Which Statement About Direct-mail Messages Is Most Accurate?
Business Communication Chapter5
1. Persuasion in today's businesses focuses on
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As businesses change their hierarchies, persuasive skills are becoming ever more important at work as teams and managers abandon the traditional command structure and focus instead on influencing others.
2. Persuasion is necessary when
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Persuasion is necessary when we are making more than routine demands and facing skeptical audiences.
3. Which statement about persuasion in today's society is most accurate?
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Although persuasive efforts date back to ancient Greece, persuasion in the twenty-first century is different from persuasion in previous historic periods.
4. Which of the following statements is most accurate?
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The volume and reach of persuasive messages have exploded today because individuals, groups, and businesses of all sizes use persuasion. In addition, these messages, which are more subtle, misleading, complex, and impersonal, are sent at increasing speeds.
5. As a persuasive writer, you should practice all of the following except
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To be an effective persuader, you should establish your credibility; make reasonable, specific requests; tie facts to audience benefits; recognize the power of loss; expect and overcome resistance; and share solutions and compromise. However, you should never bribe your audience. It is illegal and unethical.
6. Most persuasive requests should be organized
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Unlike direct claim messages, persuasive requests are generally more effective when they are organized using the indirect strategy.
7. Which of the following messages would most likely require the indirect strategy to persuade an audience?
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The indirect strategy is needed when resistance is expected such as when requesting favors and action from coworkers. The other answer choices would be presented using the direct strategy.
8. When using the indirect strategy in a persuasive message, you should place the reasons and explanations
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To overcome possible resistance, you must first lay a logical foundation before delivering the request, which means that your reasons and explanations for the persuasive request should precede the main idea.
9. Sammie is planning a persuasive request. What advice should she follow for the opening of her request?
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To be persuasive, the opening must capture the reader's attention and interest by asking a stimulating question, describing a problem, making an unexpected statement, suggesting reader benefits, or offering praise or compliments.
10. Select the most effective opening for a persuasive request that invites a state representative to speak at your organization's Flag Day celebration.
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"Your patriotism and leadership in the House of Representatives have improved the quality of life across our state" is the best opening for a persuasive request because it is indirect, captures the reader's attention and interest, and focuses on an indirect reader benefit.
11. In the body of a persuasive request, you can reduce resistance by
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You reduce resistance by anticipating objections and offering counterarguments. Other effective techniques include establishing your credibility, demonstrating your competence, and showing the value of your proposal.
12. On behalf of your civic organization, you are inviting a motivational speaker to your semiannual meeting. In your request you guarantee the speaker an enthusiastic audience and a positive impact on the community, both of which emphasize
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The discussion of the positive impact on the community and the enthusiastic audience focuses on indirect benefits.
13. The closing of a persuasive request should
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The closing of a persuasive request should motivate action. To motivate action, ask for a particular action that is easy to complete. Don't forget to show courtesy, respect, and gratitude toward your reader as well.
14. Choose the best closing for a message requesting the receiver's support for a proposed change in a benefits plan.
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The closing of a persuasive request message should be courteous, ask for a specific action, and make the action easy to take. "Contacting me by December 1 about your support of this new benefits plan will allow me to present this proposal at the next strategic planning session" is the best example of an effective closing.
15. Persuasive claim messages are also called
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Persuasive claim messages are also called complaint messages.
16. Persuasive claim or complaint messages are often written when
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Persuasive claim or complaint messages are often written for damaged products, mistaken billing, inaccurate shipments, warranty problems, limited return policies, insurance problems, or faulty merchandise.
17. Effective persuasive claim messages
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Anger, emotion, and blame placing are not effective persuaders. Effective claim messages make a reasonable claim, present a logical case with clear facts, and adopt a moderate tone.
18. When developing a claim message, you should
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You can develop your claim message effectively by avoiding a blow-by-blow chronology of the details, including relevant materials, and clearly specifying your resolution to the problem.
19. When writing persuasive claim or complaint messages, you should
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The tone of your message is important. Your best approach is to remain calm and to use a moderate tone to describe the problem and the action you are seeking to resolve the problem.
20. Mikhail's claim has been denied once. Now, he is writing a second persuasive claim message to his digital media services company asking for a promised rebate package. Because he expects resistance, what should he do?
