BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

CHAPTER 5 REVIEW

FILL-INS

1. During the __________ stage of the composition process, you define your purpose, analyze your audience, and select the channel and medium for the message.
2. The composition process is affected by collaboration and __________.
3. The three general purposes of business messages are to __________, to __________, or to __________ with the audience.
4. Besides a general purpose, each business message has a specific __________.
5. Developing an __________ __________ involves asking yourself such key questions as who the potential audience members will be and how they are likely to react to your message.
6. If your audience is unfamiliar with you, you need to devote part of your message to establishing your __________.
7. The key to effective communication is determining your audience's __________ and then responding to them.
8. Messages that are intended to persuade audience members to change their beliefs or actions must satisfy the audience's __________ needs.
9. The central point or theme of a message is its __________.
10. The broad subject of a message is its __________.
11. The storyteller's tour, FCR worksheet, and question-and-answer chain are all methods of _________.
12. You can now select not only from the traditional channels of oral and written communication but also from the newer channel of __________ communication.
13. Telephone calls, interviews, seminars, and speeches are all types of __________ communication.
14. The most common forms of written business communication are __________.

TRUE/FALSE

1. The three categories of steps involved in preparing a business message are planning, composing, and revising.
2. The composition process is flexible, not a fixed prescription of sequenced steps.
3. During the planning stage of preparing a business message, you commit your thoughts to words.
4. When planning a business message, analyze the audience.
5. The use of computers in the workplace lessens the feasibility of collaborative writing.
6. Because business messages are often composed under pressure, scheduling has no meaning and no effect on the composition process.
7. When devising a realistic schedule for producing a business message, you should allot two-thirds of the time for revising.
8. In addition to having a general purpose, business messages also have a specific purpose.
9. The specific purpose of a message is best left up to the receiver to determine.
10. Once you have established your purpose, it's best to consider whether it is worth pursuing at this time.
11. There is no point in sending a message if its purpose isn't realistic.
12. A message that involves getting people to change their ideas or actions is doomed to failure and should not be sent in the first place.
13. The best person to deliver a message is always the one who prepared it.
14. No matter how you feel personally about a situation, your communication reflects your organization's priorities.
15. Large and small audiences behave in much the same ways.
16. The larger an audience, the more diverse its members are likely to be.
17. When several people will be receiving your message, you aim it at the decision makers.
18. When you expect a favorable response to your message, you don't need to include any supporting evidence.
19. If you and your audience share the same general background, it is likely that audience members will understand your material.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. A good way to test the thoroughness of your business message is to check it for
   • a main idea.
   • a purpose.
   • answers to who, what, when, where, why, and how.
   • accuracy.
2. If you make an honest mistake, such as giving incorrect information, the best thing to do is
   • take no action.
   • blame someone else.
   • contact the primary audience immediately and correct the error.
   • start looking for a new job.
3. When meeting your audience's informational needs, you emphasize ideas
   • of greatest interest to the audience.
   • that are uncontroversial.
   • that will have the least impact on the audience.
   • that don't need supporting evidence.
4. When people hear something that conflicts with their existing ideas, they
   • usually remain open to what the communicator has to say.
   • tend to pay more attention to the message.
   • tend to resist the message
   • always ask many questions
5. If your message is intended to change beliefs or behavior, you must satisfy the audience's
   • informational needs.
   • motivational needs.
   • practical needs.
   • social needs.
6. When you are preparing a message for businesspeople, remember that your audience may
   • have little time.
   • be distracted.
   • give your message low priority.
   • all of the above may be true.
7. Making your message as convenient and brief as possible will satisfy your audience's
   • information needs.
   • motivational needs.
   • practical needs.
   • social needs.
8. When sending a long written message, it is best to
   • advise the receiver to set aside a block of time to devote to reading it.
   • begin with a summary of key points and make important information stand out.
   • not include distracting subheadings or visuals.
   • do all of the above.
9. The main idea of a business message must
   • cover a broad subject.
   • have an emotional component.
   • motivate the intended audience.
   • be neutral.
10. The main idea of a message is
    • the "hook" that sums up why a particular audience should do or think as you suggest.
    • the broad subject of a message.
    • identical with the topic.
    • all of the above.
11. When you use an FCR worksheet, you are using a technique of brainstorming that involves
    • consulting friends, colleagues, and in-house reports.
    • making a list of everything that pops into your head as you think about your message.
    • visualizing the relationships among your findings, your conclusions, and your recommendations.
    • assigning columns and numbers to a group of questions and answers related to your message in order to rank their importance.
12. You should restrict the number of major points in your message to
    • three or four, regardless of how long the message is.
    • three for short messages, four or five for medium-length messages, and six or seven for longer messages.
    • one if the message is oral and two if it is written.
    • as many as you want if your audience is knowledgeable about the topic.
13. The chief advantage of oral communication is
    • the ability to plan and control the message.
    • the opportunity to meet an audience's information needs.
    • the ability to transmit highly complex messages.
    • the opportunity for immediate feedback.
14. A written message is preferable to an oral one when
    • immediate feedback is desired.
    • the audience is large and geographically dispersed.
    • the message is relatively simple.
    • the information is controversial.
15. In general, use electronic communication
    • for speed.
    • to overcome time-zone barriers.
    • to reach a widely dispersed audience personally.
    • in all of the above situations.
      
    
    
    
    Last Update: 9/07/01
    Web Author: Angie Chittick
    Copyright ©1998 by Angie Chittick - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED