Business Communication A Problem
Solving Approach- ACTUAL test with
questions and answers
Rico has done some research on the company and has decided this is a place where
he would really like to work. He knows he doesn't have a lot of sales experience, but he
has worked as a server at a restaurant. He has excellent customer service skills and is
known for his ability to work as a team member. He has also taken courses in sales
including professional sales, sales management, and buyer behavior. He has written the
following cover letter and would like your feedback.
Mr. Chuck Roberts, Human Resources Director
Southern Valley Insurance Company
425 Broadway Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
Dear Mr. Roberts:
I have seen Southern Valley's website, and I am impressed with your commitment to
community involvement. Your work with the local youth club and Junior Achievement,
as well as your generous support of environmental causes, is commendable. It is
understandable that you receive many applications each year for sales interns. I am
hoping I can be among the lucky ones, as this opportunity would be great for me to
learn about the insurance business and get work experience.
I, too, am very interested in community service. In this last year, I have volunteered for
neighborhood cleanup and tutored elementary students in reading and in math. I am
also an avid outdoors person who is committed to protecting our environment, just as
you are. My personality and interests are consistent with
01. What type of cover letter should Rico write?
a) neither solicited nor unsolicited
b) a letter with the unsolicited format in the introduction and the solicited format for the
rest of the document
c) solicited
d) unsolicited
e) either solicited or unsolicited - CORRECT ANSWERc) solicited
,02. Which of the following is a better opening sentence for Rico's letter?
1. I talked with Charlotte Farmer at Internship Mania. After our conversation, I knew that
Southern Valley would benefit me as I learn more about the sales profession.
2. Charlotte Farmer spoke with me at McKinley University's Internship Mania and
suggested I send my cover letter and résumé to you to be considered for a sales
internship.
3. The purpose of this letter is to follow up with you based on a conversation I had with
Charlotte Farmer. Based on our conversation, I am very interested in applying for a
sales internship.
a) either 1 or 2
b) either 2 or 3
c) 3
d) 1
e) 2 - CORRECT ANSWERe) 2
03. After the opening sentence, what should Rico say?
a) ''You'll see from my résumé that I, too, am community minded, which makes me a
good fit as an intern.''
b) Rico should say nothing more. He should move to the body of the letter.
c) ''I know that if you review my résumé, you'll see that I am qualified for this position.''
d) ''My personal philosophy of community service makes me an ideal candidate for an
intern position.''
e) ''My professional selling major and restaurant experience make me an ideal
candidate for an intern position.'' - CORRECT ANSWERe) ''My professional selling
major and restaurant experience make me an ideal candidate for an intern position.''
04. Which of the following information should Rico use to draw Mr. Roberts' attention to
in the body of the letter?
a) Rico's interest in community service
b) the fact that Rico has no sales experience and that is why he needs the internship
c) Rico's qualifications for the work of an intern—his sales classes, his work experience,
and his interest in environmental causes
d) the ways in which Rico will benefit if Southern Valley hires him
e) every item that is in Rico's résumé - CORRECT ANSWERc) Rico's qualifications for
the work of an intern—his sales classes, his work experience, and his interest in
environmental causes
05. What is the best way to address the fact that Rico has little sales experience?
a) ''As a server, I promote products and have won Server of the Week twice for selling
the most daily specials.''
b) ''You might not think that a server sells products, but I sell daily specials on every
shift and have won awards.''
,c) ''I have never actually sold anything, but I work as a server for a restaurant, where I
promote daily specials.''
d) ''I know selling insurance isn't the same as selling food, but I know I can promote your
product just as well.''
e) ''My current job isn't technically in sales, but I have won awards for selling daily
specials in my job as a server.'' - CORRECT ANSWERa) ''As a server, I promote
products and have won Server of the Week twice for selling the most daily specials.''
06. Which of the following would be a better closing for Rico?
Textbook: Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, First Edition -
CORRECT ANSWERAuthor: Kathryn Rentz
CH 01 CASE! - CORRECT ANSWER
LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE IN A NEW JOB - CORRECT ANSWER!! REQUIRED
INFORMATION !!
To be an effective communicator, you need to be aware of the "big picture" in which
your communications will take place. This activity will test your understanding of
concepts that can help you grasp the communication environment where you work. -
CORRECT ANSWERRead the scenario and use your understanding of the business
environment to answer the questions
Scenario: - CORRECT ANSWERSean Hempleman, a recent college graduate, has just
joined the IT (information technology) department of a medical billing company. The
company's clients are medical offices whose administrators prefer to contact out the
billing for the services rather than billing the patients themselves. Sean's job is to help
his department resolve employees' computer problems, keep the billing functioning
efficiently and accurately, and prevent security breaches. Use his situation to test your
understanding of the business communication environment.
01. Sean's boss asks him to write an email message to all employees to tell them how
to request computer help. This message will be an example of:
a) internal-operational communication
b) external-operational communication
c) personal communication
d) both internal-operational and external-operational communication
e) both internal-operational and personal communication - CORRECT ANSWERa)
internal-operational communication
02. Sean's email message to the employees to tell them how to ask for computer help
will be part of:
a) the company's formal communication network
, b) the company grapevine
c) intradepartmental communication
d) cross-cultural communications
e) the company's external network - CORRECT ANSWERa) the company's formal
communication network
03. Emails from the IT department to the employees are an established genre in this
company. This means that all such messages tend to:
a) have a similar style
b) treat the employees in a similar way
c) represent the IT department in a consistent way
d) include certain kinds of content and exclude other kinds
e) all these answers are correct - CORRECT ANSWERe) all these answers are correct
04. Sean will need to figure out both his department's and his company's culture in
order to understand how he should communicate in his new job. Which of the following
is not a true statement about organizational culture?
a) Reading the company's mission statement is the most effective way to learn the
culture
b) It can take quite a while to learn the culture of a company
c) While company leaders can influence the culture, they cannot fully control it
d) The company culture is influenced by the many acts of communication that take
place within it each day
e) Watching what other employees say and do is essential for learning how you've
expected to behave in the company - CORRECT ANSWERa) Reading the company's
mission statement is the most effective way to learn the culture
05. Sean's company employs about 100 people, all of whom work in the same building.
The company's structure is hierarchical; the employees consist of about 70 billing clerks
(who process bills that need to be sent from the medical clients to their patients), about
15 nonmanagerial professionals (in IT, accounting, sales, and customer relations), and
about 15 managers/executives. Which is least likely to be true about his company's
communication?
a) For their internal communications, all employees use a friendly, casual tone
b) The billing clerks do not send many communications to the executives or upper-level
managers
c) The nonmanagerial professionals tend to communicate more with each other and
their manager than they do with the billing clerks
d) There are written guidelines for many of the company's procedures
e) The billing clerks' external communications follow standardized formats - CORRECT
ANSWERa) For their internal communications, all employees use a friendly, casual tone
CH 01: CLICK AND DRAG! - CORRECT ANSWER
