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Chapter 02

Adapting Your Message to Your Audience

True / False Questions

1.	Gatekeepers, who have the power to stop a message from reaching an audience, can exist outside the organization. True False

2.	The secondary audience will merely encounter your message, but will not have to interact with it. True False

3.	According to the Myers-Briggs typology, judging types prefer to live in a more flexible and spontaneous way than perceiving types. True False

4.	According to the Myers-Briggs typology, sensing types are good at facts and expect others to be good at them as well. True False

5.	The best way to handle the thinking type of audience is to use emotion and personal revelations to show how your ideas value the people needs of the organization. True False

6.	A major Psychographic characteristic used to analyze the audience is their location. True False

7.	Psychographic characteristics are quantitative rather than qualitative. True False

8.	The Internet is an ineffective communication channel for selling when customers already know what they want. True False

9.	It is more effective to use a written channel over an oral channel if you want to use emotion to help persuade an audience. True False

10.	Oral messages make it easier than written messages to get immediate action or response from an audience. True False

11.	The drawback of sending text messages to customers is that, unlike email, they have to opt in to receive texts. True False

12.	An audience's reaction to a message is affected not only by personal feelings and preferences, but also by the political environment of the organization, the economy, and current events. True False

13.	When some of the information is new to an audience, you should avoid linking new information to old information that the audience already knows. True False

14.	When the audience will oppose what you have to say, you need to limit your statement or request to the smallest possible area. True False

15.	In persuasive messages, audience benefits give reasons to comply with the information and suggest that the information is good. True False

16.	Extrinsic motivators do not necessarily come from using the product or doing the action. True False

17.	If audience benefits are worded with you-attitude, they will sound selfish and won't be as effective as they could be. True False

18.	Whenever you are communicating with customers about features that are not unique to your organization, it is wise to present both the benefits of the features themselves and the benefits of dealing with your company. True False

19.	It is an effective practice to use a more informal style when writing to international audiences. True False

20.	When creating a document for multiple audiences, in the body of the document, it is advisable to assume the degree of knowledge that decision makers will have. True False

Multiple Choice Questions

21.

Pedro is a marketing executive at an apparel firm. He is currently working on a proposal to promote a new line of clothing for the company. While preparing for the presentation, he keeps in mind the marketing directors of the company, who have the power to adopt the plan. He also notes that his marketing manager might approve or reject his proposal before it is presented to the directors. On the day of the presentation, Pedro notices that the sales manager, the finance manager, and the production manager are also present to offer their comments on the proposal. In this scenario, who among the following individuals is the gatekeeper for Pedro's proposal?

A.	The sales manager

B.	The production manager

C.	The finance manager

D.	The marketing directors

E.	The marketing manager

22.

The _____ has the power to decide whether to accept recommendations on the basis of the message, and every message must reach this audience in order to fulfill its purpose.

A.	gatekeeper

B.	secondary audience

C.	primary audience

D.	watchdog audience

E.	whistle-blower

23.

Mario is an assistant sales executive. He has prepared a sales presentation on a new product for a client group. Based on this scenario, which of the following best represents the primary audience for Mario's presentation?

A.	An attorney who will use this presentation as evidence of the organization's culture and practices

B.	A senior sales executive who will decide whether the presentation should be given to the client group or not

C.	A co-worker who will go through and review Mario's presentation for errors

D.	The client group that will base their decision to purchase the product on the sales presentation

E.	The directors who will attend the sales presentation but will not directly act on the message

24.

Janet is an assistant trainer at Orion Inc. She is working on a training manual to help new users learn how to operate the company's data management system. Employees will use the manual as a learning tool in training seminars. The manual will also serve as an on-the-job reference. The senior trainers and system analysts who designed the data management system are expected to offer their comments on Janet's draft. In this scenario, the system analysts best represent the _____.

A.	watchdog audience

B.	gatekeepers

C.	primary audience

D.	secondary audience

E.	auxiliary audience

25.

Joshua works as a sales executive for a health insurance company. He was assigned the task of designing a new insurance plan for his corporate clients. Before presenting his proposal to the clients, he had to get the plan sanctioned by the department head. Once the department head gave his approval, the sales executives for property insurance, life insurance, and pension plans read through the new plan to gain a better understanding of their co-worker's proposal. Which of the following organizational audiences do the sales executives for property insurance, life insurance, and pension plans best represent?

A.	The primary audience

B.	Gatekeepers

C.	The watchdog audience

D.	Whistle-blowers

E.	The auxiliary audience

26.

