Essential Business Vocabulary for Professionals
Business Vocabulary
General Terms
- Get a Promotion: Be promoted
- Get the Sack: Be dismissed
- Early Retirement: Retirement
- Flexitime Work: Flexible work hours
- Overtime Work: Overtime
- Recruitment: Hiring
- Vacancy: Open position
- Resignation: Leaving a job
- Make Somebody Redundant: Lay off staff
- Overworked: Work overload
- Pay Rise: Raise
- Workload: Amount of work
- Deadline: Delivery deadline
- Workaholic: Someone who works excessively
- Subsidiary: Affiliate (an entity controlled by another entity)
- Head Office: Main office
- Car Dealership: Business that sells cars
- Chain Store: Branch of a larger company
- Share Price: Stock price
- Workforce: Employees/workers
- Profit: Earnings
- Turnover: Sales
- Market Share: Percentage of a market held by a company
- Enter the Market: Access a market
- Extend the Product Range: Expand product offerings
- To Meet a Need: Satisfy a need
- Make a Breakthrough: Make significant progress
- Bargain: Negotiate a lower price
- Develop a Product: Create a new product
- Launch a Product: Introduce a product to the market
- Manufacture a Product: Produce a product
- Fall in Profits: Decrease in earnings
Business Verbs
- To Refund: Give money back
- To Discount: Reduce the price
- To Deliver: Distribute
- To Return: Give back
- To Despatch: Send
- To Purchase: Buy
- To Exchange: Trade
- To Employ: Hire
- To Expand: Grow
- To Merge: Combine
People Characteristics
- Ambitious: Driven to succeed
- Energetic: Full of energy
- Reliable: Dependable
- Creative: Imaginative
- Emotional: Sensitive
- Confident: Self-assured
- Outgoing: Sociable
- Aggressive: Assertive
- Persuasive: Convincing
- Rude: Impolite
- Calm: Relaxed
- Quiet: Peaceful
- Patient/Impatient: Tolerant/Intolerant of delays
- Formal/Informal: Professional/Casual
- Consistent/Inconsistent: Regular/Irregular
- Enthusiastic/Unenthusiastic: Excited/Apathetic
Activities in a Company
- To Do Research/Investigation: Conduct research
- To Make a Presentation: Give a presentation
- To Lead a Meeting: Manage a meeting
- To Negotiate a Contract: Discuss and agree on a contract
- To Attend a Conference: Participate in a conference
- To Supervise Staff: Manage a team
- To Write Reports: Create reports
- To Telephone: Make a phone call
- To Deal With Customers: Handle customer interactions
Functional Areas in a Company
- Sales and Marketing: Promoting and selling products
- Finance: Managing money
- Management: Leading and organizing
- Administration and Personnel: Handling administrative tasks and human resources
- Production: Manufacturing goods
- Research and Development: Creating new products and technologies
Sectors in a Company
- Telecommunications/Media: Communication and entertainment industries
- Engineering: Designing and building structures and machines
- Retailing: Selling goods to consumers
- Construction: Building structures
- Tourism: Travel and hospitality industry
- Pharmaceutical and Chemicals: Developing and producing drugs and chemicals
- Banking and Finance: Managing money and financial services
- Transportation: Moving people and goods
- Vehicle Manufacturing: Producing cars and other vehicles
- IT (Information Technology and Electronics): Computer and technology industry
- Food and Drink: Producing and selling food and beverages
Finance and Money
- Government Grant: Government-sponsored funding
- Strong Currency: Hard currency (e.g., dollar, euro, yen)
- Interest Rate: Cost of borrowing money
- Consumer Spending: Money spent by consumers on goods and services
- Make a Fortune: Become rich
- Earn Money: Make money
- Earn a Bonus: Receive extra payment
- Overspend: Spend more than planned
- Keep Within a Budget: Stay within budget limits
- Make a Profit: Earn more than it costs to produce
- Break Even: Reach a point where revenues equal costs
Jobs
- Sales Manager: Manages a sales team
- Sales Representative: Sells products or services
- Sales Assistant: Helps customers in a store
- Consultant: Provides expert advice
- Rep: Representative
- Marketing Manager: Oversees marketing activities
- Accountant: Manages financial records
Buying and Selling
- Bargain: Negotiate a lower price
- Discount: Reduction in price
- Refund: Money returned for a purchase
- After-Sales Service: Support provided after a purchase
- Interest-Free Credit: Loan with no interest charges
- Retailer: Sells goods to consumers
- Turnover: Revenue
- Supplier: Provides goods or services
- Purchaser: Buyer
- To Buy in Bulk: Purchase large quantities
- To Exceed Sales Targets: Surpass sales goals
Product Description
- Exciting: Stimulating
- Attractive: Appealing
- Reliable: Dependable
- Well-Designed: Functional and aesthetically pleasing
- Elegant: Stylish and sophisticated
- Economical: Affordable
- Practical: Useful and functional
- Stylish: Fashionable
- User-Friendly: Easy to use
- Innovative: New and original
- Fashionable: Trendy
- Popular: Liked by many people
- Robust: Durable
- High Quality: Superior standard
Marketing and Advertisement
- Mail Shots: Sending promotional materials by mail
- Press/Radio Advertising: Advertising in print and on the radio
- TV/Radio Commercials: Television and radio advertisements
- Leaflet Sales: Selling through brochures
- Celebrity Endorsement: Using a celebrity to promote a product
- Product Placement: Featuring a product in media
- Customer Loyalty: Customers’ continued preference for a brand
- Niche Market: Specialized market segment
- Marketing Strategy: Plan for promoting and selling a product
- To Satisfy Consumer Demand: Meet customer needs
- To Launch an Advertisement Campaign: Start a series of advertisements
- To Do Market Research: Conduct market analysis
- To Endorse a Product: Support or recommend a product