Quiz 3: Building Goodwill

Businesses need to build goodwill only with external clients and stakeholders.

Thomas is giving a presentation to clients on a new line of products. In order to reduce the distance between himself and his audience, he should talk about the audience's feelings toward the company and its products.

To build goodwill with content, you should arrange the information to meet the audience's needs rather than your own.

While conveying bad news messages, straightforward negatives always damage credibility.

Positive emphasis can be created by putting the negative information in the middle of the message and presenting it concisely.

A sentence reads: "Please be patient while we fix the technical difficulties in the system." This sentence demonstrates the use of double negatives.

When you write to people you do not know well outside your organization, it is good to address them by their first names to build a professional relationship.

To make language nonracist and nonageist, a person's race or age should be included in your message only when it is relevant to your story.

A disability refers exclusively to a physical impairment that interferes with the major tasks of daily living.

When you produce a business document with photographs, the photographs as a whole should show exactly 50 percent men and 50 percent women.

Which of the following statements about goodwill in business communication is true? A) Goodwill is less important now that the majority of jobs are in service. B) Goodwill increases the challenges of business and administration. C) Goodwill is important internally, not externally. D) Goodwill helps to create less staff turnover. E) Goodwill is built exclusively by you-attitude.

Which of the following does you-attitude primarily focus on? A) differentiating between audience members B) underscoring the needs of the writer or speaker C) not protecting the audience's ego D) giving more preference to important audience members E) emphasizing the audience's point of view

Revisions for you-attitude often ________ because the revision is more specific and has more information. A) change the basic meaning of sentences B) result in crisper sentences C) result in more ambiguous sentences D) increase the wordiness of sentences E) increase the length of sentences

Which of the following best describes wordiness in a sentence? A) adding you-attitude in a sentence B) removing all emotional words from a sentence C) reducing words in a sentence to make it concise D) having more words in a sentence than the meaning requires E) adding words to a sentence that are essential to its meaning

Sweeney's Ice-cream advertised its new sundaes on fliers that were distributed in malls. This initiative was successful because customers felt that the advertisement was created especially for them. Keeping in mind you-attitude in messages, which of the following did Sweeney's Ice-cream most likely say in its fliers? A) We, at Sweeney's, are now offering fresh fruit sundaes at $5! B) There are brand new flavors available at our store on St. Marks Street! C) We are now serving the best fresh fruit sundaes in the city! D) You will be delighted to taste our latest ice creams! E) You can now try our new fresh fruit sundaes for only $5!

Mateo works as a customer service representative at Asphalt Autos. He writes a letter to a customer who has recently become a member of the lifetime service club. Which of the following introductory statements written by Mateo best illustrates you-attitude? A) You are now a lifetime service club member at Asphalt Autos! B) You will be delighted to know that you have become a lifetime service club member at Asphalt Autos. C) We at Asphalt Autos are glad to inform you that you are now a lifetime service club member! D) I am sure you will be happy to know that you are now a part of our lifetime service club family. E) It gives me pleasure to inform you that you are now in our lifetime service club!

Which of the following statements about building goodwill through communication is true? A) "You" works best in negative situations. B) "We" works well when it does not include the audience. C) "I" works well when it includes an audience or a reader. D) "I" suggests that you are concerned about personal issues. E) "I" suggests that you are concerned about the organization's needs.

While applying you-attitude, passive verbs should ideally be used while A) discussing job roles in a project. B) reporting bad news or limitations. C) explaining the perks of a new position. D) explaining audience benefits for a product. E) listing out the incentives for selling a product.

Which of the following examples best illustrates the correct use of passive verbs to avoid assigning blame? A) The customer order was not processed on time. B) They were not able to submit the proposal on time. C) He was perfectly capable of completing this project on time, but he didn't. D) You made it impossible for me to add my point of view. E) You should not have taken leave without getting approval first.