Kayla works as a copywriter for an advertising agency. She has been asked by her manager to write a proposal for a client's social media campaign. This is the first time Kayla is going to present a proposal directly to the client. She understands that while the company's board of directors will not directly act on the proposal, they will carefully evaluate the interaction between the client and herself. In this scenario, which of the following organizational audiences does the board of directors represent?

A.	The primary audience

B.	The watchdog audience

C.	The secondary audience

D.	The auxiliary audience

E.	The virtual audience

27.

The top management of an organization called all the departmental heads for a meeting to discuss the strategies the company could adopt to stabilize its market value during recession. After the meeting, the departmental heads informed the employees that they needed to work for an extra hour each day and that all other perks would be limited. However, the heads held back the information that the top management had also decided to downsize the workforce if conditions did not stabilize. In this scenario, the departmental heads best represent the _____.

A.	primary audience

B.	watchdog audience

C.	secondary audience

D.	gatekeepers

E.	category captains

28.

The Thinking-Feeling dichotomy in Myers-Briggs typology typically measures how:

A.	people make decisions.

B.	people orient themselves to the external world.

C.	individuals prefer to take in information.

D.	individuals behave in ethical dilemmas.

E.	people prefer to focus their attention and derive energy.

29.

The _____ dichotomy in Myers-Briggs typology measures how individuals prefer to focus their attention and derive energy.

A.	Extroversion-Introversion

B.	Sensing-Intuition

C.	Thinking-Feeling

D.	Judging-Perceiving

E.	Channeling-Formatting

30.

According to Myers-Briggs typology, _____.

A.	intuitive types prefer what is real and tangible

B.	sensing types gather information by focusing on the relationships between facts

C.	judging types prefer to live in a flexible, spontaneous way, enjoying possibilities

D.	feeling types consider the logical consequences of a choice or action in decision making

E.	introverted types derive their energy from within

31.

Alfonso works as a marketing assistant. He has observed that his manager has the characteristics of the thinking type according to the Myers-Briggs typology. Which of the following practices should Alfonso adopt when communicating with his manager?

A.	Alfonso should use emotions and personal circumstances to show that he is empathetic.

B.	Alfonso should demonstrate how his ideas primarily value the people needs of the organization.

C.	Alfonso should use logic and principles of consistency when explaining his decisions.

D.	Alfonso should use self-disclosure as a means to prove his capabilities.

E.	Alfonso should demonstrate how his decisions are in sync with the feelings of other employees.

32.

According to Myers-Briggs typology, _____.

A.	sensing types enjoy innovation and creative endeavors

B.	perceiving types like to gather lots of information before making decisions

C.	extraverts prefer receiving written messages because it gives them time to think

D.	sensing types can be impatient with details, routine, and repetition

E.	feeling types primarily make decisions based on logic and abstract principles

33.

Arnold's manager is of the sensing type in Myers-Briggs typology. Which of the following communication strategies will be most effective when Arnold is presenting his decision to his manager?

A.	Arnold should use metaphors and analogies in his explanations.

B.	Arnold should stress innovation and creativity.

C.	Arnold should present his reasoning step by step.

D.	Arnold should stress underlying patterns over practicality.

E.	Arnold should underplay the details and facts involved in his decision.

34.

Mildred Gilbert is the head of the production department at Nebula Inc. He exhibits the characteristics of a judging type of person according to the Myers-Briggs typology. In this context, Gilbert would expect his subordinates to:

A.	work with multiple solution alternatives when making decisions.

B.	exhibit flexibility and spontaneity in solving problems.

C.	keep all solution options open as long as possible.

D.	work toward making a decision in a planned and an orderly way.

E.	seek lots of information before making decisions.

35.

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a person of the perceiving type is most likely to _____.

A.	follow company procedures strictly

B.	gather lots of additional information when making decisions

C.	work toward making a decision in a highly structured and orderly manner

D.	schedule work in advance and provide time frames for various tasks

E.	seek closure at work and life in general

36.

In analyzing members of groups, which of the following features of an individual is most useful in psychographic profiling?

A.	The age of the individual

B.	The values and beliefs of the individual

C.	The annual savings made by the individual

D.	The sex of the individual

E.	The annual tax paid by the individual

37.

Which of the following best illustrates demographic profiling of employees?

A.	An incentive plan designed for employees who value reputation over financial benefits

B.	A tax saving plan designed for female employees earning above $8,000 every month

C.	A reward system designed for employees whose goal is to grow within the organization

D.	An incentive system designed for employees who value a good work-life balance

E.	A job description designed for people who are interested in doing a variety of tasks

38.

