1)Building goodwill through messages is gratifying to business people personally, but it is difficult to justify as a profitable business practice

1)Building goodwill through messages is gratifying to business people personally, but it is difficult to justify as a profitable business practice.

2. The words you use in writing messages should come primarily from your speaking vocabulary.

3. The old "language of business” in vogue a century ago has given us some of our most useful expressions for written messages.

4. Rubber stamps are a part of our conversational language.

5. Because the "rubber stamp" expressions are well known in business, they may be used effectively to build goodwill.

6. The you-viewpoint is a manipulative technique and may be used for good or bad purposes.

7. One advantage of using rubber-stamp expressions is that they communicate the effect of individual treatment.

8. Writing in the you-viewpoint involves more than emphasizing the you and the your and de-emphasizing the I and the mine.

9. Words such as "I regret to inform" are highly positive and cushion the shock of bad news.

10. You-viewpoint is effective only in messages presenting favorable information.

11. Done to the extreme, you-viewpoint can sound insincere.

12. Research shows the you-viewpoint is of questionable value.

13. Words that create positive meanings in your reader's mind usually are best for achieving your message's objectives.

14. As positive words are the most effective for achieving message goals, negative words should not be used in business messages.

15. Negative words tend to destroy goodwill.

16. It usually is good practice in writing messages to treat your reader as a member of a broad group rather than as an individual.

17. As a general rule, references to the reader by name within the body of a message should be avoided.

18. Telling the reader of a business message something she or he knows as if she or he does not know it is one good way of making a point without creating friction.

19. To the skilled message writer, writing concisely means including only the barest essentials in a message.

20. In achieving a goodwill effect in our business messages, there are times when showing our anger produces the most positive results.

21. Because most people tend to be negative, a letter cannot have too much goodwill.

22. Strong words such as greatest, finest, and extraordinary are highly effective in convincing readers.

23. A display of anger in a letter helps in achieving the objective of the letter only when the objective is to antagonize the reader.

24. In the interest of fairness, all of the facts we write about in a message should be given equal emphasis.

25. The beginnings and endings of a unit of written communication carry more emphasis than do the center parts.

26. Because the middle portion of a message receives major attention, this part carries more emphasis than other parts of the letter.

27. The more you write about something, the more you emphasize it.

28. Because volume adds emphasis, you can emphasize a point by placing it in a long, involved sentence so that it stands out.

29. Longer sentences give more emphasis to their contents than do shorter sentences.

30. Repetition of words can be used as a means of achieving good transition.

31. Pronouns have little use as transition words.

Multiple Choice Questions

32. Best wording of five closing statements from a business message is: A) Hoping to hear from you, I remain . . . .
    1. 2. Thanking you in advance . . . .
       3. I shall appreciate your assistance.
       4. Appreciating your cooperation in this matter . . . .
       5. Appreciate your cooperation in this matter. . . .

33. Mark the wording that is not a rubber stamp. A) We beg to advise . . . .
    1. 2. Trusting to hear from you . . . .
       3. Deem it advisable . . . .
       4. This is to inform . . . .
       5. Please answer this request soon . . . .

34. The closing expression in a business message that best meets modern standards is: A) Thanking you in advance, I remain . . . .
    1. Thanking you in advance . . . . .
    2. Thank you for considering this request.
    3. Anticipating your favorable response, I remain . . . .
    4. We beg to remain, your obedient servant.

35. From these expressions from business messages, mark the one that best avoids a "rubber stamp" wording.
    1. This is to inform you . . . .
    2. This will acknowledge receipt of . . . .
    3. In accordance with your instructions . . . .
    4. Yes, you may use the equipment . . . .
    5. This is to advise that . . . .

36. Mark the best of five concluding remarks that immediately precede the "sincerely yours" in a business message.
    1. Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain . . . .
    2. Assuring you of our cooperation, we remain . . . .
    3. Thanking you in advance for your cooperation . . . .
    4. We beg to remain . . . .
    5. I appreciate your prompt handling of this request.

37. Mark the best choice of words for the beginning of a routine business message. A) I am happy to be able to answer your July 1 letter.
    1. Yes, we will gladly permit you to use our meeting facilities.
    2. I have received your request of July 1.
    3. This will acknowledge receipt of your July 1 letter.
    4. This is to inform you of our willingness to comply with your July 1 request.

