business communications

for the fbla business comms testing category

written communication includes...

reports and forms

planning a successful meeting involves delegation or...

using subgroups

the ___ sets the effective tone for a paragraph

clear topic sentence

what is the advantage of collecting first-hand data?

data can be gathered economically and efficiently

what is uncommon for employees when change takes place in the workplace?

exuberation

a brief introduction that describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights is the ___

executive summary

what is an irregular noun?

a noun that changes more drastically than a regular noun when changed into its plural form (e.g. "penny" --> "pennies")

"he called the security guard, and he checked the room for items, which have been stolen." this is an example of a ___ sentence

compound-complex

making a conscious effort to hear the words someone is saying and ensure the complete message is being communicated is called ___

active listening

powerpoint presentations can be enhanced by...

adding sound effects, including music, and embedding YT videos

quotation marks can be used...

in titles, in quotations from other people, and to emphasize technical terms

what kind of communication leaves a paper trail?

e-mail

instead of condemning the grapevine, an effective manager will...

use it for information that needs to be disseminated quickly

putting your hand on the shoulder of a coworker or supervisor may be interpreted as...

sexual harassment

the mode used to send a message is called the ___

channel

the legal right of someone, usually the author or artist, to use or reproduce a work is called a ___

copyright

at the end of a meeting, the leader should...

review assignments and deadlines for future work

the most important part of formal minutes from meeting is...

a report of the motions in exact wording and actions taken on motions

the communication process includes...

the receiver, the sender, and the feedback

an application letter should be organized as a...

persuasive message

information should be gathered and shared to enable a business to carry out its main goal, which is to ___

make a profit

the first stage in conversations is the...

greeting

you can reduce oral miscommunication among cross-cultural audiences by...

using simple words, speaking slowly, and enunciating carefully

the first action most businesses take for damage control with customers is to...

call the customer to explain and apologize if needed

perhaps the best-known part of informal communication is...

the grapevine

memos and letters usually do not have justified right margins because...

research shows that "ragged-right" margins are easier to read

in paraphrasing, it doesn't matter how many words you use; you still need to acknowledge...

the source, date, and writer of the information

fair use for teaching and research does NOT require getting the author's written permission to use the copyrighted material if the work used is...

not for profit and only a small portion of the material

a difference between informational and analytical reports is that informational reports...

include very little analysis

what is the first step in the planning process?

identify the objective

when planning a report...

develop a timeline before collecting the data

informal reports always have...

opening, body, and closing

what is the purpose of a transitional word or phrase?

to indicate the relationship between one thought and the next

what do you check in the editing process?

transitions between paragraphs, organization of the paper, and the existence of good topic sentences

there are ___ acceptable letter formats

3

one way to overcome format concerns when sending an email survey is to...

send it as an attachment

when conducting online research, you may use...

a search engine such as google

the abuse of memos and email include...

written by a committee, writing too frequently, and writing to gain attention

copyright laws for original works of authorship apply to written works as well as...

art, music, and photographs

what type of report is based on a periodic analysis of a company's accounts and financial records?

audit report

to improve readability, what three basic techniques can be used?

lists, graphics, and headings

as a general rule, the term "graphics" refers to...

charts and tables

a type of reading speed that attempts to understand by reading the heads and first sentences of each paragraph is...

scanning

to improve reading comprehension, one helpful technique is to...

take notes or highlight while reading

to become a better listener and improve critical listening and reading, you can...

concentrate on listening and taking notes to review and evaluate

a chart element that identifies the items the bars in a chart represent is a...

legend

what type of visual aid should be used in a document to show detailed info and exact figures?

table

what techniques make it easier to skim a message?

including charts and graphs, using headings and subheadings, and using bullet points

a sans serif typeface would be best for...

the headings in a report

since directions describe an object, they should be written so that the reader...

understands the purpose from the clear, specific title

each section in a report is abbreviated with emphasis on findings, conclusions, and recommendations when you...

restate the info

what is a clue word that would identify an opinion versus a fact written in a business article?

"believe"

when initially reading a document for content, what should be considered?

repetitive words and/or phrases, missing words, and comprehensiveness of the material

an effective document design can be accomplished with software to aid in...

comprehension

a type of graph that shows relationships between different data series is a...

bar graph

what is true about possessive nouns?

most often paired with nouns, formed by adding (') or ('s), show something being owned or possessed

a perfect tense verb describes...

action regarding a time period in the future, past, or from past to present (e.g. "jamie has worked in every division since 2011")

what are some proofreading techniques?

read slowly, read aloud, read the paper backwards

___ is the most important quality of your speaking voice

tone

listening may be more challenging than reading because...

the listener may have only one chance to hear the message

active listening has a purpose which may be...

informative evaluative, emphatic, or reflective

posture, facial expressions, and gestures are examples of...

nonverbal symbols

the characteristics of the audience (i.e. ages, culture, income, etc.) can help you prepare your speech and are called...

demographics

during a speech, important nonverbal symbols to relate to are...

facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact

in your relationship with coworkers...

you should be fair and honest

what should you do in an interview posture-wise?

sit erect and lean forward slightly to show interest and confidence

if an interviewer asks you to describe your biggest weakness, what is the best strategy for your response?

describe a weakness so that it sounds like a strength, such as saying you drive yourself too hard

the first step to receiving a message is to...

hear the message and recognize its purpose

the most practical way to improve pronunciation skills is...

to listen carefully to educated people

if you know the audience is going to be interested but neutral...

present compelling reasons to help them accept your message

when speaking before a very small group, it is better to...

allow questions or comment during the presentation

a long speech lasts from...

20 minutes to over an hour

speakers are advised to avoid uptalk, which is...

using a rising inflection at the end of a sentence, which makes statements sound like questions

words that should never be divided at the end of a line include...

"planned" and "freight"

what is true about emails?

never write something you wouldn't want a boss, family or a judge to read; emails create permanent records that often remain even when files are deleted; any email is a corporate communication that can be used against you or an employer

email messages on the job should...

avoid misleading subject lines

when delivering an oral presentation, the most important consideration is that the...

content is accurate

emphasizing positive aspects in any speaking situation...

is good business practice

when visuals are used effectively, the audience will...

retain the message for a longer time

email and phone messages are used to...

to communicate quickly

email should be written...

in a format like a memo

the subject line...

sets the stage for the receiver to understand the message

one of the purposes of communication is...

to persuade

the most common errors found when proofreading are...

word or letter omission or addition

one element of writing style is...

capitalization

the objective of written messages includes...

request, promote good will, inform

what necessary info should be included in business messages?

who, what, when, where, why

forms of communication are best described by...

stating that communication can be expressed both verbally and nonverbally

the role of letters is defined as being...

an effective method of communicating with an external or internal audience

what is the correct response regarding meetings?

the location selected for face-to-face communication is important to minimize interruptions

before keying or writing a message, you should...

plan the message

memos are usually an internal document that...

are less formal and shorter than letters

planning to write directions, instructions, or descriptions requires the writer to first...

analyze the situation to identify the audience and purpose

readability formulas are important for analyzing messages...

that a receiver uses to follow directions

businesses often require the writing of summaries such as...

those of an article, proposal, project, or report

normally, a table created using word shows...

comparisons of definitions of terms or concepts

three degrees of comparison such as positive, comparative, and superlative refer to the degrees of an...

adjective

physical distractions, such as ___, can be a barrier to listening

temperature or noise

research indicates that senior managers spend about ___% of their times in various settings just listening

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