Gregory is the owner of a sporting goods store. He interviews 10 people for the post of store manager and eventually selects Camila. Gregory emails Camila to let her know that she has been selected for the post. Which of the following statements made by Gregory best conveys this information through you-attitude? A) You'll be happy to hear that you have been selected for the store manager's post. B) You have been selected for the post of store manager. C) I'm glad to inform you that I have appointed you as the store manager. D) I have decided to appoint you as the store manager. E) I have selected you for the store manager's post.

Which of the following sentences best exemplifies the use of impersonal expressions? A) You have not performed well this month. B) Your department's performance is very low. C) I am happy to inform you about your promotion. D) The incentives of all the employees have been canceled. E) I have granted you two days of leave as you requested.

Mariam is a manager at a shipping company. Mariam's newest team member, Adam, is having mechanical issues with an aging fleet of vehicles. Due to these issues, Adam is unable to meet an upcoming deadline. When Adam reports the issue to Mariam, Mariam responds with an impersonal statement. For the purpose of avoiding blame, which of the following statements should Mariam use to best convey you-attitude? A) You should really know how to repair these vehicles by now. B) This is not really my problem. You should talk to the repair team. C) You must attend a training seminar on engine repair next week. D) These vehicles have been acting up for a while now. E) Our lead mechanic has worked on these vehicles before and will be able to resolve the problem.

Which of the following should you do while organizing information that builds goodwill? A) Arrange the information to meet all of your needs. B) Use headings and lists so readers can find key points quickly. C) Present information that interests the audience in the middle of a paragraph. D) Avoid showing why information your audience didn't ask for is important. E) Avoid anticipating an audience's questions because it is distracting.

Which of the following is a technique for creating positive emphasis in a message? A) placing the negative information at the beginning of the message B) justifying the negative information in the message by giving a reason C) using hidden negatives in the message in place of negative connotations D) focusing on the limitations of the audience so that they can be overcome E) avoiding linking the negative information in the message to an audience benefit in any way

Which of the following examples best illustrates a sentence with a hidden negative? A) Please be patient; the issue will be resolved as soon as possible. B) The issue will be resolved within a week. C) Our new brand of cereal is healthier. D) This itinerary contains all the details of your trip, along with the fares. E) If you have questions about the registration process, please call the technical helpline.

Which of the following statements about creating positive emphasis in a message is true? A) Linking a negative element to a benefit is good only when the audience acknowledges it as a benefit. B) Replacing negative words with words that are exact opposites increases accuracy. C) Removing negative words makes the sender sound arrogant and pushy. D) Using straightforward negativity in a message damages credibility. E) Putting the negative information at the end of a message is better than putting it in the middle of a message.

While adding positive emphasis to a message, negatives should be placed in the ________ to de-emphasize the negative. A) first line of the message B) middle of the message C) last sentence of a paragraph D) first sentence of a paragraph E) first paragraph of the message

Edwin is a team leader at a direct mail advertising company. He was asked to write a progress report on a client's most recent campaign. Although Edwin did not deliver all of the mailers on time, he was able to communicate this to his boss using positive emphasis. Which of the following did Edwin most likely say to his boss? A) I worked very hard but failed to deliver the mailers on time. B) It is unfortunate that I did not complete the deliveries by the client's specified date. C) My inability to complete the deliveries on time may create backlogs in the campaign. D) I have completed more than half of the deliveries and will complete the rest by the end of the week. E) I apologize for not delivering the mailers on time; I hope to be able to send the rest by the end of the week.

Which of the following is a negative word with a negative connotation? A) eliminate B) understand C) questions D) always E) possible

An organization has been unable to raise sufficient funds from a charity event that took place the previous week. To maintain positive emphasis, which of the following is the least negative way to communicate this information? A) We failed to raise enough funds from the charity event last week. B) We have been unsuccessful in collecting sufficient funds from the event. C) The weak funding plan resulted in insufficient funds from the charity event. D) We have not finished gathering funds from the charity event last week. E) We will be able to raise sufficient funds at our next charity event.

Which of the following examples uses double negatives? A) Work doubly hard to reach your targets. B) It is important to reach your sales targets. C) Never fail to reach your sales targets. D) Always ensure you reach your sales targets. E) Make sure you work hard to reach your targets.

