Matthew A. Gilbert, MBA | Source | Lecturer of Marketing at Coastal Carolina University

Q. Why is communicating the value of your business idea to the audience important?
A. “The most vital part of pitching a business idea is demonstrating its value to your potential investor or partner. In other words, what’s in it for them? Know your audience as well. Some might be intrinsically motivated by your mission, whereas others are focused on its extrinsic value."

Q. Is it fair for consumers to assume that the most popular credit cards are the best credit cards?
A. "The most popular credit cards are not inherently the best credit cards for all consumers. All consumers are not the same, each of us has different needs and wants. Additionally, we are all constrained by different levels of demands we can make based on our financial status. In his TED Talk, 'Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce,' Malcolm Gladwell shares an anecdote about Pepsi’s quest to find the perfect level of sweetness to satisfy the needs of consumers. However, research revealed that 'They were looking for the perfect Pepsi, and they should have been looking for the perfect Pepsis.'"

Q. In your professional experience and opinion, what are some of the best tips and examples on how to use texting acronyms in business communication? What are some DOs and DON’Ts of business texting acronyms?
A. "Avoid texting acronyms with formal internal or external messages using your organization’s internal IT systems. Texting acronyms are only appropriate for messages sent between colleagues using iMessage, text, or another peer-to-peer service that is separate from their organization. However, it is reasonable to use texting acronyms on internal platforms for team collaboration such as Slack, but users must keep their use of texting acronyms professional and used only within the context of business purposes. Personal conversations should remain private, even those that might be business related."