Questions and Answers of Essentials Of Business Communication

Virtual meetings are extremely useful to dispersed workplace teams, and, yes, they may help harried college students. Some of them brave terrible traffic and commute vast distances to attend colleges
In distance courses in particular, some instructors hold virtual office hours. When using course management systems such as Blackboard and Moodle, your professors can create class chat rooms. At
The following blunt refusal from a restaurant owner rejects a previously agreed-to favor. To avoid endangering a friendship and losing community goodwill, this writer needs to draft a radical
When denying a claim from an irate customer who is threatening and overstates the claim, how can you remain professional and fair?
The following poorly written e-mail tells customers that their e-mail addresses have been hacked. However, the message is clumsy and fails to include essential information in revealing security
What is the primary difference between the direct and the indirect strategies?
When would you be more inclined to use the direct strategy in delivering bad news?
As a vice president of a financial services company, you serve many clients and they sometimes ask your company to contribute to their favorite charities. You recently received a letter from Paulina
Adobe Systems Incorporated prides itself on its commitment to employees who receive generous benefits and enjoy a supportive corporate culture. This core value may have contributed to the company's
Why should you apologize to customers if you or your company erred? What is the best way to do it?
In an aggressive expansion effort, Jamba Juice became a good customer of your software company. You have enjoyed the business it brought, and you are also quite fond of its products-especially Banana
In delivering bad news, name five techniques that can be used to cushion that news.
As the owner of Two Buckhead Plaza, you must respond to the request of Manuel Quinones, one of the tenants in your three-story office building. Mr. Quinones, a CPA, demands that you immediately evict
What is a process used by many business professionals in resolving problems with disappointed customers in print?
National Airlines had an unhappy customer. Genna Frymoyer-Morris flew from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles. The flight stopped briefly at Denver International Airport, where she got off the plane for
How can negative online comments be turned into positive growth for an organization?
BuyCostumes, the world's largest online costume and accessories retailer, is proud of its extensive stock of costumes, its liberal return policy, and its many satisfied customers. However, one day an
Recently, the Metropol Grand Hotel embarked on a two-year plan to provide enhanced value and improved product quality to its guests. It always strives to exceed guest expectations. As part of this
As the owner of La Boulangerie Bakery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you have a devoted clientele savoring your delicacies. Your salty caramel cupcakes offer an irresistible salty-sweet flavor
As the wedding planner at Sea Island Resort in Georgia, you just discovered a terrible mistake. Two weddings have been scheduled for the same Saturday in June. How could this happen? You keep
You are delighted to receive a large order from Rudy Cardenas at 24-Hour Fitness gym. This order includes two Olympic Benches (at $349 each), three Stamina Power Towers (at $249 each), three sets of
Sabrina Sparks, a hardworking bank teller, has sent an e-mail request asking that the company create a program to reimburse the tuition and book expenses for employees taking college courses.
