Persuasion in Business Communication Worksheet

1. Persuasion in today's businesses focuses on _______.

• manipulating the facts to bolster sales

• generating and sending messages using only electronic media

• influencing others

• writing direct messages

Persuasion is necessary when _______.

• you anticipate that your audience will agree with your position

• your audience may have resistance about your idea

• audience attitudes match the objectives of your plan

• your message is especially attractive to the audience

Which statement reflects how businesspeople today are using persuasion?

• Because the number of persuasive messages Americans receive per day has declined, businesspeople do not need to use persuasive skills as much as they did in the past.

• Businesspeople are using persuasion as a means to manipulate others.

• Because the number of persuasive messages that Americans receive per day has increased, business people need to use pushy hard sell techniques to persuade effectively.

• Businesspeople are using persuasive tactics that are more impersonal today than they were many years ago.

Effective persuasion has the aim of _______ others.

• manipulating

• confusing

• influencing

• motivating

As a persuasive writer, which of the following should you practice?

• Showing that you are truthful, experienced, and knowledgeable

• Offering a bribe or kickback to ensure that you win over your audience

• Emphasizing only the emotional aspect of your message, since emotions are always more powerful in persuasion than logic

• Emphasizing only the logical aspect of your message, since logic is always more powerful as a persuasive tool than emotions

Most persuasive requests should be organized _______.

• directly

• chronologically

• quickly

• indirectly

Which one of the following messages requires the indirect strategy to persuade an audience?

• Informing employees of an upcoming routine all-staff meeting

• Announcing the hiring of a new sales director

• Asking an employer for clarification about agreed-upon benefits such as vacation time

• Requesting favors and action from coworkers

When using the indirect strategy in a persuasive message, you should place the reasons and explanations _______.

• in the closing of the message

• after the main idea

• before the main idea

• in an attachment to the message

Sammie is planning a persuasive request. What advice should she follow for the opening of her request?

• Provide her telephone number

• Capture the reader's attention and interest

• Cite facts, statistics, expert opinions, examples, and specific details to support her request

• Identify herself and her company

In which part of a persuasive request message should you motivate action?

• The subject line

• The opening

• The body

• The closing