Final answer:
Primary data refers to information collected directly from potential customers and is a firsthand account obtained through methods like surveys and interviews.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to information directly from potential customers is D. Primary. This type of information is collected firsthand by researchers through various methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, and experiments. It is original data that comes directly from the source without an intermediary. In contrast, secondary data would include sources such as books, articles, or reports written by others about their studies, which analyze and build upon the primary data.