Your boss at MarketingMatters, a hip midsized public relations agency, is concerned that the youngest employee generation may be oversharing on Facebook. Two supervisors have complained that they
Passive-voice verbs may be preferable in breaking bad news because they enable you to emphasize actions rather than personalities.Compare these two refusals:Active voice: I cannot authorize you to
Passive-voice verbs may be preferable in breaking bad news because they enable you to emphasize actions rather than personalities.Compare these two refusals:Active voice: I cannot authorize you to
Passive-voice verbs may be preferable in breaking bad news because they enable you to emphasize actions rather than personalities.Compare these two refusals:Active voice: I cannot authorize you to
Passive-voice verbs may be preferable in breaking bad news because they enable you to emphasize actions rather than personalities.Compare these two refusals:Active voice: I cannot authorize you to
Passive-voice verbs may be preferable in breaking bad news because they enable you to emphasize actions rather than personalities.Compare these two refusals:Active voice: I cannot authorize you to
Revise the following sentences to position the bad news in a subordinate clause. Use passive-voice verbs for the bad news.A shipping strike makes it impossible for us to ship your complete order at
Revise the following sentences to position the bad news in a subordinate clause. Use passive-voice verbs for the bad news.We were forced to stop taking orders for flowers the week before Mother’s
Revise the following sentences to position the bad news in a subordinate clause. Use passive-voice verbs for the bad news.We now offer all of our catalog choices at our website, which is always
Revise the following sentences to position the bad news in a subordinate clause. Use passive-voice verbs for the bad news.We appreciate your interest in our organization, but we are unable to extend
Revise the following sentences to position the bad news in a subordinate clause. Use passive-voice verbs for the bad news.The shipment of your last order was late for a reason. We had some really
Revise the following statements to imply the bad news. If possible, use passive-voice verbs and subordinate clauses to further de-emphasize the bad news.Direct refusal: We cannot send you a price
Revise the following statements to imply the bad news. If possible, use passive-voice verbs and subordinate clauses to further de-emphasize the bad news.Direct refusal: We cannot send you a price
Revise the following statements to imply the bad news. If possible, use passive-voice verbs and subordinate clauses to further de-emphasize the bad news.Direct refusal: We cannot send you a price
The following request from a program chair is intended to entice a prospective speaker, but it could be more much effective with a radical rewrite.Your Task. Analyze this poorly written request, and
List the characteristics of persuasion in the digital age.
As you have learned in this chapter, the time-tried AIDA sales technique is alive and well even in 140-character Twitter messages. Of course, we can't expect to find all four parts in a single
Online shoe and apparel store Zappos seems to abide by a unique motto: “We are a service company that happens to sell.” With a record-setting 10-hour customer service call,24 Zappos bolstered its
What is the four-part AIDA writing plan for sales messages, and what does the acronym stand for?
As a student, you will need letters of recommendation to find a job, to apply for a scholarship or grant, or to enter graduate school. Naturally, you will consider asking one or several of your
As an intern at a major cable network, you have been given a task associated with a new show. The network plans to introduce a home makeover show called Hideous Houses. It will feature not only homes
Name the best practices for e-marketers hoping to write effective e-mail sales messages.
Describe the purpose and characteristics of persuasive tweets and other online posts.
"If I start to get huge, then, yeah, I'll cut out the chips and Coke," says 17-year-old Nicole O'Neill, as she munches sour cream-andonion potato chips and downs a cold can of soda fresh from the
As regional manager for an auto parts manufacturer, you and two other employees attended a conference in Lexington, Kentucky. You stayed at the Country Inn & Suites because your company recommends
Originally a shipbuilding village, the town of Mystic, Connecticut, captures the spirit of the nineteenth-century seafaring era. However, it is best known for Mystic Pizza, a bustling local pizzeria
Jeanine H. was new to her job as administrative assistant at the Aqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles, Florida. Alone in the office one morning, she answered a phone call from Don, who said he was
Jared Johnson arose from bed in his New Hampshire home and looked outside to see a heavy snowstorm creating a fairyland of white. However, he felt none of the giddiness that usually accompanies a
In your own work or organization experience, identify a problem for which you have a solution. Should a procedure be altered to improve performance? Would a new or different piece of equipment or
List effective persuasion techniques.
What do claim/complaint messages typically involve, and how should they be crafted?
How can you ensure that your claim/complaint message is developed logically?
A student chose Facebook to request a recommendation from his professor. The following message suffers from many writing faults, including poor tone and flawed persuasive strategy.Your Task. Analyze
Two students at Cambridge University in England raised more than $40,000 toward their university tuition by wearing business logos painted on their faces for a day. Dunlop, however, went to the
As office manager of a Seattle software company, write a memo persuading your technicians, engineers, programmers, and other employees to reduce the number of overnight or second-day mail shipments.
Your company is considering adding some health and wellness perks that will interest current and future employees. Perks are benefits that are added above and beyond the normal medical coverage and
As employee relations manager of Paychex of San Francisco, one of your tasks is to promote Urban Farming, a global organization that has established almost 60,000 gardens in nearly 40 cities.
