CH-8-10 Persuasive Messages – Essentials of Business Communication : Book Guide

This Document Contains Chapters 8 to 10 CHAPTER 8 SOLUTIONS Persuasive Messages Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. Many consumers rely on product reviews posted online, presumably by ordinary citizens describing their authentic experiences. Unfortunately, though, Amazon and Yelp, the most prominent of the many Internet review sites, have been called out for fake and paid-for reviews. Amazon has threatened to sue people posting fake public reviews. Why is it important that online reviews or testimonials be trustworthy? (L.O. 1, 5) Marketers have long known that the most powerful persuader are peer pressure and, in the case of online reviews, peer influence. This is the dimension of persuasion that psychologist Robert Cialdini calls social proof, the psychological trigger that drives us to conform to others and instinctually embrace what they like. The problem with fake reviews is that they purport to be authentic when they are not. Positive online reviews are sometimes paid for by businesses. For example, social media such as fiverr, a for-hire network, can be used to pay others for small tasks that cost no more than $5, including reviews. Negative online reviews can tarnish a company’s reputation and have real financial consequences. Businesses and advertisers know that today’s wary consumers will trust their peers more than they trust advertisers and corporations. Persuasion thus can become insidious, murky, and deceptive. Last, lying to customers is not only potentially illegal but also unethical. The Federal Trade Commission takes fake and paid reviews very seriously and will go after such unfair and deceptive practices. 12. The word persuasion turns some people off. What negative connotations can it have? (L.O. 1, 5) Many subconsciously equate persuasion with coercion or force. In fact, both persuasion and coercion share the same continuum of strategies that seek compliance. When done well, however, persuasion answers questions and provides information. Persuasion is nonadversarial. It does not command, force, coerce, or threaten. It uses argument and discussion to change beliefs and motivate action. 13. What are some of the underlying motivations that prompt individuals to agree to requests that do not directly benefit themselves or their organizations? (L.O. 3) Many people and organizations agree to requests to donate money, time, equipment, and expertise because they are interested in a project or because they see indirect benefits. For example, computer companies donate equipment to schools hoping that young users will become fans and subsequent customers. At the same time, their donations create goodwill. Some requests are granted because of ego or feelings of guilt and duty. However, many companies genuinely want to give something back to their communities. 14. How are direct-mail and e-mail sales messages similar, and how are they different? (L.O. 5) Direct-mail and e-mail sales messages are similar in that both use persuasion to attempt to influence beliefs or motivate action. Many of the techniques of the indirect strategy work for both. Direct mail involves messages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. These carefully planned marketing campaigns are fairly expensive and often result in low response rates. E-mail sales messages are usually short and far less costly than direct mail. However, they, too, produce a low response rate. 15. Los Angeles–based clothing company Barabas used the name and likeness of brutal Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán on its website, flanked by photos of attractive male models wearing the same distinctive cotton shirts of the Fantasy and Crazy Paisley lines. The all-caps announcement read: “EL CHAPO GUZMAN WEARING BARABAS SHIRT!” Barabas’ excitement about its infamous customer met with criticism, but the company couldn’t keep the $128 shirts on the shelves. At one point Internet traffic crashed the Barabas website. Public outrage ultimately prompted the clothier to remove overt references to El Chapo and his photos. Is it ethical to resort to such extreme means to drive sales? (L.O. 1, 5) Most people would probably agree that using an alleged mass murderer’s notoriety to promote men’s shirts is tasteless. On the other hand, a cynic might say that the clothier has reached its main objective: selling an awful lot of shirts. Sean Penn’s much-criticized interview with the head of the brutal Sinaloa cartel was upsetting to many because the infamous criminal, Guzmán, was thrust into the limelight and thus caused some to view him as an underdog and even a hero for escaping from prison three times and dodging the police. Using one of the world’s most notorious criminals for advertising could be seen as unseemly glorification of a man who is alleged to have brought death and suffering to thousands. Barabas eventually removed all explicit references to El Chapo from its website, but the company might be called brazen and incorrigible for apparently planting hidden search terms on its website. Anyone searching for El Chapo on the Barabas website will be taken to the page showing the infamous shirt. Radical Rewrites 8.1 Radical Rewrite: Customer Lodges Passionate but Ineffectual Complaint (L.O. 1–3) Weaknesses •Fails to open with a compliment, point of agreement, statement of the problem, or brief review of action taken to resolve the problem. •Sounds angry, hostile, and accusatory. •Does not appeal to the receiver’s sense of fairness or responsibility. •Fails to emphasize benefits to the reader (saving the receiver’s money, retaining a customer, selling higher-priced model). •Does not provide a logical explanation of what happened. •Uses immoderate language (implies that the salesperson lied, calls the transaction a “rip-off”). •Concludes with a threat instead of a specific action request. •Does not make it easy for the reader to agree or respond. 8.1 Radical Rewrite: Customer Lodges Passionate but Ineffectual Complaint Revision Current date Mr. Lance Lazarovich Duplicating Systems 5409 Fondren Road Houston, TX 77807 Dear Mr. Lazarovich: The four Color Laser Jet Pro TFP500 photocopiers that we purchased three months ago are inadequate for our volume of copying. Although we told your salesperson, Taylor Noack, that we average 3,000 copies a day, she recommended the TFP500. This model appears to have been the wrong choice for our heavy use, and we are disappointed in its performance. Therefore, we would like to trade in our four TFP500 copiers (which cost about $2,300 each, as shown on the enclosed invoice) for two TFP1000 models ($12,500 each). When I discussed this possibility with your district manager, Christopher Lopez, he said that we would be charged 50 percent depreciation if we traded in the four TFP500 copiers. That amounts to a charge of $4,600, a considerable sum for three months of irregular copier use. We think a depreciation rate of 20 percent, or $1,840, is more reasonable. Your company would profit in three ways: •The TFP500 machines were used a short time, and they can be resold easily. •You will be making a sizable profit when we purchase two TFP1000 copiers. •Your service technicians will save time by making fewer trips to repair our overworked TFP500 machines. We purchased the TFP500 copies in good faith on the recommendation of your salesperson. We feel that it is your responsibility to help us secure the proper model for our needs. Please approve my request to trade in four TFP500 copiers for a value of $7,360 (allowing for 20 percent depreciation of $1,840) toward the purchase of two Color Laser Jet Pro TFP1000 photocopiers. Just initial this letter showing your approval, and return it to me in the enclosed envelope before September 1. I’ll work out the details of the new purchase with your salesperson. Sincerely yours, 8.2 Radical Rewrite: Poor Persuasive Message Flowing Upward—A Plea for Better Meetings (L.O. 1, 2, 4) Weaknesses a. Fails to develop a logical, persuasive argument. b. Sounds flippant, accusatory, and exasperated rather than helpful. c. Should capture attention by describing the problem from the viewpoint of the organization. d. Complains but doesn't fully relate the problem to savings for the organization if meetings were more efficient. e. Misses an opportunity to build interest in the body by listing a few techniques that would help make meetings more efficient and productive. f. Projects an inappropriate tone for a manager to use when requesting an action from a supervisor. g. Does not emphasize benefits to the organization resulting from improved meetings. h. Fails to conclude with a specific request for action. i. Does not offer to help develop and implement a meeting policy. 