Laila recently made a sales presentation on: "The Benefits of Investing in Frank Jenson Mutual Funds." The seminar was well received, and Laila attributed its success to a careful analysis of the audience's psychographic characteristics. Which of the following characteristics did Laila best infer from the analysis?

A.	The majority of the audience believes in living a secured old age.

B.	The majority of the audience is Christian.

C.	The majority of the audience earns $200 per day.

D.	The majority of the participants are Asian.

E.	The majority of the participants are women.

39.

Which of the following do baby boomers value more than millennials?

A.

Autonomy

B.	Informality

C.

Hierarchy

D.	Faster feedback

E.	Job flexibility

40.

Which of the following statements is true of baby boomers?

A.	They believe that productivity counts, not the amount of hours spent at office.

B.	They adhere to basic business decorum more rigorously than millennials.

C.	They value flexibility, autonomy, and informality over hierarchy.

D.	They freely offer opinions, both laterally and upward.

E.	They accept challenges at work more willingly than those in generation X.

41.

Rochelle is a human resource executive. She has just finished recruiting members for the finance team of the organization. Rochelle notices that all the new hires were born after the year 1964 and that they differ in their characteristics from the rest of the employees in the company, who belong to an older age group. Which of the following practices would best help Rochelle handle the new employees and avoid job dissatisfaction?

A.	Ensuring that their productivity is assessed on the number of hours they spend in office

B.	Offering a formal, hierarchical, and inflexible work structure with basic business decorum

C.	Providing clearly defined roles for them to excel at work

D.	Motivating them by explaining what they will gain from a performing a task effectively

E.	Inspiring them to work by emphasizing that they have a duty toward the company

42.

Paul has been hired as a sales representative for a bank. He is preparing for his first sales presentation. He knows that understanding the nature of the company's discourse community will help keep his message consistent with the organization's culture. Which of the following questions should Paul ask to best analyze the company's discourse community?

A.	What media, formats, and styles are preferred for communication in the company?

B.	What is the sales to inventory ratio of the company?

C.	What is the company's break-even point?

D.	What is the company's share in the overall industry output?

E.	What products of the company are more successful than those of its competitors?

43.

Relative to oral messages, a written message makes it easier to:

A.	resolve conflicts and build consensus.

B.	present many specific details.

C.	modify plans.

D.	use emotion to persuade the audience.

E.	get immediate response.

44.

Dario heads a team at an organization. He often interacts with his team through meetings and e-mails to discuss various issues, strategies, and ideas. In which of the following scenarios should Dario use oral communication over written communication?

A.	When he wants to resolve conflicts between his team members

B.	When he wants to present many specific details about a particular project

C.	When he wants to document something that the team unanimously agreed on

D.	When he wants to minimize undesirable emotions between his team members

E.	When he wants to provide complex, technical data related to a product

45.

Isaiah recently gave a presentation on "The Impacts of Climate Change" to a group of college students. The audience, however, failed to recognize the importance of his message in the presentation. Which of the following practices would have helped Isaiah increase the audience's regard for his message?

A.	Making the message as long and descriptive as possible

B.	Suggesting a realistic action the audience could take to curb climate change

C.	Making the action seem difficult, which will challenge the audience

D.	Introducing the message only in the latter parts of his presentation

E.	Projecting the action to prevent climate change as strenuous

46.

Juana, a sales manager, has to present a sales report to the directors of the company at the end of every financial year. For her upcoming presentation, which of the following statements should Juana use to help the audience recall the background on the company's growth presented in her last report?

A.	As you may remember, the company had a 25 percent increase in sales last year.

B.	Does anyone remember the sales figures of last year?

C.	You may not be able to recall this, but the company's sales rose by 25 percent last year.

D.	The company's sales rose by a significant 25 percent last year.

E.	For those who cannot remember, the company's sales increased by 25 percent last year.

47.

Claudia Walsh is the human resource head for an automobile company. She suggests to the higher management that the firm should adopt pay-cuts over downsizing to tackle the regressive economy. However, Claudia is well aware that the decision to reduce salary will be opposed by the employees. What should Claudia not do when delivering such messages?

A.	Deliver parts of the message later, if possible

B.	Introduce the message orally rather than in a written form to help build consensus

C.	Limit her statement to the smallest possible area

D.	Start her message on areas that the employees and the HR team disagree with

E.	Show that her solution is the best solution currently available, even though it isn't perfect

48.