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The most persuasive claim messages appeal to the receiver's sense of responsibility and pride in the company's good name.
21. Graciella is making a persuasive complaint at work. Which of these sentences will be most effective in achieving her goal?
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Claim messages should adopt a moderate tone, appeal to the receiver's sense of responsibility, and specify needed actions. Only the response that specifies the number of employees impacted, the duration of the service request, and the date repair is expected meets these criteria.
22. Which statement about today's organizations and their employees is most accurate?
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The lines of authority are blurry in today's information-age workplaces, and the roles of executives are changing. Technology has empowered rank-and-file employees who can turn to their companies' intranets and don't need their managers to be information providers. Additionally, today's executives increasingly rely on persuasion to achieve buy-in from subordinates.
23. Which of the following situations would most likely require persuasion within an organization?
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Because employees will probably not want to take a pay cut, persuasion would be necessary. All other answer choices reflect instructions or directions that usually require little persuasion.
24. All of the following messages to subordinates would use the indirect strategy except
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Most messages delivered to subordinates in the workplace will follow the direct strategy when the message gives instructions or directives such as explaining how to operate a new phone system. However, when the message asks employees to participate voluntarily in a program at work or to contribute to an activity outside the workplace, the indirect strategy should be used to create a persuasive appeal.
25. Which of the following is most accurate about the use of persuasion in business?
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In business honesty is a cornerstone. It is never acceptable to manipulate, misrepresent, or deceive others. Attacking the reader's position is seldom effective as well.
26. As a manager, Corbin must inform his staff that all employees must now contribute more to their health insurance premiums. What advice should Corbin follow when delivering his message?
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Being dishonest and misleading are not effective ways to communicate important messages. Therefore, Corbin should be honest and provide the reasons for the increase in individual contributions. He should also use warm words and a conversational tone to convey a caring attitude.
27. You want to propose a workplace change to your employer. Which of these is the best advice for you?
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When selling an idea to management, writers often are successful if they make a strong case for saving or earning money.
28. Which statement about direct-mail messages is most accurate?
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Direct mail is an effective channel for personalized, tangible, three-dimensional messages that are less invasive than telephone solicitations. Many companies still use direct mail as part of their multichannel marketing campaigns to sell their products and services because direct mail outperforms online marketing.
29. Choose the best advice to craft an effective direct-mail sales letter.
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Because direct mail is an expensive way to advertise, messages should present complete information with a personalized tone for specific, well-targeted audiences.
30. Learning to compose effective sales and marketing messages benefits you because
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Because sales letters are usually written by specialists, you may never write one on the job. However, learning the techniques of sales writing helps you become more successful in any communication that requires persuasion and promotion. Learning to compose effective sales messages will also help you become a more savvy consumer.
31. Your primary goal in writing a sales or marketing message is to
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Whether you are promoting a product, a service, an idea, or yourself, your primary goal in writing a sales or marketing message is getting your reader to spend some time reading the message.
32. Professional marketers and salespeople follow the AIDA strategy in their sales messages because it is effective. What does AIDA represent?
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When persuading consumers, professional marketers and salespeople follow the AIDA strategy, which stands for attention, interest, desire, and action. This strategy works very well for written messages.
33. When you use the AIDA persuasive approach, your first task is to gain the reader's attention (A). Which of the following represents your second step, or "I" tasks, of AIDA?
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Step 2 of the AIDA persuasive process is to build interest by describing the benefits a product or service offers and by making rational or emotional appeals. The body should also elicit desire and reduce resistance.
34. The opener for a sales message should be
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One of the most critical elements of a sales message is its opening paragraph. This opener should be short (1-5 lines), honest, relevant, and stimulating.
35. You must write a sales message to prospective customers. What should you do in the opening of your sales message?
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In the opening you can offer something valuable; promise a benefit; ask a question; or provide a quotation, fact, product feature, testimonial, startling statement, or personalized action setting. Building interest and desire occur in the body; motivating the reader to take action and promising incentives occur in the closing.
36. You can effectively build interest in a sales message by
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You build interest by clearly describing the product or service and by using simple language to emphasize central selling points.
37. Rational appeals focus on making or saving money, increasing efficiency, and
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Rational appeals are associated with reason and intellect. They translate selling points into references to making or saving money, increasing efficiency, or making the best use of resources.
