7.     DEFINITIONS:
A.   Should be provided from a reputable source
B.   Sound patronizing
C.   Are most effective when newly coined

8.     AN EXPRESSION SUCH AS “OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE”:
A.   Has lost its effectiveness due to overuse
B.   Appeals to a broad spectrum of listeners/readers
C.   Reminds us of purpose

9.     THE REAL CHALLENGE FOR BUSINESS PEOPLE IS TO GET COMMUNICATION OUT OF INFORMATION, ACCORDING TO
A.   President George W. Bush
B.   Management expert Peter Drucker
C.   Futurist Alvin Toffler

10.     METAPHORS (COMPARISONS OF THINGS NOT TYPICALLY COMPARED):
A.   According to Aristotle, when understood, represent the beginning of genius
B.   According to management-guru Warren Bennis, help effect change
C.   According to Jose Ortega y Gasset, philosopher and Spanish Civil War
revolutionary, are the most fertile power on earth
QUIZ ANSWERS

(Give yourself one point for each correct answer.)
1.    B.  Research by J. Martin and M. Powers found the anecdote by itself was most effective in establishing credibility.
2.    C.  The gutsy, direct, feisty style of this super-salesman is shown in this sentence.
3.     A. “One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears.” We fully concur with this assertion by statesman Dean Rusk.
4.    A.  Winston Churchill may have said it best: “Big [wo]men use little words.”
Check out the words of others who have exerted great influence: Reverend Martin Luther King (“I have a dream.”); JFK (“Ask not what your country can do for you.”); Mother Teresa (“We can do no great things–only small things with great love.”).
5.    C.  One of the best expressions of the post-September 11 era came from the President, when he stood at Ground Zero and responded to a firefighter who couldn’t hear everything the President was saying: “But I can hear you. The whole world can hear you. And very soon, those who destroyed these buildings will hear from all of us.”
6.     B.  Listen to the persuasive power contained in these unforgettable phrases:
President Jimmy Carter: “America did not invent civil rights. Civil rights invented America.”  Jesse Jackson: “I was born in the slums, but the slums were not born in me.” Baseball great Leroy Satchel Paige: “Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.”
7.    C.  It’s tedious and seldom informative to hear a dictionary definition. Much more persuasive is an original definition, for example, this  by Lon Watters: “School is a building that has four walls with tomorrow inside.”
8.    A.  Sentences that are overused, obvious truisms lose their power via the sheer force of repetition. To restore power to such a thought, add an original spin. For example, “To protect our future, we must protect our children.”
9.     B.  Peter Drucker, Father of Modern Management Science, challenges all of us to convert data to meaningful thought.
10.    A., B., C.   Although they should never be mixed and should be used sparingly, the metaphor can create a truly lasting concept. “The Iron Curtain,” for example, or “The Glass Ceiling.” Warren Bennis once remarked, “If I were to give off-the-cuff advice to someone seeking to institute change, the first question I would ask is, ‘How clear is your metaphor?’”

QUIZ SCORING

9-10    You’ve persuaded us! A score this high indicates a true gift. If you’re not in a leadership position, you should be.

5-8    You know a good deal about the power of words. Ideally, you’re using that power both wisely and well.

1-4    If you’re a believer in continuous improvement, you’ll take the time to learn more about how to win ends (i.e., achieve goals) and influence people.