8.2 Radical Rewrite: Poor Persuasive Message Flowing Upward—A Plea for Better Meetings Revision To: Kellie King From: Jason Williams Subject: Improving Morale and Productivity With Better Meetings Ms. King, This past week I attended five in-house meetings and participated in three conference call meetings. Some were well run and necessary; others were poorly run and wasted my time. Some meetings were actually socializing classified as work, and others merely rehashed decisions that had already been made. One meeting was called to announce information that could have been sent in an e-mail. I noticed that many participants were as frustrated as I was. Although most of our managers have business training, some are unaware of how expensive meetings are in terms of lost time and productivity. Many simply don't know how to run meetings efficiently. I propose that our division develop a policy that outlines effective meeting procedures. Here are a few suggestions: •Meetings should be called only if decisions need to be made, and only key people should be invited. •Each meeting should have a purpose and an agenda. •Leaders should start on time and state the objective to be accomplished. •Participants should be encouraged to come prepared and be willing to cooperate. •Leaders must keep the group on topic and know how to move the meeting along efficiently. •Meetings should be concluded with a summary of what was accomplished and action assignments. These are just a few ideas for improving our division meetings. Clearly, our division could improve productivity by eliminating or reducing drawn-out meetings. With your approval, I would be happy to work with a committee to develop a policy with tips for running meetings efficiently. Could we schedule a time within a week to discuss this matter further? This is an opportunity to not only improve efficiency but also boost employee morale. Jason Williams Project Manager 8.3 Radical Rewrite: Favor Request—Facebook Flub? (L.O. 1, 2, 5) Weaknesses a. May have chosen the wrong channel to communicate with a professor to request a favor. b. Fails to state a clearly desired action in the opening. c. Does not provide relevant information to help the reader comply even if he were inclined to do so. d. Does not organize the request so that it is easily understood. e. Exhibits careless typing skills and poor spelling. f. Uses unprofessional and overly casual language (Hey, Prof!!; Anyhoo; Thanx) that could prevent the reader from responding favorably. g. Gives an end date that is uncomfortably and unrealistically close. h. 8.3 Radical Rewrite: Favor Request—Facebook Flub? Revision Possible Facebook Message To: Tom Janowski Subject: Requesting Letter of Recommendation for MBA Application Message: Dear Professor Janowski: A message via Facebook may be a bit informal, but I would like to ask you for a letter of recommendation. After all, you always discussed the latest technology with us in the Business Writing 201 class in fall 2017 and how it has changed business communication. After getting my BA in marketing in May, I’m now looking to enter our university’s MBA program because the job situation is really bad right now. I realize that my request is sudden, and I’m giving you very short notice. However, I will be happy to meet with you or e-mail you all the information you may need, including my latest résumé, to help you remember me. We always talked about Poland, where my family is from. I enjoyed your class very much and benefit from it every day. The deadline is on Friday. Please contact me here on Facebook or by calling (215) 622-9763 to let me know whether you will be able to write me a letter of support. Thank you! Steven Nowicki Possible E-Mail Version To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Letter of Recommendation Dear Professor Janowski: Your Business Writing 201 course in fall 2017 has really improved my communication skills, although I got a B, not an A. It was a tough class, but I use what I learned from you in my job and in school every day. Imagine, I will finally graduate next May. However, to wait out the challenging economy, I have decided to enter an MBA program. From what I’ve been reading and hearing, it seems to be a good investment, likely to make me more competitive in a tight job market. To be considered, I will need three letters of recommendation. Early next week I would like to visit you during office hours and get reacquainted. Perhaps I will need to jog your memory a little because you teach hundreds of students each year. To update you on my progress since 2017, I will bring my most recent résumé as well as the guidelines for letter writers. A letter from you would mean a lot to me. You helped me write that first résumé. I look forward to catching up with you as well, and I promise not to take too much of your time. I have been wondering whether you still enjoy distance running and travel to Europe a lot. You will have over two weeks to write the letter if you agree to do it. The deadline for the letter is not until October 31. If for any reason you need to talk to me sooner than next week, you can reach me on my cell phone at (215) 622-9763. Best regards, Steven Nowicki [email protected] Activities and Cases 8.4 Persuasive Request: Inviting an Alumna to Speak To: Marion Minter From: [Your name] Subject: Sharing Your Success Story With Business Students Dear Ms. Minter: As a former [name of school’s team], please accept my invitation to be the keynote speaker at the Business and Accounting Association’s annual kick-off meeting. Because of our club’s focus on business and your success as an entrepreneur, you would be the perfect speaker to get our club off to an impressive start this year. Your expertise as well as your history with our campus will make your talk a big draw for our members. With their business and accounting backgrounds, some students in our club may even be potential employees at TempHelp4You. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 10, from noon until 1:30 p.m. in Branford Hall. We would like you to speak for about 30 minutes and then take questions from the audience. On the day of the event, we would provide you with lunch and a complimentary parking permit, which you could pick up at the information kiosk at the main campus entrance. Please let me know by August 20 if you can speak at our meeting so I can make the appropriate arrangements. You can phone me at [student phone] or e-mail me at [student e-mail] if you have any questions. We hope you will share your success story with us in September! Sincerely, [Your name and contact information] 8.5 Persuasive Request: How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation To: [Professor’s name] From: [Your name] Subject: Letter of Recommendation Request Dear Professor [last name]: Your credentials have always been intriguing to me. In particular, your position as the head of the campus Diversity Matters club demonstrates your commitment to supporting minorities. Also, your experience and knowledge of how to communicate clearly and concisely make you my obvious choice for a letter of recommendation. I know that a letter from you commenting on my character and performance in your classroom would be perceived positively by any admissions committee. This is the sort of competitive advantage I am seeking. Your letter of recommendation would be the centerpiece of my law school admission file. I have moved up to the final round of the admission cycle at numerous prestigious law