Let's Get Rid of Business Acronyms

Let’s do a test: How many of the acronyms below can you name (no cheating)?

EBITDA

CRM

CMS

SAAS

KPI

API

UV

RSS

POS

DEI

Business acronyms are awful for communication. What’s worse, if you are using an acronym with someone outside of your industry, that person, whether they tell you or not, is often left utterly confused. Short cut acronyms may be useful when working with people on your team or within your organization, but outside of that, it is imperative to spell it out; assume the other person doesn't know what the letters mean.

Being on the receiving end of an unknown acronym often leaves people confused, sometimes feeling lost, and can lead to miscommunication. So, here’s my challenge: see if you can avoid acronyms by the close of business (COB!) today.