The language of business

I am beginning to appreciate the value of business school as a language academy. The fundamentals of business are really not complicated - products, revenues, costs, etc. - but the vernacular can be a barrier. POS and the four-Ps seem like great mysteries until you learn that we're talking about the point-of-sale where a customer takes the product off the shelf. These are the basics. But then - and here's the key - developing skill in business (or at least the appearance) depends on refining the use of this language. Listening to a skilled orator deliver carefully chosen words full of connotation is a pleasure whereas common words laced with fillers can be painful. The same is true in business. Knowing the definition of margin from accounting class becomes more powerful when we understand the numerous variants and links with product turns, payment terms, and overall corporate strategy. It takes time to develop thorough understanding of the language of business but, like the skilled orator, listening to a person with this expertise is wonderful. I aspire to develop this ability.