38. Which of the following sentences conforms least to you-viewpoint strategy?
    1. You will be happy to know that we now have a complete service department.
    2. As a profit-minded business person, you will appreciate this new feature.
    3. At $39.95 each you will reap a nice profit of $9.95.
    4. Your request to use our facility must be denied at this time.
    5. Your selection of Southern Queen candies should reach you by the 12th.

39. Which is the best example of you-viewpoint writing in these sentences? A) I am pleased to report to you that your account has been approved.
    1. For your shopping convenience, your account is now open.
    2. We are pleased to announce that an account in your name has been opened.
    3. We have opened your account.
    4. As you requested, we have opened your account.

40. Mark the sentence that handles its subject most positively.
    1. We regret to inform you that we cannot hire you at this time.
    2. Although we cannot hire you now, we will hold your application for a possible future opening.
    3. Regretfully, we must turn down your request for employment.
    4. Unfortunately, we have no job vacancy at this time.
    5. Although all of our positions are filled, we will hold your application for possible future use.

41. Mark the sentence that does the best job of telling bad news. A) We cannot grant you credit.
    1. Although we cannot grant you credit, we can offer you special discounts for cash.
    2. Your poor credit record does not justify our extending you credit.
    3. Because of your poor credit record, we must reject your application.
    4. Although your current position requires that we sell to you on a cash basis, we can offer you special cash discounts.

42. The most positive of the following words is: A) mistake.
    1. bloody.
    2. damage.
    3. refuse.
    4. situation.

43. Which of these sentences contains the most positive wording?
    1. Surely you can understand why we must limit your credit.
    2. We ask you to understand why we must refuse credit.
    3. Because your ratio is below this minimum, we cannot grant credit at this time.
    4. You will understand, I feel sure, why we must limit credit to those whose assetsto-liabilities ratio exceeds the two-to-one minimum.
    5. I sincerely regret that we are not able to grant credit at this time.

44. Mark the most positive of the following wordings. A) I regret to inform you . . . .
    1. We cannot permit . . . .
    2. Your problem is regrettable . . . .
    3. Here is a solution to . . . .
    4. Your broken china . . . .

45. Mark the most positive of these five sentences.
    1. Talking is permitted during the break only.
    2. You may not talk at any time class is in progress.
    3. Do not talk during class time.
    4. You are prohibited from talking during class.
    5. Talking is not permitted during class time.

46. Which sentence is least likely to produce a preaching impression in the mind of a retailing executive?
    1. As you know, savings from cash discounts can be significant.
    2. Save big money today by taking the cash discount.
    3. Savings from cash discounts can be significant.
    4. Take the cash discount and save money.
    5. A wise retailer takes cash discounts and saves money.

47. The term that is not one of the four major emphasis devices is: A) tense.
    1. space.
    2. position.
    3. sentence structure.
    4. mechanical devices.

48. In giving proper emphasis to an important point, you should place it in: A) a dependent clause.
    1. an independent clause in a compound sentence.
    2. a simple sentence.
    3. any sentence form but in the middle of a long paragraph.
    4. a compound sentence in parentheses.

49. Which of these positions in a letter would give greatest emphasis?
    1. First sentence of the last paragraph
    2. First sentence of the first paragraph
    3. Last sentence of the first paragraph
    4. Middle sentence of the middle paragraph
    5. Last sentence of the middle paragraph

50. The best advice for using transition devices is to use them: A) at the beginning of each topic.
    1. at the end of each topic.
    2. at the beginning and end of each topic.
    3. at the beginning and end of each topic and internally.
    4. wherever they are needed to avoid abrupt thought shifts.

51. Indicate the one best means of achieving coherence in a letter.
    1. Repetition of key words
    2. Use of transition words
    3. Use of pronouns
    4. Logical arrangement
    5. Use of tie-in sentences

52. Mark the sentence that ties in best with this first sentence of a business letter: "Your thorough and objective review of the facts concerning your Mini-Photo camera tells us

that you are one who wants to get all the facts before making a decision." A) We have found some additional evidence.

1. 1. That is why we know that you will want to consider some additional information we have uncovered.
   2. Apparently you did not know that the camera has been dropped.
   3. Other information is as follows.
   4. So that you may be fully satisfied with the Mini-Photo, we make it to withstand rough treatment.