Which of the following examples contains a hidden negative? A) We delivered the products you had ordered as per the schedule. B) The products you had ordered will reach you ahead of time as you requested. C) The courier service has confirmed that the delivery of the products was timely. D) The email contains the details of the delivery time and products delivered to you. E) We hope the products you ordered have been delivered to you.

Julio is offering a benefit to an audience but only if the audience meets certain criteria. The most positive way for Julio to do this is to A) put the benefit first. B) put the requirement first. C) avoid mentioning the benefit. D) avoid mentioning the requirement. E) replace a negative word with a hidden negative.

Which of the following is a way for you to check positive emphasis? A) Recognize that it should not be so overdone that it has become insincere. B) Remember that it is appropriate in all circumstances. C) Remember that it is always realistic. D) Recognize that it should not demonstrate any kind of restraint. E) Remember that it should contain hidden negatives instead of negative words.

Which of the following statements about positive psychology is true? A) It promotes a workplace where praise and goodwill are part of daily communications. B) It is closely connected with positive emphasis but not with you-attitude. C) It is implemented by providing less challenging work with a smaller variety of tasks. D) It claims that the intensity, not frequency, of positive experiences is a better predictor of happiness. E) It negates the role of social support because attaining social support is time consuming.

Amelia is a sales representative at an enterprise services company. She receives an email from her boss stating, "All salespeople must send their sales report by the end of the day." Amelia is not happy about how this statement is phrased. The most likely reason for her unhappiness is that the way the statement is phrased is A) discriminatory. B) impolite. C) ageist. D) sexist. E) racist.

Which of the following is a desirable tone for business writing? A) submissive B) forceful C) confident D) stiff E) arrogant

Sarah is the customer relationship manager at a designer clothing store. She is drafting a letter to Loretta Franklin, a client with whom she has established a good personal relationship over the years. Sarah wants to inform Loretta that because of her excellent credit relationship with their store, Loretta will receive a 25 percent discount on all of her purchases going forward. Which of the following salutations should Sarah use to address Loretta Franklin? A) Dear Ma'am B) Dear Mrs. Franklin C) Dear Loretta D) Dear Loretta Franklin E) Dear Mrs. Loretta Franklin

Ramon is the customer service manager at Greenfield Communications, an Internet service provider. He is writing an email in response to a complaint the company received from a new customer, Deborah Hayes. As Ramon does not know Deborah on a personal basis, which of the following salutations should he use in his response? A) Dear Deborah Hayes B) Dear Mrs. Deborah Hayes C) Dear Deborah D) Dear Ms. Hayes E) Dear Mrs. Hayes

Which of the following examples illustrates the lowest level of politeness in a message? A) Please submit your campaign report by Friday. B) Submit your campaign report by Friday at the latest. C) Your campaign reports should be submitted by Friday. D) Would you be able to submit your campaign report by Friday? E) I request you to submit your campaign report by Friday.

Which of the following types of technology is most often used to resolve customer complaints quickly? A) Facebook B) Snapchat C) Instagram D) Twitter E) YouTube

Which of the following statements about bias-free language is true? A) It can help avoid lawsuits. B) It is unethical but legal. C) It does not comply with the law. D) It does not help to sustain goodwill. E) It can be unfair and unfriendly.

Which of the following is an example of a nonsexist job title? A) poetess B) stewardess C) mailman D) flight attendant E) sculptress

Which of the following job titles contains gendered language? A) nurse B) pilot C) inspector D) secretary E) fireman

A customer walks into a restaurant, sits at a table, and calls out, "Can a waitress please take our orders?" What makes his statement biased? A) It is feminist. B) It is gender-neutral. C) It is sexist. D) It is racist. E) It is ageist.

In official communication, when addressing a woman you don't know well, it is better to A) use "Mrs." as the courtesy title. B) use "Ms." as the courtesy title. C) avoid a courtesy title. D) use her last name only. E) use her first name only.