schools. This is a common process of weeding out that top law schools use to make more informed decisions about “potentials.” In the fall semester of 2017, I took your Business Writing course 201 and received a B+. In addition, you selected my sales letter for the Smart Fortwo as the best in the class and entered it into a business writing competition against my peers in other Business Writing courses. Although I didn’t win the competition, you awarded me a business communication book. I still use it for reference. It has been a while since we last had contact. I know this may cause some difficulty in writing a letter for me. However, if you agree to write me a letter, I will be happy to meet with you at your convenience and forward to you my personal statement, my résumé, and a letter of recommendation from another recommender. Please let me know what I can do to make writing a letter for me as easy and straightforward as possible. The submission deadline of November 1 is a month away, and I’m getting an early start to give you enough time. Please let me know when we can meet. If I don’t hear from you, I will stop by during your office hours. I look forward to seeing you next week. Sincerely, [Your name and contact information] 8.6 Persuasive Request: Asking the Boss to Pick up the Tab for Tuition Date: Current To: [Boss's name] From: [Your name] Subject: Improving Employee Productivity, Morale, and Recruiting We employees here at Bellingham State Bank believe that the two most important elements that contribute to workplace productivity are skills and high morale. Both of these elements can be boosted through an employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement program. Here’s how most programs work. Employees attend evening or online college classes. If they finish approved courses with a grade of C or better, they are reimbursed for the costs of books and tuition. Many local employers—such as Bank of America, Chase, Apple, Verizon, Home Depot, and UPS—already have such programs. Enclosed are several articles and printouts describing them. These employers consider tuition reimbursement programs a smart investment because employees improve their skills and create a strong pool for promotion. Surveys show that such programs improve both morale and loyalty. Moreover, companies with tuition reimbursement programs are more attractive to quality job candidates. My colleagues and I have researched these programs at other companies. In a meeting before April 1, we’d like to show you our data and discuss the possibility of such a program here at Bellingham State. Please call me at Ext. 348 to arrange a time. Enclosure 8.7 Persuasive Request: Providing Suitable Suits to Interviewees (L.O. 1, 2, 4) Current date Dean Anil Patel College of Business Administration North Eastern College 800 Benini Drive Anytown, CT 06011 Dear Dean Patel: Our students are well trained, are smart, and have spotless résumés. However, they may not fare well on the job market if they aren’t dressed properly. Perhaps North Eastern could find a way to provide a Suitable Suits program similar to that at Barnard College. Its Office of Career Development keeps a closet filled with 21 impeccable black suits that students can borrow for job interviews. Being professionally dressed for a job interview can make all the difference in the world to the confidence and success of the candidate. Barnard’s program was funded by a grant from Goldman Sachs. I realize that we would not have such a grant, but other possibilities can be explored for developing such a program. Perhaps local department stores would be interested in helping create and support the program. Perhaps thrift stores could provide appropriate garments. Perhaps graduates could contribute clothing or ideas for supporting the project. I don’t have all the answers, but I think it’s a topic that deserves investigation. May I see you during the week of November 11 to discuss the possibility of developing a Suitable Suits program for North Eastern? Please call me at (475) 544-0289 or send a message to me at [email protected]. Sincerely, 8.8 Persuasive Claim: Overpriced Hotel Breakfast in Las Vegas (L.O. 3) Current date Customer Service Aria Resort & Casino 3730 Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89158 Dear Customer Service Representative: In recent years my company has recommended that its traveling employees use Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas because we have been pleased with your accommodations, your rates, and especially your service. That’s why I’m sure you will want to reverse a charge that I believe was made in error to our account. On May 11 and 12, two employees and I attended a conference in Las Vegas. We spent the evening of May 11 at your hotel and had breakfast on May 12 at Carbone. Because this was a weekend, we understood that we were being charged the weekend special rate, which included a full hot breakfast—in the restaurant. I realize that many weekend guests, as part of your special rate, are given a continental breakfast in a lounge on their floor. However, when we made the reservations, we were told that a hot breakfast in the restaurant was included. I was surprised to see on our credit statement a charge of $153 for three champagne buffet breakfasts at Carbone for the morning of May 12. By the way, we arrived at the restaurant so early that the Sunday buffet had not yet been set up, and we were served no champagne at all. Enclosed is a statement showing this erroneous charge. Please remove this charge and restore our faith in your hotel. Sincerely, Enclosure 8.9 Persuasive Claim: Wretched Print Job Current date Mr. Mitch Spiro Primera Printers 240 State Street Rochester, NY 14608 Dear Mr. Spiro: On October 15 I took a complex print job to Primera Printers here in Rochester. Although I explained carefully what was to be done, the resulting print job was unsatisfactory. Some of the pages were on the wrong paper, the photos and graphics turned out poorly, and many of the sheets were poorly or improperly cut. Because my company, Unicorn Travel, needed that print job immediately, I allowed your company to repeat the job. This time Primera used its paper instead of the special paper that I had brought for the first job. The repeat of the job turned out fairly well, and I appreciate that. We were able to use the brochures to complete our mailing. However, they were not done on the paper I preferred, and the mailing was delayed. I feel that some adjustment should be made to the charge of $782, shown on the enclosed invoice copy. At the minimum, my company should be credited for the loss of $100 worth of distinctive paper. We have used Primera Printers for many printing tasks, and I would like to continue to do so. Please restore my faith in your company by allowing a generous adjustment to the amount we were charged. Sincerely, Enclosure 8.10 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Upward: Four-Day Weekend Now! To: Skin Essentials Management Council From: [Students’ names] Subject: Saving Energy, Reducing Costs, and Pleasing Employees Skin Essentials has always been an employee-centric company with an emphasis on environmental stewardship, and we would like to suggest a program that meets those goals and reaps other impressive benefits. Many companies and municipalities are switching to a four-day workweek to save energy, reduce their carbon footprint, help recruit and retain employees, reduce operational costs, improve air quality, and boost employee morale. A group of managers here at Skin Essentials has met to discuss this possibility, and we would like to submit a proposal to the Management Council. A four-day workweek would involve 10-hour days for employees. By coming to work only four days, employees would reduce the number of cars on the road and help meet the goals of the county’s Trip Reduction Program aimed at improving air quality. Fewer trips means that employees are using less fuel, thus saving money, reducing traffic congestion, and easing air pollution. Many municipalities have already implemented a four-day workweek. In Avondale, Arizona, the city