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Emotional appeals focus on status, ego, and sensual feelings.
39. Use an emotional appeal when the
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You should use emotional appeals when a product is inexpensive, short-lived, or nonessential.
40. Which of the following is the most effective emotional appeal?
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Emotional appeals focus on status, ego, and sensual feelings. Saying that a car will surround the customer in well-earned safety and luxury creates a sales message that appeals to the buyer's ego.
41. Techniques to elicit audience desire and overcome reader resistance in a marketing message include all of the following except
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Overcome resistance and elicit desire by offering free samples or trials, testimonials, guarantees or warranties, names of satisfied customers, and performance polls.
42. Which of the following illustrates a testimonial?
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A testimonial is a statement from a satisfied customer. The response illustrating a testimonial is "After completing your training, I received job offers from three employers in one week!"
43. Which of the following most effectively reduces resistance and builds desire?
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"If you are worried about booking a tour with us, please know that our European walking tours were rated the safest and best planned in the industry" reduces resistance and builds desire. All other sentences do not anticipate possible audience objections and questions.
44. Techniques to motivate action in the closing of a sales message include offering a gift, promising an incentive, guaranteeing satisfaction, and
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Strategies to motivate action in the closing of a sales message include limiting the offer, setting a deadline, offering a gift, promising an incentive, and guaranteeing satisfaction.
45. Which of the following is the most effective closing for a sales message?
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You can motivate action in your closing if you make it easy for readers to act and include additional motivators. By providing a toll-free phone number, offering an end date, and guaranteeing results or a refund, you effectively motivate action.
46. The primary channel that consumers use to interact with brands today is
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E-mail is the primary channel that consumers use to interact with brands today. In addition, it is the most used channel for written, personal communication.
47. Purposes of e-mail marketing include attracting new customers, keeping existing customers, encouraging future sales, cross-selling, and
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Much like traditional direct mail, e-mail marketing can attract new customers, keep existing ones, encourage future sales, cross-sell, and cut costs.
48. The main information in an e-mail sales message should be placed above the fold, which means that
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"Above the fold" means that you put your primary points early in the message so that they capture the reader's attention.
49. Which of the following is the best way to increase the effectiveness of an online sales message?
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Effective online sales messages are sent to those who have given permission. Other good techniques include using a catchy subject line, using a minimum of text, keeping main information "above the fold," making the message short and conversational, and conveying urgency.
50. Which of the following statements about short persuasive online messages is most accurate?
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Although social media are not primarily suited for overt selling, more and more individuals are using social network posts to promote and build their businesses, causes, and online personas. Additionally, many individuals have found that Twitter, despite its character limitations, can be an effective medium to persuade others.
51. Persuasion used in today's business environment focuses on manipulating others.
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Persuasion used in today's business environment focuses on influencing, not manipulating, others.
52. You will need to use persuasion if you anticipate resistance.
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Persuasion is needed when you are making more than routine demands and facing skeptical audiences.
53. The number of persuasive messages has increased drastically within the last decade.
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The number and reach of persuasive messages have exploded. For example, research has revealed that the average American adult receives between 300 and 1,500 persuasive appeals a day.
54. Only large companies actively try to persuade consumers.
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Companies of all sizes, along with ad agencies, PR firms, social activists, lobbyists, and marketers, use persuasion to sell products, increase brand awareness, and rally their followers.
55. Persuasive techniques today are subtler and more misleading than of the past.
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Persuasion techniques today are subtler, more misleading and complex, and impersonal because of the diversity in consumers and the volume of messages being sent through an array of communication channels.
56. An effective persuasive technique is to tie the facts to writer benefits.
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Effective persuasion involves tying facts such as statistics, reasons, and analogies to audience, not writer, benefits.
57. You do not need to establish your credibility when attempting to persuade others.
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Establishing personal credibility is a vital component of persuasion. You should show that you are truthful, experienced, and knowledgeable, and you should use others' expert opinions and research to support your position.
58. When creating a persuasive message, you should expect and overcome resistance.
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You should anticipate audience opposition because of conflicting beliefs, values, and attitudes and overcome this resistance by countering with well-reasoned arguments and facts.
59. Both direct claim messages and persuasive requests should begin with the main idea.
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Direct claim messages are straightforward and organized directly with the main idea presented first. Persuasive requests, on the other hand, should begin with the reasons and explanations.