The store manager at Cult Culture Inc., a department store, wants all the sales personnel to work for six days a week instead of five during the summer sale season. The manager knows that the sales team will find it both physically and psychologically taxing to work over weekends. Which of the following statements will best help inspire the sales team to agree to the store manager's request?

A.	The company will be able to secure additional financing through the success of this big sale.

B.	The shareholders in the company will be delighted to receive extra income.

C.	Those who work six days a week will receive a higher commission percentage on sales.

D.	I will be promoted if you can all work for four extra days in the coming month.

E.	You will be able to serve our customers better, which will help improve the company's brand equity.

49.

Liam is a professional writer. His books, mostly based on managing relationships, achieving success at work, and a work-life balance, are commonly read by people in their early 30s while they travel from work to office. Keeping this in mind, which of the following practices in designing these books will be ineffective?

A.	Numbering items or segments in the books

B.	Using very little white space in the books

C.	Making the books small enough so that they can be held easily

D.	Making use of headings within the books

E.	Grouping chunks of related information in paragraphs

50.

True Homes Inc. is preparing a tri-fold user manual for its electric waffle maker. Which of the following practices will help the company enhance the effectiveness of its manual?

A.	Present the safety warnings at the end of the manual

B.	Present the instructions in a paragraph form

C.	Present the steps involved in using the product in alphabetical order

D.	Group steps into five to seven categories if there are many individual steps

E.	Use as little white space as possible in the user manual

51.

In which of the following instances would it be unnecessary to provide audience benefits?

A.	When selling a product or a service to a customer

B.	When informing employees that the company will be expanding

C.	When persuading employees to improve their productivity

D.	When informing the stakeholders that the company's revenue has decreased

E.	When asking employees to follow a procedure or adopt a policy

52.

SL Foods Inc. produces a line of processed snacks for children between three to five years of age. Most purchase decisions for children in this age group are made by their parents. Which of the following audience benefits should the company focus on while designing printed advertisements?

A.	The processed snack is endorsed by the children's favorite cartoon character, Skippy the cat.

B.	The dealers are earning a good commission on the sales of the product.

C.	The processed snack is a healthy food option for preschoolers.

D.	The product comes with a free plastic toy, worth $1.

E.	The processed snack has a patented recipe.

53.

Which of the following is an example of an extrinsic motivator for an employee?

A.	Taking pleasure in helping clients understand a product's features

B.	Deriving pride in helping a customer with a technical problem

C.	Experiencing satisfaction in having an effect on the organization

D.	Getting promoted or receiving a good appraisal

E.	Having strong networking and marketing skills

54.

Natalie Tong is a sales executive at an insurance firm. She is working on convincing a large corporate client to insure its employees. Although she knows that the task at hand is challenging, she is determined to achieve her objective. Which of the following is responsible for extrinsically motivating Natalie to convince the client?

A.	The prospect of getting a commission

B.	The pride in undertaking a challenge

C.	The satisfaction in achieving her company's objectives

D.	The desire to improve her public relation skills

E.	The pleasure in contributing to her team's target

55.

Food Love, a chain of fast food restaurants, recently conducted a survey to understand what motivated their employees at work. To their surprise, they noticed that over 85 percent of the employees were inspired to perform better by intrinsic factors as opposed to extrinsic factors. Which of the following would best serve as an intrinsic motivator for the employees of Food Love?

A.	Earning a high sales commission

B.	Being rewarded with a trip to the Bahamas

C.	Being able to contribute to the company

D.	Receiving good performance evaluations

E.	Enjoying perks and added benefits

56.

Mova Technologies Inc., a consumer electronics firm, has been facing tough competition in the industry. The company has realized that the only way to improve its market share is by providing customers with intrinsic benefits to purchase its products. Thus, Mova Technologies Inc. will have to:

A.	offer discounts on its products.

B.	provide gifts and freebies on purchases above $250.

C.	offer extended warranty for its products.

D.	design its products to help customers optimize their use of time.

E.	allow customers to exchange old products for new ones.

57.

Intrinsic motivators or benefits are better than extrinsic motivators because:

A.	extrinsic motivators do not come from doing something.

B.	intrinsic motivators are less psychological.

C.	extrinsic motivators come from using a product.

D.	intrinsic motivators are easily measurable.

E.	extrinsic motivators are limited.

58.

Barbeque Cult, a new restaurant in Mexico City, wants to place emphasis on the quality of its food in its advertisements. Which of the following statements is phrased appropriately to effectively bring out the audience benefits?