Esteban is a sales manager. He is in charge of welcoming a new batch of sales executives to his organization and introducing them to the sales team. He is meeting the new employees for the first time. When he introduces them to the sales team, the new employees think he is being sexist. Which of the following did Esteban most likely say? A) Please welcome Joe Boston, Brian Ellis, and Melissa West. B) Please welcome Mr. Boston, Mr. Ellis, and Ms. West. C) Please welcome Mr. Boston, Mr. Ellis, and Mrs. West. D) Please welcome Joe, Brian, and Melissa. E) Please welcome our new sales executives to the team.

Regarding nonsexist language, which of the following statements about courtesy titles for women is true? A) Irrespective of whether a woman is married or single, address her as "Miss." B) When you happen to know that a woman is married, always address her as "Mrs." C) If a woman types her name in a certain way, use the title she designates to herself to address her. D) No matter how a woman introduces herself on the phone, always respond by addressing her as "Miss." E) If a woman has a professional title, use a different title than you would use for a man in the same profession.

When a person writing a message knows neither the name nor the gender of the reader, the person should A) assume that the reader is female. B) send an informal message to the reader. C) find out the reader's name and assume the reader's gender. D) use a general group to which the reader belongs. E) omit the salutation and subject, and proceed with the body of the message.

Lei is going to write an email to the hiring manager of a publishing company, explaining why she would make a good candidate for an open internship position. Lei does not know the name or the gender of the manager. Which of the following salutations of polite communication is most appropriate for Lei to use in her letter? A) Hello B) Dear Sir C) Hello Sir D) Dear Ma'am E) Dear Hiring Manager

Chang is the new manager of Good Eats Inc. He is required to send an email to Alex Wales, whom he has never met. He is not sure whether Alex is male or female. Which of the following is the most nonsexist way to address Alex in the email? A) Dear Mr. Alex B) Mr. Alex C) Dear Mr./Mrs. Wales D) Dear Ms. Alex E) Dear Alex Wales

Which of the following is most effective when trying to eliminate sexist generic pronouns? A) avoiding the use of pronoun pairs B) avoiding the phrase "he or she" C) using plural nouns or pronouns D) mixing singular nouns and plural pronouns E) avoiding the use of "you"

When talking about people with disabilities, use language that A) detracts from the person. B) focuses on the condition. C) names the person first. D) defines the person in terms of the condition. E) demonstrates positive emphasis but not you-attitude.

To make language nonracist and nonageist, A) refer only to some groups when mentioning race or age. B) give someone's race or age only when you know it. C) refer to a group by the term it prefers. D) avoid changing your usage of words to define groups. E) use words that suggest that competent people are unusual.

Rita, the founder of a commercial real estate company, is planning to announce several renovations to make the company office building more accommodating to employees with visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive impairments. Which of the following announcements made by Rita is bias-free? A) We are installing new accommodations for all handicapped employees. B) We are installing new accommodations for all disabled employees . C) We are installing new accommodations for all employees with disabilities. D) I am happy to announce that all individuals suffering from physical disabilities will be getting new accommodations. E) You'll be happy to hear that all employees afflicted with physical disabilities will be getting new accommodations.

List the five techniques that you, as a writer, should use to convey you-attitude.

Explain passive verbs and impersonal expressions, and describe when each should be used in a message.

What are the three main guidelines to be followed while organizing information to build goodwill in a message?

What are the five techniques that help create positive emphasis in a message?

To maintain positive emphasis, what is the best way to place negative information in a message?

Why is tone tricky in business communication?

What are some of the ways in which technology can be used to build goodwill?

To ensure bias-free communication, what should a writer do when a person's name or gender or both are not known? Explain with examples.

In business communication, what are some key points to ensure that your writing contains nonracist and nonageist language?

Tanya Jenkins has recently moved to the public relations team in her company. She has seen that Devin McLachlan, one of her new team members, uses an assisted listening device to help overcome a hearing disability. She has never worked with anyone in such a situation and wonders what kind of communication she should use with him. What are some key points she should remember while communicating with Devin to ensure that she is not being discriminatory about his disability?