ran a pilot program known as Green Friday to save energy and reduce overall costs. The summer-long pilot program was a huge success with more than 80 percent of employees and residents in favor of the schedule. Avondale also reduced its annual janitorial costs by $10,000 and reduced its electricity use by $45,000. Researchers at the Romney Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University studied the effects of a compressed workweek in more than 150 cities in 38 states. Their findings revealed that four-day employees reported lower levels of work–family conflict and increased productivity compared with traditional workers. In our own small survey of Skin Essentials employees, we found that 80 percent favored a compressed workweek. Such a flexible workweek has innumerable benefits for employees and could also improve efficiency. Changing the workweek at Skin Essentials represents a serious move, but it could be tried in a pilot program over the summer to test its effectiveness. Our committee of managers strongly urges the Management Council to consider a compressed workweek. May we present our recommendation at the next council meeting on March 8? Please respond by February 22 so that we can prepare our presentation. [Students’ names] [Contact information] 8.11 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Upward: Consider This Idea Solutions will vary. 8.12 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Downward: Avoiding Costly Shipping Charges Date: Current To: All Shipping Employees From: [Your name], Manager Subject: Reducing Overnight Delivery Costs Overnight delivery services are wonderful, but they are costing us a bundle! To avoid strict future restrictions imposed by the CEO, I’m asking you to voluntarily reduce your use of these delivery services by 50 percent in the next two months. Rather than face a ban on all overnight services, let’s work together to reduce our costs. Here are some suggestions: •Ask yourself whether the recipient will really need the merchandise immediately. If not, use a cheaper method. •Use the FedEx or UPS account number of the recipient whenever possible. Try to negotiate cost sharing with your distributors. •Plan ahead so that you can use FedEx or UPS ground service. These ground services take about three to five days. •Revisit our shipping needs and match them better with the fees and services available from our shipping service providers, such as mode of transportation and timing. Some overnight shipments, of course, are critical. To retain our budget for those shipments, we must cut our overall use by half—before March 1. If you can think of other ways to reduce overnight shipments, please call me at Ext. 455. I appreciate your ideas and your help in solving this problem. 8.13 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Downward: Volunteering for Urban Farming To: Staff From: [Your name] Subject: Urban Farming Volunteer Opportunity Would you like to participate in a unique experiment and increase your commitment to your community while enjoying the great outdoors and learning a thing or two about healthy eating? Urban farming with Gotham Greens on our very own rooftop is an opportunity for employees to help grow organic produce for our store as well as educate and help feed needy families. After initial training, volunteers will tend to our rooftop greenhouse and inform visitors about our operations. The process includes teaching members of the community how to start and manage new rooftop gardens and encouraging them to make healthier food choices. One of the world’s largest cities, New York City, is also a major hub for urban agriculture. Several high-profile urban farming projects are providing fresh local produce. Most of them grow organic, non-GMO vegetables. The latest twist is rooftop greenhouses and gardens to maximize scarce space in very dense urban areas—for example, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm at 44 Eagle Street. Our own rooftop urban farm is the first commercial-scale hydroponic greenhouse. Consider becoming an urban farming mentor. As you interact with visitors and instruct members of the community, you will gain the opportunity to hone your speaking and interpersonal skills. Not only that, but our company will support you and 11 other volunteers with two hours of release time per week to work on our urban farming project. What could be more gratifying than greening our city and addressing the needs of our community? Whole Foods employees who have worked on previous urban farming projects know that being an urban farming volunteer is satisfying and rewarding. If you would like to be a part of this pioneering Gotham Greens project, please reply to this e-mail by August 9. 8.14 Identifying the AIDA Strategy in Sales Messages (L.O. 5) Students are to select a sales letter or e-mail and analyze it by answering the following questions. Answers will vary. a. What techniques capture the reader's attention? b. Is the opening effective? Explain. c. What is the central selling point? d. Does the message use rational, emotional, or a combination of appeals? Explain. e. What reader benefits are suggested? f. How does the message build interest in the product or service? g. How is price handled? h. How does the message anticipate reader resistance and offer counterarguments? i. What action is the reader to take? How is the action made easy? j. What motivators spur the reader to act quickly? 8.15 Sales Message: Subscribing to Organic Greens (L.O. 5) Fair & Fresh Farming Wholesome local food for you Say no to imported produce! Order a veggie and fruit box online for as little as $30! “You, as a food buyer, have the distinct privilege of proactively participating in shaping the world your children will inherit.” —Joel Salatin, Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer's Guide to Farm Friendly Food Current date Mr. Anthony Jordan 305 Pleasant Street Miles City, MT 59301 Dear Mr. Jordan: Have you had it with tasteless supermarket greens? Are you concerned about chemicals you might be feeding your family? Or perhaps you are troubled about the carbon imprint of food that was harvested too soon and circled the globe before arriving on your table. Be good and do good: Now you can be good to yourself and do good for the environment. You can also contribute to the survival of local family farms by buying sustainable food. How, you ask? Become a member of Fair & Fresh Farming and start ordering a box of seasonal fruit and vegetables from small local farms that is delivered to your table—but without the premium cost charged by high-end organic food markets. Pay only a little more than conventional supermarket food prices. Enjoy many benefits: We personally know the farmers who supply our nutritious, healthy food, and we vet them carefully. Here are some of the benefits you can reap by joining us: •Discover great-tasting fruit and vegetables, but don’t take our word for it. Dare to compare our fair and fresh food to conventional supermarket produce. •Be good to yourself. Enjoy food that is 100 percent herbicide and pesticide free. •Support small family farms that supply in-season sustainable products that meet our highest standards. Your dollars ensure that we can pay our farmers fair prices. •Avoid lengthy shopping trips, traffic snarls, crowded parking lots, and packed supermarkets. Eat produce that has not been handled and bruised by hundreds of customers. Order now—it’s easy: Select on our website the produce you want, and we will deliver it to your doorstep. Orders received by 10 a.m. on Sunday will be on your table on Tuesday or Wednesday. For Thursday or Friday delivery, submit your order by 10 a.m. on Tuesday. That’s all! Why wait? Visit www.fair-fresh-farming.com and order a box of fresh seasonal produce today! Or call 1-406-737-4282. Start eating wholesome and delicious food delivered from the local farm to your table. Sincerely, Martina Sabatini Marketer-in-Chief P.S. Register as a member by July 15 and receive 20 percent off your first order! 