60. Persuasive requests are generally more effective when they are organized directly.
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Persuasive requests are generally more effective when they are organized indirectly.
61. The opening of a persuasive request should gain your reader's attention and interest.
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An effective opening for a persuasive request gains the reader's attention and interest.
62. To capture the reader's attention and interest in a persuasive request, you can make an unexpected statement, suggest reader benefits, offer praise or compliments, or ask a stimulating question.
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Making an unexpected statement, suggesting reader benefits, offering praise or compliments, and asking a stimulating question are all effective techniques to capture the reader's attention and interest in a persuasive request.
63. The body of a persuasive request should motivate action.
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The body of a persuasive request should build interest, explain logically and concisely the purpose of the request, and reduce resistance.
64. To reduce resistance in a persuasive request, you should avoid offering counterarguments so that you do not offend your reader.
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Offering counterarguments is an effective technique to reduce resistance. You can also reduce resistance by establishing your credibility and competence, including direct and indirect reader benefits, and showing the value of your request.
65. When requesting a favor or action, you should discuss only the direct benefits to the reader because indirect benefits are not persuasive.
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Both direct and indirect benefits can be persuasive.
66. In the closing of a persuasive request, your goal is to prove the merit of your request.
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The body of a persuasive request should prove the merit of the request. Your closing should motivate action; ask for a particular action; make the action easy to take; and show courtesy, respect, and gratitude.
67. Another name for a complaint message is a claim message.
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Another name for a complaint message is a claim message.
68. Persuasive claim or complaint messages may involve damaged products, mistaken billing, inaccurate shipments, warranty problems, limited return policies, insurance snafus, or faulty merchandise.
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Persuasive claim or complaint messages may involve damaged products, mistaken billing, inaccurate shipments, warranty problems, limited return policies, insurance snafus, or faulty merchandise.
69. Your claim message will be most effective if you make a reasonable and valid request, present a logical case with clear facts, and display some anger and emotion.
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Effective claim messages make a reasonable and valid request, present a logical case with clear facts, and adopt a moderate tone. Anger and emotion are not effective persuaders.
70. Claim messages should include a blow-by-blow chronology of the details of the problem to adequately inform the reader of the problem.
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As a writer of a claim message, don't provide a blow-by-blow chronology of details; just hit the highlights.
71. Lynette received unsatisfactory service at a recent business dinner. In her persuasive claim message to the restaurant manager, she should enclose a copy of her restaurant receipt.
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Anyone writing a claim message should enclose copies of relevant receipts, invoices, shipping orders, warranties, and payments.
72. An effective technique when writing a persuasive claim message is to suggest that the reader intentionally created the problem.
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The tone of a persuasive claim message is important. Don't suggest that the receiver intentionally created the problem.
73. Claim messages should appeal to the receiver's sense of responsibility and pride in the company's good name.
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Effective claim messages appeal to the receiver's sense of responsibility and pride in the company's good name.
74. Directives moving downward from superiors to subordinates usually follow the indirect strategy.
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Instructions or directives moving downward from superiors to subordinates usually require little persuasion; thus they usually follow the direct strategy by stating the purpose immediately.
75. When a manager writes a persuasive memo to employees using the indirect strategy, his or her goals are to present a strong but honest argument and to avoid manipulation or trickery.
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In business honesty is the only policy. Because employees see right through misrepresentation, the indirect strategy is effective only when supported by accurate, honest evidence.
76. As a manager, Mary must inform her production employees that they will need to work extra hours to meet a customer's order. Mary's message will be most effective if she uses warm words and a conversational tone.
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Messages flowing downward in an organization require attention to tone. Warm words and a conversational tone convey a caring attitude, which increases the likelihood that the request will be accepted.
77. Michelle needs to sell her idea to remodel their business waiting room to her boss. Michelle is more likely to succeed if she can base her argument on saving or earning money.
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When selling an idea to management, writers often are successful if they make a strong case for saving or earning money.
78. Messages to management are more persuasive when they include words such as "you must" or "we should."
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Persuasive messages traveling upward in an organization require a special sensitivity to tone. To avoid sounding pushy or argumentative, use words such as "suggest" or "recommend" rather than "you must" or "we should."