Being able to compose effective and concise micromessages and posts will positively contribute to your professional online persona.Your Task. Brainstorm to identify a special skill you have, an event
For each of the following situations, check the appropriate writing strategy. Direct Indirect Strategy Strategy A memo to employees describing the schedule and menu selections of a new mobile
As discussed in the Communication Workshop at the end of this chapter, puffery in advertising may be tacky, but it is not illegal. Few of us take claims seriously that shout the best pizza in town,
Your instructor wants to learn about your current or former employment. Select a position you now hold or one that you have held in the past. If you have not been employed, choose a campus,
What is the difference between informational and analytical reports? Give an example of each.
You are interested in exploring your career options to make sure you have the right skill set for your chosen field and that the future in that field looks promising. One of the best places to search
What factors determine whether a report should be written directly or indirectly?
You are intrigued by Fortune's annual list of the 100 best companies to work for. You want to work for one of them. You read the good news that many of them are hiring, so you begin searching for a
What are the main report formats and when are they used?
Businesses see value in increasing the cultural competence of their employees. The makeup of the American population has changed, and diverse populations exist within organizations. Increasing
What are the advantages of using forms and templates for recurring business reports?
Think about someone who supports your decision to pursue your education and earn a degree. You want to let that person know how you are doing on your journey to complete your education. You decide to
Describe functional and talking headings and give an example of each.
Define primary research and give three examples.
Great news! MegaTech, the start-up company where you work, has become enormously successful. Now the owner wants to support a philanthropic program. He wants you to conduct research on philanthropic
What topics or sections should be included in a progress report?
A social media usage policy is a set of rules developed by organizations to regulate the use of social media by employees. As a manager in a midsized engineering firm, you see the need to draft such
What is a feasibility report? Are such reports generally intended for internal or external audiences? Explain your reasoning.
Describe a situation in which a yardstick report would be appropriate.
Attend an organized meeting at your school, in your community, in city government, or for a professional organization. Take notes and record the proceedings as if you were covering the meeting for a
What is the advantage of using a slide deck to report information and statistics?
When working on a formal report with a team, volunteer to take notes at a team meeting and be prepared to share the meeting minutes with your instructor, if requested. Follow the textbook
Under what circumstances would a recommendation report be written directly? Give an example.
As an intern for a midsized online marketing company that sells outdoor and recreational clothing and equipment, you are anxious to comply with a request from the vice president of marketing. He
Do you think informational reports should be written directly or indirectly? For what reasons would an analytical report be written with a direct or an indirect approach? State your reasoning.
With the rise of social media in business, your supervisor wants to stay abreast of the latest social media marketing trends. He asks you to research this topic and list the current trends with a
What heading guidelines should you follow when writing a report?
Like many executives, your boss is too busy to sift through all the articles describing current technology trends and predictions for the future. She has a ssigned the task to you. She asks you to
With the explosive popularity of data visualization, visual media such as infographics will be around for a long time. Infographics share complex information quickly and clearly: they are readable,
A list of over 90 report topics is available at www.cengagebrain.com. The topics are divided into the following categories: accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, information systems,
For what reasons do writers prepare proposals?
Businesses both large and small are flocking to social media platforms to engage consumers in conversations and also to drive sales through deals and coupons. Small businesses have found that social
For what reasons would government agencies and other firms use requests for proposals (RFPs)? Name an example of a project that might require an RFP.
The ability to spot problems before they turn into serious risks is prized by most managers. Think about your current or past internship and work experiences. Do you see problems that could be solved
What is the purpose of providing a “hook” in the introduction of a proposal? Give three examples.
Perhaps you have dreamed about one day owning your own company, or maybe you have already started a business. Proposals are offers to a very specific audience with whom you hope to do business. Think
What sources are considered secondary sources, and where can they be found?
Many new companies with services or products to sell would like help writing unsolicited or solicited proposals. Your friend Teresa has started her own designer uniform company and has asked you for
What is the difference between an open-ended and close-ended survey question? Give an example of each.
Business employees understand more than ever the importance of improving their writing skills. Whether e-mailing status updates to team members, writing a Web article, preparing meeting agendas, or
Why should report writers document their sources?

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