513 E Valentine Road Glendive, MT 59330 [email protected] 1-406-737-4282 8.16 Sales Message: Promoting Products and Services (L.O. 5) Solutions will vary. 8.17 Analyzing Tweets: Persuasive Micromessages (L.O. 1, 5) Students will find that calls for action and attention-getters are the types of persuasive tweets used most often, followed by testimonials and appeals that create urgency. As for effectiveness, it is worth noting that in the social media, individuals seek out the products, brands, and niches that satisfy their needs. Therefore, the likelihood that they will interact with their favorite brands is high and so will be the perceived effectiveness of those brands. Measuring the effectiveness of social media presences by sales is notoriously difficult because brand relationships take time to build and don’t always translate into sales immediately. Nevertheless, students will most likely be eager to share the messages from brands they patronize or admire. Persuasive Techniques a. Call for action, incentive b. Emotional appeal c. Attention-getter d. Urgency e. Testimonial f. Call for action g. Testimonial h. Call for action i. Incentive 8.18 Writing Persuasive Tweets and Posts (L.O. 1, 5) Solutions will vary. 8.19 Taking Aim at Puffery in Advertising (L.O. 1, 5) Solutions will vary. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) helps readers distinguish between puffery and deceptive claims with this example: (a) The best-tasting juice in America! and (b) 75 percent of people prefer our juice! Clearly, (b) would require proof, whereas (a) is puffery. Communication Workshop: Intercultural Skills What’s Legal and What’s Not in Sales Messages and Online Reviews Answers will vary. It’s important not to rely on students bringing samples and examples to class without making it mandatory and attaching it to an assignment that carries some weight in points or a grade. It’s prudent to have a few examples ready to share with students. Most infomercials are rich examples because they tend to sensationalize and overpromise, yet their creators are careful not to breach the standard that separates puffery from deceptive advertising. Most claims about products that promise a fast, effortless weight loss are unrealistic and plain untruthful and, therefore, unethical. Although mostly outlawed, occasionally some marketer still may send a direct letter with what looks like a check—but there’s usually a catch. The Federal Trade Commission’s website is a rich trough of information about warnings to companies and pending investigations into deceptive advertising claims. CHAPTER 9 SOLUTIONS Informal Reports Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. How would you determine whether to use the direct strategy or the indirect strategy for any company report you are writing? (L.O. 1)
Reports that present information without analysis are usually arranged directly. Analytical reports may also be organized directly as long as the readers are supportive or are familiar with the topic. Busy executives prefer the direct strategy because they get to the results of the report immediately. However, unless readers are familiar with the topic, they may find the direct strategy confusing. The indirect strategy is appropriate for analytical reports that seek to persuade or that convey bad news. 12. Why would you want to start your research with secondary data rather than gathering primary data right away? (L.O. 3) Secondary data are easier and cheaper to gather than primary data, which might involve interviewing large groups or sending out questionnaires. First, business researchers should tap typical sources of factual information for informal reports such as company records, printed material, and electronic resources. Only when no relevant data are available should writers consider gathering primary data by means of observation, surveys, questionnaires, and inventories as well as interviews. 13. How might technology shape business report formats and their delivery in the future? (L.O. 1–5) Already, business reports are frequently delivered in a digital format, as presentation software slides called decks, as text-poor, image-rich PDF documents, and as hyperlinked word files that can take the reader to other local content or to the Internet. Most reports today are probably sent by e-mail, although delivery to a smartphone is also possible. Some may be posted to a company’s intranet or website. Such documents may be openly available or restricted. 14. How can report writers ensure that they present their topics objectively and credibly? (L.O. 1–5) Writers should take pains to present both sides of an issue, not just the option they favor. They need to separate facts from opinions and beware even of subtle editorializing and bias. Writers must also be sensitive to their readers and use moderation in their word choice. If relevant sources are used and cited properly, report writers gain credibility. 15. What are the purposes of headings? Describe three heading types discussed in this chapter. (L.O. 2) Good headings are helpful to both the report reader and the report writer. For the reader they outline the text, highlighting major ideas and categories. They also act as guides for locating facts and pointing the way through the text. Moreover, headings provide resting points for the mind and for the eye, breaking up large chunks of text into manageable and inviting segments. Headings are important for the report writer because they help organize the data into meaningful blocks. The writer may choose functional or talking heads. Functional heads (such as Background, Findings, Staffing, Summary, and Projected Costs) describe functions or general categories. They show the outline of a report but provide little insight for readers. Functional heads are useful for routine reports. They are also appropriate for sensitive or controversial topics that might provoke emotional reactions. Talking heads (such as Employees Struggle With Lack of Day-Care Options) describe content and provide more information to the reader. To provide even greater clarity, writers can create combination headings such as Background: Employees Struggle With Lack of Day-Care Options. Activities and Cases 9.1 Informational Report: Recording Information From Your Work Experience (L.O. 4) This assignment involves introspection as students reflect on the value and skills they are gaining or gained from a current or former work experience. The content comes from their personal experience rather than research. 9.2 Informational Report: Choosing a Fabulous Company to Work For (L.O. 4) Caution students about copying and pasting from the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It’s not wrong to do so if they state the source, but the report will be too long. They should pick and choose the information to copy for this report, or they can summarize information from the Handbook. 9.3 Informational Report: Investigating a Career Path (L.O. 4) Caution students about copying and pasting from the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It’s not wrong to do so if they state the source, but the report will be too long. They should pick and choose the information to copy for this report, or they can summarize information from the Handbook. 9.4 Summary: Briefing the Boss (L.O. 4) Students should find an article of interest in their own field of study. Encourage them to paraphrase in their own words rather than use extensive quotations. 9.5 Progress Report: A Work in Progress (L.O. 4) This report gives students an opportunity to create a professional-looking progress report using information with which they are familiar. Students may appreciate the opportunity to review their progress, see what courses are required for graduation, and experience a sense of accomplishment. 9.6 Progress Report: Checking In With Your Instructor (L.O. 4) When employees work on long-term reports, they are generally required to submit periodic progress reports to a supervisor. This activity allows students to gain practice in writing these important reports. 