Chapter 6

Business letters are typically sent ______

• to relay bad news
• within an organization
• outside an organization
• only by high-level executives

Answer explanation

Business letters are sent for many purposes outside of an organization

Most workplace messages should be organized _______

• indirectly
• chronologically
• directly
• topically

Answer explanation

Most workplace messages should be organized directly by revealing the main idea first.

Which of the following messages is a considered a routine business message?

• An e-mail message to a coworker that confirms the time for an upcoming meeting
• A letter to a customer denying a request for credit
• A memo proposing the purchase of a new printer
• A cover letter applying for a job

Answer explanation

Routine messages include simple requests for information or action, replies to customers, explanations to coworkers, instructions, direct claims, and complaints. A letter to a customer that denies their credit request would not be a routine business message because routine messages are positive messages, and neither would a proposal or a cover letter.

A popular format of business letters, called _______ style, aligns all parts on the left of the page

• justified
• formal
• informal
• block

Answer explanation

Block style aligns all the parts of a letter—dateline, address, optional subject line, body, and signature block—on the left side of the page.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the use of letters, e-mails, and memos in businesses today

• Businesses use memos to deliver positive messages internally and externally, but they use formal business letters to deliver negative messages.
• E-mail delivers most internal communication, hard-copy memos deliver most external communication, and letters communicate only legal issues.
• Despite the popularity of e-mail, in certain situations letters remain the preferred channel of communication for delivering messages outside an organization.
• Businesses today use e-mail, memos, and letters interchangeably for all audiences, purposes, and messages

Answer explanation

Although e-mail is the No. 1 communication channel, businesses continue to rely on letters for certain messages outside an organization.

. Although e-mail is successful for both internal and external communication, you should still use letters when _______.

• you need immediate feedback
• the message must reach your reader very quickly
• formality and sensitivity are essential
• you have too little time to proofread

Answer explanation

You should write a business letter when formality and sensitivity are essential. Other reasons for writing letters include the need for a permanent record; the need for confidentiality; and the need for a persuasive, well-organized presentation

In which of the following situations should you send a letter instead of an e-mail message?

• You are planning a sales team meeting
• .You are asking leading members of the community to contribute to a fundraising event to improve local parks
• You are inviting employees to the annual sales seminar.
• You are reminding employees of Friday's divisional meetings

Answer explanation

You should write a letter to ask members of the community to contribute to a fundraising effort to improve the local parks because you are delivering a persuasive message. You could deliver the other messages effectively via e-mail.

Which statement about the format of a business letter is accurate?

• Legal agreements are invalid if they do not demonstrate the correct letter format.
• Business letters are required to use the block formatting style
• The appearance of a business letter can send nonverbal messages about a sender to a receiver.
• Legal agreements are only valid if they are printed on company letterhead.

Answer explanation

Regardless of the words printed on the paper, the format of a business letter itself communicates silent messages about the writer, such as their carefulness and experience.

In the popular block letter format, which of the following guidelines apply?

• Use ragged, unjustified right margins
• Use fully justified margins on all sides and center the body of the letter on the page
• Start the sender's address, the dateline, and the complimentary close at the midpoint; align all other letter parts at the left margin.
• Double-space all content to improve readability.

Answer explanation

In full-block style, the parts of a letter (dateline, inside address, body, and so on) are set flush left on the page. The letter is arranged on the page so that it is centered and framed by white space with margins of 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Set lines with left justification and ragged right margins.

Frontloading a message refers to _______.

• including an attachment
• proofreading only the beginning of a letter
• including a salutation or greeting
• placing the main idea of the message first

Answer explanation

When business writers request information or action that will likely be received positively, they should "frontload" their messages, which means placing the main idea first.