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
Cold Calling AgencyA cold calling agency is a specialized B2B sales development partner that runs outbound phone campaigns to generate qualified sales meetings for your...
Cold Calling Conversion RateCold Calling Conversion Rate is the percentage of outbound cold calls that result in a meaningful next step, such as a booked meeting, qualified...
Cold Calling CRMCold Calling CRM is a sales CRM setup specifically designed to plan, execute, and track outbound phone outreach in B2B sales development. It combines...
Cold Calling KPIsCold Calling KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are the specific, measurable metrics B2B sales teams use to evaluate how effectively their SDRs turn...
Cold Calling Lead GenerationCold calling lead generation is the process of using outbound phone calls to identify, qualify, and book meetings with new B2B prospects who have not...
Cold Calling ListA cold calling list is a structured, prioritized database of B2B accounts and decision-makers that sales development reps (SDRs) call to generate...
Cold Calling Objection HandlingCold calling objection handling is the skill and process of effectively responding to a prospect’s concerns, pushbacks, and “not interested”...
Cold Calling OutsourcingCold calling outsourcing is the practice of hiring an external B2B sales development partner to handle outbound calling, prospecting, and appointment...
Cold Calling Personality TypesCold Calling Personality Types are distinct, repeatable styles that B2B SDRs and callers use when engaging prospects by phone, such as challenger,...
Cold Calling PlatformA cold calling platform is a software system that helps B2B sales development teams plan, automate, and analyze outbound phone outreach at scale. It...
Cold Calling RapportCold calling rapport is the ability of a sales development representative (SDR) to quickly build trust, comfort, and credibility with a completely...
Cold Calling ROICold Calling ROI (Return on Investment) in B2B sales development measures how much revenue or qualified pipeline you generate for every dollar spent...
Cold Calling ScriptA cold calling script is a structured talk track B2B SDRs and sales reps use to guide live outbound calls, including openers, discovery questions,...
Cold Calling SDRsCold Calling SDRs (Sales Development Representatives) are specialized outbound reps who focus on initiating contact with net-new B2B prospects by...
Cold Calling ServicesCold calling services are specialized B2B sales development programs where trained SDRs make proactive, outbound phone calls to target accounts to...
Cold Calling TeamA cold calling team is a specialized group of sales development representatives (SDRs) dedicated to generating B2B pipeline by engaging net-new...
Cold Calling Tone of VoiceCold calling tone of voice is the way an SDR sounds on a sales call, including pace, volume, pitch, warmth, and confidence, and how that delivery...
Cold Calling Value PropositionA cold calling value proposition is the clear, 20-30 second statement SDRs use at the start of a B2B sales call to explain why they’re calling and...
Cold EmailCold email is an unsolicited, one-to-one email sent to a business decision-maker with whom you have no prior relationship, with the goal of starting...
Cold Email Lead Generation AgencyA cold email lead generation agency is a specialized B2B partner that designs, executes, and optimizes outbound email campaigns to create qualified...
Cold Email MarketingCold email marketing is the practice of sending highly targeted, unsolicited but permission-compliant emails to B2B prospects who don’t yet have a...
CommissionCommission is a payment tied to performance, most often a percentage of sales, used to reward employees for results across many roles. In B2B sales...
Commission PlanA commission plan is the structured framework that defines how B2B sales development and sales reps earn variable pay on top of base salary. It sets...
Company RevenueCompany revenue is the total income a business generates from its normal operations (typically measured as annual revenue). In B2B sales development...
ConsumerA consumer is the end user or individual who buys or uses a product or service for personal use. In B2B sales development, the term marks the end...
Contact ListA contact list is a structured database of target decision-makers and influencers with verified contact details and firmographic context. In B2B...
Contact ResearchContact research is the process of identifying, validating, and enriching direct contact-level information for decision makers and influencers inside...
Contact ScrapingContact scraping is the process of automatically or semi-automatically extracting B2B prospect details, such as names, job titles, emails, phone...
Content MarketingContent marketing is the systematic creation and distribution of educational, audience-focused content to attract and build trust with potential...
Contract ManagementContract management is the end-to-end process of creating, negotiating, approving, executing, and renewing contracts in a way that protects revenue...
ConversionA conversion is when someone completes a desired action, such as a click, sign-up, reply, or purchase, that moves them to the next step in a funnel....
Conversion PathA conversion path is the sequence of steps a person takes from first interaction to a desired action, like a purchase or signup. In B2B sales...
Conversion RateConversion rate is the percentage of people who take a specific desired action out of the total number who had the opportunity to. In B2B sales...
Conversion Rate OptimizationConversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the systematic practice of increasing the share of people who take a desired action, a discipline rooted in...
Corporate GiftingCorporate gifting is the practice of sending thoughtful, compliant gifts to build and strengthen business relationships with prospects, customers,...
Corporate Gifting PolicyA corporate gifting policy is a formal set of rules that govern when and how employees can give or receive business gifts, swag, hospitality, or...
Cost-Per-Click (CPC)Cost-Per-Click (CPC) is a pricing model used in digital advertising where a B2B company pays each time a prospect clicks its ad, regardless of...
Cost-Per-MeetingCost-Per-Meeting (CPM) is a B2B sales development metric that calculates the total cost required to generate one held, qualified sales meeting. It...
CPQ SoftwareCPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software is a sales technology that helps B2B teams quickly configure complex products or service packages, calculate...
CRM AnalyticsCRM analytics is the practice of turning the data inside a customer relationship management system into insights that guide decisions, used across...
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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