As Market Research & Insights professionals, many of us thrive on the excitement of methodology planning, data analysis, and that "on stage" moment when we present our findings. Those are the fun parts! But occasionally, we’re faced with the less glamorous side—managing contracts, project schedules, and those detailed, operations-heavy client communications. While necessary, these tasks often mean collaborating with sales teams, purchasing departments, and even legal teams. And let’s face it—they often speak a "language" that can feel unfamiliar or entirely new to us.
To take these essential but less enjoyable tasks easier, it helps to know the common acronyms you’ll encounter. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 21 essential client and sales acronyms every market researcher should know. Mastering these will help you confidently handle the business side of your role—even when you’re knee-deep in contract negotiations. Sure, we researchers prefer discussing data over deadlines, but with a little preparation, we can handle it all!
This list of acronyms is Part 5 of our 5-Part Series on the 100 Essential Acronyms Every Research Rockstar Needs to Know. Did you miss the previous three? Get them here:
- Part 1: 25 Essential Qualitative and Quantitative Market Research Acronyms
- Part 2: 19 Essential Statistics for Market Research Acronyms
- Part 3: 15 Essential Market Research Sampling and Demographics Acronyms
- Part 4: 20 Essential Marketing and Business Strategy Acronyms
Essential Client & Sales Communications Acronyms
Download the handy infographic for easy reference for 20 essential acronyms commonly used in marketing and business strategy. It includes key acronyms such as:
- QA: Quality Assurance
- RFI: Request for Information
- R&D: Research and Development
- SMB: Small and Medium-sized Businesses
- WIP: Work in Progress
Master Acronyms, Boost Confidence
It may sound simple, but learning the acronyms your non-research colleagues use can make those boring tasks—like contracts and scheduling—much more tolerable. By speaking their language, you’ll cut down on confusion and make those "necessary evils" a bit easier (and maybe even fun).