9.7 Recommendation Report: What Philanthropic Projects Are Trending? (L.O. 5) Companies openly publicize their community service and philanthropic contributions. In fact, philanthropy is considered just one aspect of a corporation’s social responsibility. By researching these philanthropic projects, students will become aware of the global impact of corporate giving. 9.8 Justification/Recommendation Report: Developing a Social Media Use Policy (L.O. 5) Students will find that many companies have developed social media use policies. Some are stricter than others. Some companies encourage social media use at work for good reasons, but they make it clear what behavior is acceptable. Social Media Governance is a site that has a large database of social media policies from companies and nonprofits. When searching for social media use policies, students will find excellent corporate examples. The approach should be direct because the need for a social media policy is necessary, and the company will benefit from such a policy. 9.9 Feasibility Report: Health and Wellness Perks (L.O. 5) Top companies are offering killer perks to retain and recruit talent. They range from climbing walls and bowling alleys to massages and on-site day-care centers. Small companies might not be able to offer the same perks as giant companies such as Google with its free lunches, dinners, massages, yoga instruction, and car washes. Nevertheless, even small companies are now offering less expensive perks that allow them to compete in the perk frenzy. As this assignment will show, health and wellness perks are much less expensive than Google’s free lunches. 9.10 Minutes: Taking Notes for a Friend (L.O. 4) This activity requires students to attend an actual meeting and take notes. They must also type the meeting minutes in a professional-looking format with appropriate headings. This is an excellent extra-credit assignment. 9.11 Meeting Minutes: Team Meeting Notes (L.O. 4) This activity provides excellent practice in taking notes and preparing minutes. In addition, all team members benefit from reading minutes and reviewing assignments. 9.12 Yardstick Report: Choosing a Live Chat Solution (L.O. 5) Recommendations may vary, but students will enjoy researching and comparing the chat solutions available. Popular chat software options are LiveChat, Freshdesk, Olark, HappyFox Chat, and ChatBlazer. Some have higher ratings than others, and this fact might affect students’ recommendations. Features and monthly costs vary. The website ChatToolTester.com offers reviews of live chat software tools. 9.13 Article or Infographic Summary: Current Social Media Marketing Trends (L.O. 4) Many groups enjoy being trend predictors, and those articles rank high in Google searches. Students will have no problem finding articles on social media marketing trends. 9.14 Report Topics for Informal Reports (L.O. 4, 5) If a lengthy formal or informal report is assigned, this list will help students choose topics. Communication Workshop: Writing in Teams Best Practices for Highly Successful Team Writing Projects This Communication Workshop establishes a framework for assigning collaborative projects. Students are instructed to prepare a report as a collaborative effort and implement the suggestions provided. Probably the hardest part of collaborative assignments is assessing individual and group performance. How can you grade individuals and the entire team? Here are suggestions for assessing team assignments. Assessing Individual Performance •Confidential peer evaluations. These evaluations are an incentive for individuals to perform according to the expectations of fellow group members. Peer evaluations should focus on the behaviors of group members rather than their traits. •Leader’s or chairperson’s report. This report should detail the tasks or responsibilities of each member and provide a record of meeting dates, times, and attendees. You may also request minutes of meetings with group members sharing the responsibility for submitting these to you periodically. This helps you identify nonperformers. •Student logs or journals. Ask each student to keep a log or journal about the group’s activities, the group’s small-group processes, and his or her feelings about other members’ behavior and contributions, as well as his or her own. These should be submitted periodically to determine whether your intervention is necessary with the entire group or with just one member. Logs and journals also can be used to support peer evaluations. •Class attendance record. Take attendance on class days when instructions are being given on group processes, writing processes, and the report project. Students who are absent miss valuable information that helps them contribute effectively to the group project. Moreover, if group meetings are held during a class period, they miss that interaction with the group, increasing the out-of-class time required for group meetings. Assigning Group Grades Using a combination of group and individual grades increases the likelihood that the grade a student receives is an accurate reflection of his or her writing ability and contribution to the group and the assignment. Thus, a student’s grade should be based on the score assigned to the written report and one or more of the evaluation processes described previously. Using a combination of evaluations provides a defensible and objective basis for assigning grades. Some suggestions for using the combined evaluations follow. •Score the written report and give each group member the same grade. In addition, give a separate grade for each student’s contribution to the report and to the group process based on the four evaluations discussed previously. For example, the written report may be worth 100 points, and the other grade may be worth 50 points. You need to establish the criteria for assigning this grade so that you have consistency from one student to another. Be sure you inform your students of your grading criteria. •Score the written report and add or deduct 10 points for individual members according to the evaluations they receive on the four evaluation items discussed previously. Criteria need to be established for the 10 points. •Score the written report and deduct points (no limit) for individual members according to the four evaluations they received (discussed previously). You should have some guidelines for deducting the points to ensure consistency. For example, each low rating on the peer evaluation is –5 points, each missed meeting is –3, each missed class period is –3, and so on. To minimize having to adjust grades for nonperformers, encourage groups to confront these students early in the project and set guidelines for what the group expects from them, along with deadlines for completing tasks. If they do not meet the expectations or deadlines, the groups should consult with you. See the peer evaluation form that appears in the Assessment section of Book Resources at the Instructor Companion Website. CHAPTER 10 SOLUTIONS Proposals and Formal Reports Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. What category of proposal, solicited or unsolicited, is more likely to succeed, and why? (L.O. 1) Sending unsolicited proposals carries a certain degree of risk because the author has to work extra hard to convince the recipient that a problem exists. Solicited proposals respond to invitations to submit bids (RFPs), which means that the agency or firm acknowledges the problem and is calling for solutions. Moreover, proposal writers can rely on the RFP as a road map to help them develop their outline and tailor their approach to the needs of their audience. Therefore, solicited proposals may be more likely to succeed. 12. What is the difference between conclusions and recommendations in a report? (L.O. 2) Authors of reports present facts or findings, and from those data they draw conclusions. Conclusions should answer the report question and explain what the findings mean and how the purpose was achieved. Recommendations explain what should be done based on the conclusions drawn from the findings. Conclusions give opinions; recommendations suggest actions to be taken. 