Chapter 9: Writing Persuasive Messages and Proposals

Which of the following is an effective request?

Your contribution of $20 or more will make a profound difference in the lives of children in need.

Which technique involves presenting a shared problem and casting the request as a solution to the problem?

The common-ground persuasion technique

In cases where it is inappropriate to end the message immediately after the request, you should follow the request with an ______.

extension of the persuasive appeal

In order to make a reader more receptive, the opening of a persuasive request should be ______.

attention-getting and compelling

Which of the following suggestions should be followed when developing the appeal in a persuasive request? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Project an appealing image.

-Use concise language.

-Use logical, engaging details.

True or False: Sales messages are the most casual type of persuasive messaging, requiring little research or care to compose.

False

Which of the following are examples of a persuasive request? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Asking your boss for an ergonomic keyboard

-Reminding employees to show up on time

-Sending a fundraising newsletter

When is it appropriate to end a message with a request?

When the request is simple, inexpensive, and likely to be accepted

Which of the following are techniques that make sales letters more effective? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Combining them with other sales strategies

-Targeting them to a more receptive audience

A persuasive request should open with words that accomplish which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Gain the reader's attention

-Set up the persuasive strategy

Which of the following are the main goals of the opening of a persuasive request? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Gaining the reader's attention

-Leading the reader toward the central strategy

Letters, emails, blog posts, Facebook pages, and other items persuading readers to purchase a product or service are known as ______.

sales messages

The first step in preparing a sales message is to ______.

understand the product or service you are offering

Which of the following comes first in a persuasive request?

Reasons why the audience should comply with your request

Messages promoting intangible benefits most often rely on ______ appeals.

emotional

Which of the following are reasons why sales messages are considered controversial? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Many readers do not wish to receive them.

-They rely on persuasive tactics that could be perceived as unethical.

A sales message that includes a significant amount of information that could be helpful to potential customers but is not necessarily part of the central appeal should ______.

include the information in a separate page, brochure, attachment, or web link

In order to gain a reader's attention and avoid being regarded as spam, the From field on an email message should ______.

clearly identify your company

Which of the following best characterizes the modern seller-buyer conversation about a product or service?

Both parties are well informed.

A sales message for a spa service promising a "refreshed, revitalized, rejuvenated you" is using a(n) ______ appeal.

emotional

Which of the following should be avoided in the opening of a sales message?

Promises that you are unlikely to keep

Which of the following should you determine before composing a sales message to be sent by email or mail?

Which additional pieces of information will be linked to or included

After grabbing the reader's attention in the opening, what are the next steps? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Expanding on the main appeal

-Overcoming common objections

-Answering readers' likely questions

Which of the following subject lines would be most likely to get a reader's attention without being flagged as spam?

Keep your house warmer this winter.

Which of the following are common features of sales writing? (Choose every correct answer.)

-A fast pace

-Sentence fragments

-A conversational tone

In making a sales request, readers should be enticed to act ______.

immediately

A brief message that appears after the closing of a sales message is called a(n) ______.

postscript

Which of the following are the goals in the opening of a sales message? (Choose every correct answer.)

-To motivate the reader to keep reading

-To grab the reader's attention

Which of the following would help develop the emotional appeal of a new coffee shop targeted to young customers?

A description of the trendy atmosphere, late hours, and live music available at the coffee shop

True or False: Sales writing does not follow the conventions of other forms of business writing.

true

In a commercial email message, the option to opt out of further messaging should be ______.

easy to identify

The request for action in a sales message should be ______.

specific

What percentage of the U.S. population regularly uses the Internet?

over 90 percent

Which of the following can a postscript be used to accomplish in a sales message? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Urging the reader to act

-Requesting that readers pass information to others

-Making note of attachments or other secondary materials

Email sales messages should include at least one ______.

link

The act of giving away interesting and useful information via social media to attract a loyal customer base is called ______.

content marketing

In the United States, the law requiring that recipients of commercial email be given the chance to opt out of further messages is called the ______.

CAN-SPAM Act

Coordinated selling across several media is known as ______.

integrated marketing communications

The value of a company's name recognition and positive image is called ______.

brand equity

A unique feature of Twitter is the ______.

brevity of each post

Which of the following are reasons for including live links in email sales messages? (Choose every correct answer.)

-They promote reader engagement.

-They drive readers to targeted products.

Which of the following are common forms of content marketing? (Choose every correct answer.)

-How-to guides

-Podcasts

-Videos

The primary purpose of proposals is to ______.

persuade

Which of the following are goals of content marketing? (Choose every correct answer.)

-To encourage customers to purchase your product when they're ready to buy

-To gain brand awareness

-To impress customers with your knowledge

Which of the following are ways in which Twitter can be used to promote a product or company? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Direct dialog with other users

-Twitter chats

-Retweets of useful or interesting information from others

A proposal written for other employees within your organization is called a(n) ______ proposal.

internal

A proposal written in response to a request from another business or organization is called a(n) ______.

solicited proposal

Which of the following is something that makes proposals different from formal reports?

They are meant to persuade.

Unsolicited proposals should resemble ______.

sales messages

A grant request written by a business owner to the local government would be an example of a(n) ______.

external proposal

True or False: Most proposals are extremely long and require supporting materials such as an executive summary and a table of contents.

False

A physical trainer who submits a proposal to the local sports team to provide training for the players, even though the team did not specifically invite proposals from trainers, is an example of a(n) ______.

unsolicited proposal

Which of the following are objectives of an unsolicited proposal? (Choose every correct answer.)

-To get the reader's attention

-To describe a need and your ability to answer it

-To build your credibility

Which format is typically the most appropriate for internal proposals?

Email