The B2B sales glossary
The language of outbound, defined.
Clear, practical definitions of the cold calling, email outreach, lead generation, and sales development terms that actually move pipeline. Written by the team that runs outbound every day.
438 terms and growing · 6 categories · Updated continuously
Social SellingSocial selling is the practice of using social media to find, research, and connect with potential buyers, building relationships before making a...
Soft BounceA soft bounce is a temporary email delivery failure where a valid address rejects a message for a short-lived reason, such as a full mailbox or an...
Soft SellingSoft selling is a consultative, low-pressure sales approach that focuses on understanding a buyer's needs and building trust to guide a decision,...
Spam FilterA spam filter is software that automatically identifies and blocks unwanted or suspicious emails before they reach the inbox. In B2B sales...
Spam KeywordA spam keyword is a word or phrase (often promotional, urgent, or “too good to be true”) that increases the likelihood a B2B sales email gets...
Speed DialerA speed dialer is a sales dialing tool that automatically queues and launches the next outbound call the moment an SDR finishes the previous one,...
SPFSender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication protocol published as a DNS TXT record that specifies which mail servers are authorized to...
SpoofingSpoofing is the practice of forging or manipulating identity details, such as an email From address, display name, caller ID, or domain, so a message...
StakeholderA stakeholder is any person or group that influences, approves, blocks, or is materially affected by a decision or project. In B2B sales development,...
Subject LineA subject line is the short line of text that appears in an email inbox and tells the recipient what the message is about. In B2B sales development,...
Target BuyerA target buyer is the specific person or role a company aims to reach and influence with its sales and marketing. In B2B sales development, the...
Target MarketA target market is the specific group of customers, defined by shared traits and needs, that a business focuses its products and selling on. In B2B...
TCPAThe Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a U.S. federal law that restricts telemarketing calls, texts, and certain automated dialing...
TechnographicsTechnographics are data points describing the technologies, software, and tools a company uses, its tech stack. In B2B sales development,...
TelemarketerA telemarketer is a sales professional who sells or promotes products and services over the phone, calling prospects to spark interest, qualify...
TelemarketingTelemarketing is the practice of marketing or selling products and services to customers over the phone, using outbound or inbound calls to reach...
Telemarketing CompaniesTelemarketing companies are specialized providers that run outbound calling programs to generate and qualify B2B sales opportunities. They supply...
TelesalesTelesales is the process of selling products or services over the phone, typically through structured outbound or inbound calls. In B2B sales...
Top Of The Funnel (TOFU)Top of the Funnel (TOFU) is the earliest stage of the marketing and sales funnel, where the goal is to create awareness and capture initial interest...
Top Prospect ListA Top Prospect List is a tightly defined, prioritized set of high-value target accounts and contacts that best match your ideal customer profile...
Total Addressable Market (TAM)Total Addressable Market (TAM) is the total revenue or number of accounts your business could realistically pursue if it achieved 100% market share...
Total Available Market (TAM)Total Available Market (TAM) is the full universe of companies and buyers that could realistically purchase your product or service within a defined...
Unqualified LeadAn unqualified lead is a contact or account that does not yet meet your agreed criteria for active sales pursuit, such as fit, authority, budget,...
UpsellingUpselling is the practice of encouraging a customer to buy a higher-value version, tier, or add-on than the one they were considering. In B2B sales...
UTM Tracking LinkA UTM tracking link is a URL with added UTM parameters (like `utm_source`, `utm_medium`, and `utm_campaign`) used to identify exactly where a lead or...
Value ChainA value chain is the full sequence of activities a business performs to create, deliver, and capture value. In B2B sales development, the value chain...
Value PropositionA value proposition is a clear statement of the specific value a product or service delivers and why it beats the alternatives. In B2B sales...
Variable TestingVariable testing in B2B email marketing is the systematic experimentation of specific elements in outbound sales emails, such as subject lines,...
VerticalA vertical is a specific industry or market segment, such as healthcare, fintech, or manufacturing, made up of companies with shared business models...
Video MarketingVideo marketing is the use of video content to capture attention, build trust, and move an audience toward action. In B2B sales development, it puts...
Voicemail DropA voicemail drop is the practice of leaving a pre-recorded voicemail automatically or with one click when a call goes unanswered. In B2B sales...
VOIPVOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology that delivers phone calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines, typically through...
VP of MarketingA VP of Marketing is the executive who leads a company's marketing organization, owning brand, demand generation, and the pipeline marketing...
VP of Product MarketingA VP of Product Marketing is the senior leader who owns go-to-market strategy, positioning, and sales enablement for a company’s products, with a...
VP of SalesA VP of Sales is the senior executive responsible for designing, leading, and optimizing a company’s B2B sales engine, with a heavy focus on pipeline...
Web Form EnrichmentWeb Form Enrichment is the process of automatically appending firmographic, technographic, and contact data to leads captured through website forms,...
Weighted Sales PipelineA weighted sales pipeline is a forecasting method that assigns a probability to each deal based on its stage, then multiplies that probability by the...
Whale HuntingWhale hunting in B2B sales development is the deliberate pursuit of a small number of very large, high-value accounts that can generate outsized...
About this glossary
A working reference, not a textbook
The short version is on the surface. Open any question to go deeper.
It is a practical reference for the language of B2B outbound sales. Every entry explains a cold calling, email outreach, lead generation, or sales development term in plain English, with the context and best practices that actually matter when you run campaigns.
They come from the SalesHive team, the same strategists and SDRs who run outbound campaigns for thousands of clients every day. The goal is working knowledge you can apply, not textbook theory.
Search by name at the top of the page, filter by category, or browse the A to Z list below. Each term links to a full definition with key benefits, best practices, common challenges, and FAQs.
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