Business Pitch Language Foundation
The shared vocabulary needed before entering startup, business or corporate work.
Pitching and decisions
Recognise the core artefacts and actions in a business pitch.
- Business pitch
A presentation that asks people to back a business idea or decision.
- Business deck
A slide presentation about a business or decision.
- Executive summary
A concise statement of the issue, evidence, recommendation and implications.
- One-pager
A one-page explanation of the most important points.
- Business plan
A written plan for how a business will work and grow.
- Ask slide
The slide that says exactly what you are asking for.
- Call to action
A prompt telling the audience what to do next.
- Decision-maker
The person or body with authority to approve the purchase.
Explain all eight terms in “Pitching and decisions” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Business pitch” from “Decision-maker” in this module.
Use “One-pager” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Strategy basics
Understand the difference between purpose, direction, choices and execution.
- Mission
What the organisation does and whom it serves.
- Vision
The future the organisation wants to make real.
- Goal
A desired result to be achieved.
- Objective
A defined result or direction an organisation intends to achieve.
- Strategy
A set of connected choices about how to win.
- Strategic choice
A real choice that commits the organisation to one path over another.
- Competitive advantage
A reason the organisation can perform better than competitors.
- Value proposition
A concise statement of the value an offer creates for a defined audience.
Explain all eight terms in “Strategy basics” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Mission” from “Value proposition” in this module.
Use “Objective” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Markets and customers
Read the basic language of market scope and customer definition.
- Market
The people or organisations who may buy and sell a kind of thing.
- Market size
How large a defined market is.
- Total addressable market
The biggest theoretically relevant market.
- Serviceable available market
The part of the total market the company can actually serve.
- Serviceable obtainable market
The realistic near-term share the company might win.
- Customer segment
A group of similar customers.
- Target market
The group of customers an organisation chooses to serve.
- Buyer persona
A representation of a typical buyer role, needs, concerns and behaviour.
Explain all eight terms in “Markets and customers” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Market” from “Buyer persona” in this module.
Use “Serviceable available market” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Business model and economics
Understand how the organisation creates value and how the numbers connect.
- Business model
How a business works and makes value sustainable.
- Revenue model
A model translating volume, price and other drivers into revenue.
- Pricing strategy
The principles and choices governing how an organisation sets and changes prices.
- Cost structure
What the business spends money on and why.
- Gross margin
Gross profit divided by revenue.
- Unit economics
Revenue, cost and contribution analysed for one customer, order, product or other defined economic unit.
- Break-even point
The output or revenue level at which total revenue equals total cost under stated assumptions.
- Cash flow
Movement of cash and cash equivalents into or out of an organisation.
Explain all eight terms in “Business model and economics” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Business model” from “Cash flow” in this module.
Use “Cost structure” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Measurement and evidence
Use metrics without confusing plans, forecasts and targets.
- Metric
A quantitative or qualitative measure used to assess something.
- Key performance indicator
A metric selected as especially important to tracking an objective.
- Leading indicator
A measure expected to signal future performance or change.
- Lagging indicator
A measure reflecting an outcome after it has occurred.
- Baseline
The starting measurement used for comparison.
- Target
A specific level or outcome to reach by a defined time.
- Forecast
An updated estimate of future results.
- Variance
The difference between actual and planned performance.
Explain all eight terms in “Measurement and evidence” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Metric” from “Variance” in this module.
Use “Lagging indicator” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Execution and ownership
Read plans, dependencies and decision responsibilities.
- Operating model
A model forecasting business drivers, revenue, costs, assets and operating performance.
- Product roadmap
A plan showing where the product is heading.
- Milestone
A significant checkpoint in a plan.
- Owner
The person accountable for a goal, metric or action.
- Dependency
Something the work relies on.
- Risk
The effect of uncertainty on objectives, expressed through possible events and consequences.
- Mitigation
Action to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions or enhance removals.
- Decision log
A record of board decisions and rationale.
Explain all eight terms in “Execution and ownership” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Operating model” from “Decision log” in this module.
Use “Owner” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Governance and reporting
Recognise the minimum language of oversight and reliable reporting.
- Board of directors
The governing body responsible for oversight, major decisions and duties assigned by law or governing documents.
- Board deck
A presentation prepared for board oversight or decision.
- Management accounts
Internal financial reports prepared for management rather than formal external reporting.
- Materiality
A threshold for deciding which information or impacts are important enough to report or manage under a stated framework.
- Disclosure
Information provided to clarify a material relationship, limitation or condition.
- Control
A measure designed to prevent, detect or correct risk or error.
- Audit
An independent or structured examination of information, controls or compliance against criteria.
- Compliance
Conformity with applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards and contractual obligations.
Explain all eight terms in “Governance and reporting” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Board of directors” from “Compliance” in this module.
Use “Materiality” naturally in a realistic working sentence.