they should be ashamed for not having thought of this on their own.
Q:
An effective ending for a persuasive message would be:
A) Simply take the enclosed coupon to any of our service centers by June 15 for your free oil and filter change.
B) Please respond as soon as possible.
C) Wouldn't you like to save some money?
D) Be sure to tell all your friends about this exciting offer.
E) Well, I guess that's it.
Q:
When using the AIDA approach to persuasion, the closing should
A) urge the audience to take the action you are requesting.
B) provide additional evidence and detail not covered in the desire section.
C) explain the steps needed to implement your ideas.
D) warn the audience that bad things will happen if they don't listen to you.
E) do all of the above.
Q:
The purpose of the interest section of a persuasive message is to
A) capture attention.
B) explain the relevance of your message to your audience.
C) increase the audience's desire to take the action recommended in the message.
D) get the reader to act immediately.
E) coax the audience into thinking what you're about to say is insignificant.
Q:
When using the AIDA approach to persuasion, which of the following would be the best opening to your message?
A) How are you today?
B) I know you've heard this all before, but ...
C) How would you like to save up to 70% on prescription drugs?
D) This is an important message.
E) What I am about to tell you might seem boring and insignificant, but believe me, it is not.
Q:
AIDA stands for
A) appeal, indirect, direct, action.
B) anticipate inquiry in doing adjustments.
C) assume, insist, describe, act.
D) attention, interest, desire, action.
E) assess, inform, decide, act.
Q:
When it comes to persuasive messages, the direct approach
A) is rarely used.
B) is often preferable when you know your audience is likely to agree with you.
C) is used only by top management.
D) does not require inclusion of justifications or explanations.
E) is a sign that the writer lacks confidence.
Q:
Most persuasive messages combine
A) truth and falsehood.
B) current and very old evidence.
C) logical and emotional factors.
D) many major points all at once.
E) multiple questions into one.
Q:
If a supervisor approaches a worker who consistently arrives late by saying, "I know you don't want to have your pay docked," the supervisor is addressing the worker's need for
A) safety and security.
B) acceptance.
C) status and esteem.
D) self-actualization.
E) power and control.
Q:
If you can't be sure which medium will be best to convey your persuasive message to a diverse audience, you should
A) choose the one that is most economical.
B) select the one that is easiest to use (such as email).
C) use two or more, such as following up an email campaign with printed letters.
D) choose one at random and see how well it works.
E) not send the message.
Q:
Personality, lifestyle, and attitudes are assessed through
A) demographic surveys.
B) psychographic studies.
C) inkblot tests.
D) examinations of census data.
E) none of the above.
Q:
Which of the following is not an example of demographic information?
A) Age
B) Occupation
C) Lifestyle
D) Income
E) Education
Q:
In general, the best persuasive messages ________ the audience's potential resistance.
A) avoid mentioning
B) downplay
C) anticipate and address
D) dismiss
E) lampoon
Q:
Explain the characteristics of an effective letter rejecting a job applicant.
Q:
What are some viable options for refusing social networking recommendation requests?
Q:
Provide at least five guidelines to observe when making negative organizational announcements.
Q:
What four guidelines should you follow in writing effective closes to negative messages?
Q:
You are faced with informing your supervisor about massive production delays. Company policy dictates that you must provide this information in writing. What questions should you consider when deciding between the direct and indirect approaches for your message?
Q:
List at least three guidelines that can help you avoid being accused of defamation.
Q:
List three techniques for deemphasizing bad news.
Q:
Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the indirect approach.
Q:
Explain how an effective buffer differs from one that is poorly written. Provide an example of a buffer that would be inappropriate for a message explaining that a student's grade appeal has been denied.
Q:
What is a buffer, and what function does it serve in negative messages?
Q:
Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the direct approach.
Q:
What are the two benefits of stating the bad news at the beginning of a negative message?
Q:
Rewrite the following negative message using positive words rather than negative ones: "Since you failed to send payment, we cannot ship your order."
Q:
Rewrite the following sentence using more respectful wording: "You shouldn't have put the blender into the dishwasher."
Q:
What are your five main goals when delivering bad news?
Q:
When evaluating employees, why is it important to document performance problems carefully?
Q:
What is the primary purpose of a performance review?
Q:
What organizational method is generally best in refusing claims and requests for adjustments, and why?
Q:
When composing negative messages, what type of language should you use?
Q:
Which medium is generally best for delivering bad news to employees?
Q:
When writing a(n) ________ message, present specific reasons for telling the employee to leave.
Q:
Even when you are positive the person making a claim or request for adjustment is not telling the truth, it is vital to avoid saying or writing anything the recipient might interpret as ________: the intentional communication of false statements that damage character or reputation.
Q:
In the ________ approach for negative messages, the bad news comes after the reasons supporting the decision.
Q:
When using the indirect approach for a negative message, begin with a (an) ________ that softens the blow of the bad news.
Q:
A negative message organized using the ________ approach starts with a clear statement of the bad news.
Q:
Since termination letters are highly controversial, you should never deliver them in person.
Q:
If you must give an employee a negative performance review, it is best to avoid any positive comments since they might distract attention from all of the problems.
Q:
Firing an employee whose performance reviews were all positive can result in a lawsuit.
Q:
When responding to social networking recommendation requests, a single sentence that focuses on one positive aspect is often all that is necessary.
Q:
A crisis management plan includes information on which individuals are authorized to speak for the company in the midst of a crisis.
Q:
To avoid legal problems, businesses should delay communicating with the media in the aftermath of a crisis.
Q:
One way to avoid being accused of defamation is to stick to the facts when communicating with customers.
Q:
When you deliver bad news about business transactions (such as a delayed order shipment), you should always apologize to the audience.
Q:
The direct approach is always best when denying a request for information.
Q:
In rejecting a proposal you solicited, you should use the indirect approach and provide an explanation.
Q:
The close of a negative message should end with a statement such as We hope you will continue to do business with us.
Q:
In the close to a negative message, you should repeat the bad news.
Q:
Statements beginning I must refuse and We cannot allow help audiences accept the bad news you are delivering.