79. A successful persuasive message is typically longer than a direct message.
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A successful persuasive message typically takes more space than a direct message because proving a case requires evidence.
80. Traditional direct-mail marketing is more effective than online marketing.
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Despite ever-increasing spending on digital and mobile advertising, traditional direct-mail marketing still outperforms online marketing. Therefore, businesses still use traditional sales letters as an important tool for reaching customers and prospects.
81. Your primary goal in writing a sales message is to get someone to devote a few moments of attention to it.
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Your primary goal in writing a sales message is to get someone to devote a few moments of attention to it.
82. The most effective sales messages follow the AIDA strategy.
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Whether selling a product, a service, an idea, or an individual, sales messages are most effective when they follow the AIDA strategy: gain attention, build interest, elicit desire and reduce resistance, and motivate action.
83. The opening of a sales message is one of its most critical elements.
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One of the most critical elements of a sales message is its opening paragraph, the attention-getter.
84. You will receive a free one-year subscription to Netflix when you purchase any Sony flat-panel television is an example of a rational appeal.
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This is a rational appeal because it includes references to saving money.
85. A sales message is wasted if your reader fails to act.
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For a sales message to be effective, your reader must act. Therefore, learning how to motivate your reader in the conclusion of a sales message is vitally important.
86. Because postscripts make letters appear poorly organized and unprofessional, you should avoid adding them to sales messages.
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Postscripts make irresistible reading; consequently, most sales messages include a postscript to reveal the strongest motivator, to add a special inducement for quick response, or to reemphasize a central selling point.
87. One tip for successful online sales messages it to provide a means to opt out.
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It's polite and a good business tactic to include a statement that tells receivers how to be removed from the sender's mailing database.
88. Online sales messages are generally much longer than direct-mail messages.
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Online sales messages are much shorter than direct mail, feature colorful graphics, and occasionally even come with sound or video clips. They offer a richer experience to readers who can click hyperlinks at will to access content that interests them.
89. The most important points in an e-mail sales message should be placed at the end of the message where they will be remembered the most.
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E-mails should be top heavy; that is, primary points should appear early in the message to capture the reader's attention.
90. Tweets and other online posts are now being used to persuade others.
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Although social media are not primarily suited for overt selling, tweets and other online posts are being used to influence others and to project a professional, positive online presence.
91. ____________________ is needed when we are making more than routine demands and facing skeptical audiences.
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Persuasion is needed when we are making more than routine demands and facing skeptical audiences.
92. Persuasive requests are generally more effective when they are written using the ____________________ organizational strategy.
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Persuasive requests are generally more effective when they use the indirect strategy. In the indirect strategy, reasons and explanations precede the main idea to overcome possible reader resistance.
93. In the ____________________ of a persuasive request, you should build interest, explain the purpose of the request logically and concisely, prove its merit, and reduce resistance.
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In the body of a persuasive request, you should build interest, explain the purpose of the request logically and concisely, prove its merit, and reduce resistance.
94. You should motivate action in the ____________________ of a persuasive request.
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You should motivate action in the closing of a persuasive request.
95. Persuasive ____________________ messages, also called complaint messages, are used to complain about damaged products, mistaken billing, inaccurate shipments, warranty problems, limited return policies, insurance snafus, faulty merchandise, and other problems.
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When consumers need to complain about faulty service or products, they write persuasive claim messages, which are also called complaint messages.
96. ____________________ or directives moving downward from superiors to subordinates usually require little persuasion.
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Instructions or directives moving downward from superiors to subordinates usually require little persuasion.
97. Messages such as information about procedures, equipment, or customer service should be organized using the ____________ strategy.
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Messages such as information about procedures, equipment, or customer service should be organized using the direct strategy, with the purpose immediately stated.
98. Professional marketers and salespeople follow the _______________ strategy (attention, interest, desire, and action) when persuading consumers.
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Professional marketers and salespeople follow the AIDA strategy (attention, interest, desire, and action) when persuading consumers.
99. A(n) ____________________ appeal focuses on making or saving money, increasing efficiency, or making good use of resources.
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Rational appeals focus on saving money, increasing efficiency, or making good use of resources.
100. A(n) ________________ appeal focuses on status, ego, and sensual feelings.
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An emotional appeal focuses on status, ego, and sensual feelings.
Which Statement About Direct-mail Messages Is Most Accurate?
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