13. Why must researchers document their sources meticulously? (L.O. 4) Using ideas, words, images, and other proprietary information without giving credit is unethical. Even if the writer paraphrases the information, ideas taken from somebody else must be documented. A clumsy or careless paraphrase alone can constitute plagiarism, even if the writer inserts a citation. Careful, ethical writers paraphrase correctly and document data to (a) strengthen their arguments, (b) instruct readers who may want to pursue topics further, and (c) protect themselves against charges of plagiarism. Plagiarism is unethical and in many cases illegal. 14. How can report writers decide what type of graphic to use in a report? (L.O. 5) To develop the best graphics, report writers need to decide what data they want to highlight. In determining which graphics are most appropriate for their objectives, they consider the characteristics of typical graphics. Tables are appropriate when exact figures and values are needed. However, if report writers want to compare one item with others or show changes in quantitative data over time, bar and line charts are better options. To show the parts of a whole and the proportions of all the parts, report writers might use a pie chart. Flowcharts work best to show a process such as how a product is made, and organization charts define elements in a hierarchy such as the line of command in business management. Photos, maps, and illustrations create authenticity, spotlight a location, and show an item in use. 15. Is information obtained on the Web as reliable as information obtained from journals, newspapers, and magazines? (L.O. 3) Information obtained from professional journals and reputable newspapers and magazines has generally been authenticated, edited, and reviewed. Professional journals are also refereed, which means that the articles have undergone stiff peer review. Thus, the information obtained from these sources is generally considered to be valid, objective, and credible. However, information from the Web might be questionable. Anyone can publish on the Web, and a website’s contents may be propaganda or advertising. It is wise to scrutinize all Web data carefully. One problem with Wikipedia, personal blogs, forums, and other crowd-generated content is that the content may be short-lived or not updated. Therefore, these sources are not always verifiable, and the quality may be poor. Relying on encyclopedias instead of going to the sources the articles summarize and their references indicates poor research skills. Activities and Cases 10.1 Proposal: Pinpoint That Workplace Problem (L.O. 1) The advantage of this assignment is that most students have had some workplace or internship experience to draw on. However, they may have difficulty identifying a problem that’s substantial enough to merit a proposal. Students tend to bring up problems that are insignificant or whose solutions wouldn’t generate much in savings or earnings—the standard for writing a proposal. With these kinds of problems, why not just say it? Students may need help identifying a problem that would merit writing about. Another standard for writing a letter or memo proposal is that the problem must be serious enough to require a cost–benefit analysis, however informal it may be. Topics could include launching sustainability measures, improving waste management or recycling (switching companies), adding social media customer service, changing store closing times to adjust to new shopping habits, or offering a new peer-counseling fitness program. 10.2 Proposal: Lending a Hand With Proposal Writing (L.O. 1, 2) This activity encourages students to use the Web to locate actual proposals. Real proposals are too long to include as models in this textbook, but the Web has many examples. Students will find numerous websites that are hawking proposal templates or books to sell. This is a good exercise to help students develop their skills in distinguishing marketing sites from authentic resources. 10.3 Grant Writing: Learning From Nonprofits (L.O. 1, 2) This activity encourages students to use the Web to learn more about writing proposals and grants. You may want to assign this memo report as a foundation for writing real proposals for local nonprofit organizations as a component of a service-learning project. 10.4 Service Learning: Write Away! (L.O. 1–6) This activity could be merely a research project to raise student awareness. A more substantive alternative would involve hands-on work in community projects such as working with the elderly, collecting oral histories, researching town histories, holding food and clothing drives, caring for the environment, preventing violence and drug abuse, conducting energy audits, creating sustainability initiatives, and preparing for disasters. In conjunction with community agencies, students could gather information (surveys, studies, evaluations, experiments), compile data, and report findings on topics of public interest. The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse website is a good place to start. 10.5 Unsolicited Proposal: Requesting Funding for Your Campus Business Club (L.O. 1) Students are asked to write an unsolicited letter or memo proposal for a business club on their campus. The proposal seeks funding for a one-time seminar or a keynote speaker. It should follow the established format for a proposal. 10.6 Primary Research: Seeking Customer Feedback Through an Online Survey (L.O. 3) Students will find typical survey templates from SurveyMonkey and Surveyonics. Student examples will vary, but all examples should focus on the customers’ feelings about the sales associates and product quality, and about their own loyalty to the products. Here are possibilities: 1. If you have visited our store, were you treated courteously by our sales associates? ___ Yes ___ No 2. Would you recommend our products to people you know? ___ Yes ___ No ___ Too early to say 3. How do you feel about the quality of our product(s)? ___ Excellent ____ Good ____ Average ____ Poor 4. Did you face any problems using our products? _____ Not at all ____Very few _____ Few ____ Many 5. How likely are you to purchase one of our products in the next six months? _____ Highly likely ____Very likely _____ Slightly likely ____ Highly unlikely 6. What aspect(s) of our work do you think we do well? ___ Effective communication ___ Customer service ___ Timeliness of delivery ___ Problem solving ___ Other (Write a comment.) 7. In what ways could our company better serve you? (Write a comment.) 10.7 Formal Business Report: Gathering Data for International Expansion (L.O. 3) This popular research activity requires that students write formal reports based on information they collect from primary and secondary sources. The project may be completed individually or collaboratively. We live in a global society, and businesspeople often find themselves communicating with customers, clients, and colleagues from around the world. This activity will help students become aware of cultural differences that can affect communication. If you have students with different cultural backgrounds in your class, encourage them to share their experiences and expertise. 10.8 Citations: Citing Secondary Resources Using MLA Format (L.O. 4) Student responses will vary depending on the resources they choose. The three resources should pertain to a current business topic and use the MLA citation format. Refer students to Appendix B to see MLA citation examples. The summaries should be well organized and include the article’s main ideas. This assignment will strengthen students’ ability to conduct research on a specific topic, write a well-organized summary, and cite secondary sources using MLA style. 