1. CHAPTER 9 WRITING PERSUASIVE MESSAGES

2. Multiple Choice
When compared to routine positive messages, persuasive messages aim to influence audiences who are likely to
agree with you right away.
know more than you do about the topic of your message.
resist at first.
be easily offended.
When analyzing the situation for a persuasive message it is important to
connect your message to your audience’s existing desires and interests.
consider how your audience might resist your message.
keep the audience’s cultural preferences in mind.
all of the above.

3. Multiple Choice
When compared to routine positive messages, persuasive messages aim to influence audiences who are likely to
agree with you right away.
know more than you do about the topic of your message.
resist at first.
be easily offended.
ANSWER: c. Persuasive messages must show the audience that the choice you present is the best among all others.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 200; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
When analyzing the situation for a persuasive message it is important to
connect your message to your audience’s existing desires and interests.
consider how your audience might resist your message.
keep the audience’s cultural preferences in mind.
all of the above.
ANSWER: d. Considering your audience’s current needs, how it might resist your message, and its cultural preferences are all important steps when analyzing an audience.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 201; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

4. Demographics include all of the following about an audience except
age.
income.
education.
attitudes.
“Psychographics” refers to information about all of the following except
occupation.
lifestyle.
personality.

5. Demographics include all of the following about an audience except
age.
income.
education.
attitudes.
ANSWER: d. Attitude is a psychographic characteristic. Demographics are quantifiable.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 201; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
“Psychographics” refers to information about all of the following except
occupation.
lifestyle.
personality.
ANSWER: a. Occupation is demographic information.

6. If price is not a major selling point, your sales message should
leave out the price.
discuss it after presenting selling points and benefits.
place the price in the middle of a paragraph.
all of the above.
Which of the following is not an effective technique for minimizing price?
emphasize the cost of not buying your product or service
compare your product’s price to the cost of another product
compare your service’s price to that of a competitor’s
all of the above are effective

7. If price is not a major selling point, your sales message should
leave out the price.
discuss it after presenting selling points and benefits.
place the price in the middle of a paragraph.
all of the above.
ANSWER: d. When price is not a major selling point, it is best to de-emphasize it by leaving it out, putting it in another location, or burying it mid-paragraph after you’ve presented the benefits and selling points.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 210; OBJECTIVES: 1, 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
Which of the following is not an effective technique for minimizing price?
emphasize the cost of not buying your product or service
compare your product’s price to the cost of another product
compare your service’s price to that of a competitor’s
all of the above are effective
ANSWER: d. All of these strategies are effective.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 210; OBJECTIVES: 1, 3; TYPE: application; AACSB: Communication, Analytic Skills

8. True/False
______ Effective persuasion is the ability to present a message in a way that will lead others to support it.
______ Unlike routine messages, persuasive messages present the added challenge of overcoming the audience’s initial resistance to your request.
______ The key to an effective persuasive message is to clearly explain your company’s needs to your audience.

9. True/False
______ Effective persuasion is the ability to present a message in a way that will lead others to support it.
ANSWER: True. Effective persuasion leads the audience to accept and act upon your claims.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 200; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
______ Unlike routine messages, persuasive messages present the added challenge of overcoming the audience’s initial resistance to your request.
ANSWER: True. It is more difficult to write an effective persuasive message.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 200; OBJECTIVES: 1, 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
______ The key to an effective persuasive message is to clearly explain your company’s needs to your audience.
ANSWER: False. Successful persuasive messages depend on knowing your audience and their needs.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 201; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

10. ______ Stating the price of a product after describing the product’s key selling points is one technique for deemphasizing the price.
______ Providing a sample or demonstration of the product is usually an effective way of catching the reader’s attention.
______ The final section of a sales message should always ask the reader to take action promptly.

11. ______ Stating the price of a product after describing the product’s key selling points is one technique for deemphasizing the price.
ANSWER: True. Other techniques include embedding the price in the middle of a paragraph or leaving it out altogether.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 210; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
______ Providing a sample or demonstration of the product is usually an effective way of catching the reader’s attention.
ANSWER: True. A sample will get your product immediately into your reader’s hands.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 211; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
______ The final section of a sales message should always ask the reader to take action promptly.
ANSWER: True. Readers are less likely to respond if they delay.
DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 213; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

12. Fill-in the Blank
The attempt to change an audience’s attitudes, beliefs, or actions is known as ______.
Information about the age, gender, occupation, income, education and other quantifiable characteristics of your audience is called ______.
Information about the personality, attitudes, lifestyle and other psychological characteristics of an individual is called ______.

13. Fill-in the Blank
The attempt to change an audience’s attitudes, beliefs, or actions is known as ______.
ANSWER: Persuasion
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 200; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
Information about the age, gender, occupation, income, education and other quantifiable characteristics of your audience is called ______.
ANSWER: Demographics
DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 201; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
Information about the personality, attitudes, lifestyle and other psychological characteristics of an individual is called ______.
ANSWER: Psychographics

14. Short Answer/Essay
Identify seven ways to establish your credibility in persuasive messages.
ANSWER: 1) Use simple language that your audience can easily understand. 2) Provide objective evidence for the claims and promises you make. 3) Identify your sources. 4) Establish common ground. The things that you have in common with your audience will help it to identify with you. 5) Be objective. 6) Display your willingness to keep the audience’s best interests at heart. 7) Avoid an aggressive “hard sell.”
DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 203; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
Describe the four steps of the AIDA model for persuasive messages.
ANSWER: 1) Attention: Make your audience want to hear about your idea. Find some common ground on which to build your case. 2) Interest: Explain the relevance of your message to your audience. 3) Desire: Make readers want to change by explaining how the change will benefit them. Answer questions that your audience might have in advance. Back up your claims with evidence that supports your point. 4) Action: Ask your audience to take a specific action.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 204; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

15. When your AIDA message uses an indirect approach and is delivered by memo or e-mail,
what are two goals to keep in mind as you write the subject line?
ANSWER: One challenge in this situation is to make the subject line interesting and relevant enough to capture reader attention. At the same time, however, you have to do that without revealing your main idea.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 204; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication
Rewrite the following subject line in order to keep it interesting without revealing the main idea: “Rejection of your proposal for a four-day workweek”
ANSWER: “Decision on four-day workweek proposal”
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 204; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: application; AACSB: Communication, Analytic Skills