A.	At Barbeque Cult, we offer the tastiest steaks in town!

B.	We offer the fastest service in town!

C.	The best-tasting food in Mexico City!

D.	At Barbeque Cult, you can enjoy our world-renowned dishes!

E.	We love barbeque, and it shows in our food!

59.

Which of the following is an effective practice regarding audience benefits?

A.	Avoiding the use of "you-attitude" while phrasing audience benefits

B.	Stressing extrinsic motivators over intrinsic motivators to sell a product

C.	Explaining a benefit in detail when the audience has not thought of the benefit before

D.	Stressing a common benefit without focusing on the needs of the audience

E.	Separating the objective features of a product or policy from the audience benefits

60.

Eat Festival, a restaurant near New York's Central Park, attracts more customers than any other restaurant in that commercial hub. The owners of Eat Festival believe that the reason for having such a wide customer base is because they appeal to the large working subgroup in the area who are pressed for time. Which of the following objective features does Eat Festival essentially focus on that meets the needs of the working subgroup?

A.	High rise chairs

B.	Elite customer base

C.	Play-area for kids

D.	Pre-packed, combo lunches

E.	Tasteful décor

61.

Maiko and Tao, a young working couple, have hectic work schedules with no time for entertainment during the week. However, on weekends, they try out new restaurants and make sure that they unwind and relax over dinner. Which of the following objective features would best help a restaurant appeal to Maiko and Tao's requirements?

A.	Free Wi-Fi access

B.	A popular live band

C.	Quick dinner combos

D.	No tipping policy

E.	Low pricing

62.

Coral Dawn, a chain of luxury spas, specializes in Thai massages, Ayurveda remedies, and acupressure treatments. Its target customers are those who enjoy weekend spa treatments after a stressful week at work. When advertising, which of the following statements would best help Coral Dawn link the features of its services to the needs of its audience?

A.	Our services are world renowned.

B.	If you need to de-stress, try our wide range of relaxing massages.

C.	We are rated the best luxury spa.

D.	We will make your experience at Coral dawn unforgettable.

E.	We are committed toward providing the best services at the most affordable prices.

63.

When writing a document for multiple audiences, which of the following practices should be adopted to effectively address the audiences' different needs?

A.	Using personal pronouns to ensure that all members of the audience interpret the text in a similar fashion

B.	Writing the document in an informal style if it is meant for both internal and external audiences

C.	Presenting background and explanatory information under the same heading

D.	Using a table of contents so that readers can turn to the portions that interest them

E.	Keeping the body of the document as short and brief as possible for the convenience of the decision makers

64.

When writing a document for multiple audiences, it is best to avoid:

A.	using personal pronouns.

B.	using a formal style of writing.

C.	including an executive summary.

D.	categorizing information using headings.

E.	organizing the message based on the decision makers' attitudes.

65.

Saul is planning on writing a feasibility report for his business plan. He intends to use this report to get some capital to start his business. Also, this report has to be created keeping in mind the multiple audiences at his current office: the venture capitalists, the bankers, and the managers. Which of the following practices should Saul adopt while drafting the feasibility report?

A.	Since the report will be used by both internal and external audiences, Saul should adopt a more informal style of writing.

B.	If the decision makers don't need details that other audiences will need, Saul should provide such details in the report's appendices.

C.	When writing the body of the report, Saul should not make any assumptions about the degree of knowledge that the decision makers will have.

D.	Saul should actively use personal pronouns in the report to keep the style of the report conversational.

E.	Saul should place background and explanatory information under the same heading to make it easier for his readers to locate the required information.

Short Answer Questions

66.	Organizational messages have multiple audiences. List the audiences and explain how they differ from each other.

67.	Explain the four dichotomies that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator uses to analyze people.

68.	Explain good communication strategies for the sensing type and the judging type in the Myers-Briggs typology.

69.	Explain how the demographic characteristics of the members of an audience differ from their psychographic characteristics.

70.	What do the terms "organizational culture" and "discourse community mean"? Describe each one.

71.	Explain which situations are best for written communication and which for oral communication, and why each is best for those situations.

72.	What should you do in a written message when the audience will oppose what you have to say?

73.	Discuss, with the help of suitable examples, how intrinsic and extrinsic motivators help to create effective audience benefits.

74.	Briefly discuss the steps in identifying and developing good audience benefits.

75.	Discuss strategies for creating documents for multiple audiences.

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Chapter Number:

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Created Date:

Aug 21, 2025

Chapter Name:

Chapter 2 Adapting Your Message To Your Audience

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