10.9 Who Gets Hurt? Examining Infamous Plagiarism Scandals (L.O. 4) Who gets hurt? The short answer is that plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, and similar offenses undermine the public’s trust and may shake people’s belief even in reputable, legitimate science. Students could individually focus on a single plagiarism case, or they could investigate multiple cases in the same discipline—for example, among historians, where plagiarism seems to occur with disturbing frequency. Teams could examine a discipline or industry—such as academia, the visual arts, or music—and pull together a larger number of cases. Plagiarized dissertations alone could be a rich research subject. Whether in China, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, or Hungary, countless cases of academic plagiarism in doctoral dissertations have been recorded. Several cases involved politicians, from Russian president Vladimir Putin to the president of Hungary and the German secretary of defense, who was forced from office. In terms of who gets hurt, it can be argued that in the medical field the stakes for cheating are particularly high because human lives are at stake. This doesn’t mean that academic or journalistic plagiarism is somehow less serious. The cost to the reputation of the writer, the publisher, or the periodical is high. In some cases, financial losses result. Alex Haley, author of Roots, paid a $650,000 settlement after he was sued for having copied substantial amounts from the novel The African. Rising star and Harvard student Kaavya Viswanathan lost her film deal, and print copies of her book were recalled after it was discovered that her first novel had been largely plagiarized. A simple Google query using the keywords infamous plagiarists will return over 221,000 hits; plagiarism, 36.6 million! As always, Wikipedia appears right at the top. The Wikipedia article can be a helpful point of departure for student researchers as it lists many egregious, high-profile plagiarism and fabrication cases for further research. Similarly, Salon is an online treasure trove of information for additional research. The magazine has published numerous stories highlighting notorious liars, cheaters, and thieves in the fields of publishing, academia, journalism, and music. The magazine’s authors also explore the motives and excuses of the perpetrators and the fallout from the scandalous incidents. The lesson for students should not be that plagiarism is rampant and, therefore, somehow acceptable because even famous people do it. Rather, as a close look will reveal, most of the well-known plagiarists sullied their reputations and fell from grace. Some even went to prison. Some of the 200 South Korean professors from 50 universities who republished books written by others under their own names, if convicted, could be fired, sent behind bars for up to five years, and required to pay fines. The excuses of plagiarists tend to sound similar; Doris Kearns Goodwin and others have maintained their innocence, claiming they merely had “confused” their notes—an important message to students to develop sound notetaking practices. Distinguished historian Stephen Ambrose argued quite incredibly that he had forgotten to include quotation marks, although his “borrowings” were substantial. The preeminent journalist Fareed Zakaria cited confusion over notes he took, but he assumed responsibility for his mistake and sincerely apologized. Both CNN and Time magazine first suspended but later reinstated the popular journalist after a thorough review. Others—for example, Jonah Lehrer—invoked extenuating circumstances, asserting that they had accidentally misquoted a source and then panicked and lied about it. Exposed novelist Quentin Rowan blamed pressure to produce and, later, addiction to plagiarizing for his nefarious actions. Aside from providing for salacious reading, this research will provide—it is to be hoped—the right lessons for students; namely, that integrity is important and that it doesn’t pay to cheat. 10.10 Plagiarism, Paraphrasing, and Citing Sources (L.O. 4) a. Weaknesses This paraphrase is very close to the original. The writer substituted a few words here and there and slightly changed the sentence structure, but overall the passage is too close to the original text. The quotation by Dieter Zetsche, top executive at Mercedes parent Daimler, should be enclosed in quotation marks because it’s presented verbatim. Also, the last sentence makes it seem as though Zetsche had made the comment about German carmakers’ fear of Tesla. However, the quotation follows the original author’s claim that the Germans fear Tesla. Precisely and correctly recasting an original passage into one’s own words is very important when paraphrasing. a. Improved Passage German luxury car manufacturers at first did not take Tesla seriously when the California-based carmaker launched its Model S a few years ago. However, as Tesla has thrived, created buzz, and attracted lots of buyers, the competitors are now paying attention. Advance orders of Tesla’s Model 3 reached 400,000, and the all-electric vehicle may give the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-Series a run for their money. Dieter Zetsche, top executive at Daimler, acknowledged that Tesla has kept its bold promises. The Germans may have reason to be scared of the American upstart. b. Original Passage Weaknesses This colorful quotation from Edward Tufte’s classic book Envisioning Information [Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1990, p. 34] is difficult to paraphrase and would most likely be cited verbatim. However, this paraphrase is too close to the original; only a few words are changed here and there while the structure of the passage remains the same. The following version is a credible paraphrase. b. Improved Passage Extraneous features in poorly designed charts cannot compensate for a lack of substantive information and tend to skew the data they represent. Such superfluous so-called chartjunk is disrespectful of the audience viewing it and of the statistical data itself because it implies that numerical information is not interesting enough and needs sprucing up with unneeded decorations. Chartjunk compromises credibility. c. Original Passage Weaknesses The paraphrased text follows the original too closely in sentence structure and word choice. Only a few words and phrases here and there were changed. The following example is paraphrased correctly. The idea and wording of the original have been recast into the writer’s own language and sentence structure. c. Improved Passage Casual online games offer several advantages over games designed for Xbox and similar consoles. They are less risky to develop, cost less to make (less than $200,000), and don’t require physical copies and packaging. Rather, they allow for more creativity and have shorter production cycles ranging from 6 to 12 months. 10.11 Selecting Graphics (L.O. 5) a. Photo, map b. Table for exact absolute numbers; line chart for trends c. Bar chart, possibly pie chart d. Map e. Flowchart f. Probably a pie chart; possibly a segmented 100 percent bar chart g. Organization chart] h. A multiple or segmented line chart would be best for visualizing trends; a grouped bar chart could be used, but it might be confusing; a table would be best for showing exact figures. 10.12 Evaluating Graphics (L.O. 5) This activity requires students to select and analyze four graphics from hard copy or online sources. 10.13 Creating a Bar Chart and Writing a Title (L.O. 5) Sources for this activity may include sites such as Internet World Stats (http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm). Encourage students to search for statistics within the last year, if available. You can adjust the focus of this assignment to compare countries with the most social media users. 10.14 Formal Report: Comparing Before Buying (L.O. 2–6) This activity gives students an opportunity to create a formal report with various components and appropriate graphics. Because this is a comprehensive project, you may want to assign benchmarks for the completion of each report component. You may also involve the students in peer reviews to enhance the learning experience. 10.15 Report Topics for Proposals and Formal Reports (L.O. 1–6) This activity gives students a number of ideas for topics for executive summaries, long reports, and proposals that can be written individually or collaboratively. Communication Workshop: Technology Evaluating the Credibility of Web Documents: Let the Reader Beware Research answers will vary. Solution Manual for Essentials of Business Communication Mary Ellen Guffey, Dana Loewy 9781337386494