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
Offshore Contact ResearchOffshore Contact Research is the process of using specialized teams in lower-cost countries (such as the Philippines or India) to identify, verify,...
Offshore List BuildingOffshore list building is the practice of using sales research teams based in lower-cost countries (such as the Philippines or India) to identify,...
Offshore Sales OutsourcingOffshore sales outsourcing is the practice of delegating B2B sales development activities, such as prospecting, cold calling, email outreach, and SDR...
OnboardingOnboarding is the structured process of integrating new people and tools into an organization so they reach full productivity quickly. In B2B sales...
Onboarding ExperienceThe onboarding experience is the structured journey a new hire goes through from offer acceptance to full productivity, including training, tools...
On-Premise CRMOn-premise CRM (also called on-premises CRM) is customer relationship management software installed and hosted on a company’s own servers and...
Onshore OutsourcingOnshore outsourcing is hiring an external provider located in your own country to handle work, as opposed to offshoring it abroad. In B2B sales...
OpenerAn opener is the first thing said or written in a conversation or message, meant to grab attention and set the tone. In B2B sales development, the...
Open RatesOpen rates measure the percentage of sent emails that recipients actually open. In B2B sales development, open rates are a core deliverability and...
Open Rate SamplingOpen Rate Sampling is a testing approach in B2B email outreach where sales teams send emails to a smaller, representative subset of prospects to...
Open-to-Reply PercentageOpen-to-Reply Percentage is a cold email performance metric that measures how many recipients reply after opening your email. Calculated as replies...
Open TrackingOpen tracking is the process of measuring when a prospect opens a sales email, usually via an invisible tracking pixel that loads when images are...
Open Tracking PixelAn open tracking pixel is a tiny, invisible image (usually 1x1 pixel) embedded in an email to record when the message is opened, a technique used...
OpportunityAn opportunity is a qualified potential deal that has a defined need, budget, and buying process and is actively being worked toward a sale. In B2B...
Opportunity ManagementOpportunity management is the structured process of tracking, prioritizing, and advancing qualified sales deals from first conversation through...
Opt-Out LinkAn opt-out link (unsubscribe link) is a clearly visible hyperlink in a B2B sales or marketing email that lets recipients stop or reduce future...
Outbound Lead GenerationOutbound lead generation is the proactive process of identifying, contacting, and qualifying potential B2B customers who have not yet expressed...
Outbound Lead Generation AgencyAn outbound lead generation agency is a specialized B2B partner that builds and runs proactive prospecting programs, typically using cold calling,...
Outbound MarketingOutbound marketing is the practice of proactively reaching out to potential buyers rather than waiting for them to come to you. In B2B sales...
Outbound SalesOutbound sales is a proactive B2B selling motion where SDRs, BDRs, and AEs initiate contact with target accounts via cold calls, cold emails, social...
Outsourced Account ExecutiveAn outsourced account executive (outsourced AE) is a quota-carrying salesperson, employed by an external provider rather than your company, who...
Outsourced B2B Lead GenerationOutsourced B2B lead generation is the practice of hiring an external specialist partner to plan, execute, and optimize outbound prospecting and...
Outsourced BDRAn outsourced BDR (Business Development Representative) is a third-party sales professional or team that handles top-of-funnel B2B prospecting,...
Outsourced Business DevelopmentOutsourced business development is the practice of hiring a specialized external partner to run core top-of-funnel B2B sales activities, such as...
Outsourced Cold CallingOutsourced cold calling is the practice of hiring a specialized external B2B sales development partner to run your prospecting calls, qualification,...
Outsourced Head of SalesAn outsourced Head of Sales is a senior sales leader, typically engaged on a fractional or contract basis through a specialist firm, who owns your...
Outsourced Inside SalesOutsourced inside sales is the practice of hiring a specialized external team to handle remote B2B selling activities such as prospecting, cold...
Outsourced Lead GenerationOutsourced lead generation in B2B sales is the practice of partnering with an external specialist firm to research, engage, and qualify prospects on...
Outsourced Phone SalesOutsourced phone sales is the practice of hiring an external B2B sales development partner to run your outbound calling and qualification efforts,...
Outsourced ProspectingOutsourced prospecting is the practice of partnering with an external B2B sales development provider to handle top-of-funnel activities such as...
Outsourced SalesOutsourced sales is the practice of partnering with a specialized third-party provider to manage parts or all of the B2B sales development process,...
Outsourced Sales AgencyAn outsourced sales agency is a specialized B2B partner that provides external sales development resources, such as SDRs, cold callers, and outbound...
Outsourced Sales CallsOutsourced sales calls are B2B prospecting and qualification calls executed by an external provider instead of an internal SDR team. These partners...
Outsourced Sales CompanyAn outsourced sales company is a third-party firm that manages some or all of a B2B organization’s sales development activities, such as prospecting,...
Outsourced Sales DevelopmentOutsourced sales development is the practice of hiring a specialized external team to run your B2B SDR function, prospecting, cold outreach,...
Outsourced Sales Development Reps (SDR)Outsourced Sales Development Reps (SDRs) are external B2B prospecting specialists provided by a third-party agency to run your outbound sales...
Outsourced Sales ServicesOutsourced sales services are when a B2B company partners with a specialized external provider to handle parts or all of its sales development...
Outsourced Sales TeamAn outsourced sales team is a third-party group of B2B sales development and closing specialists that manages part or all of your sales process, from...
Outsourced Sales TeamsOutsourced sales teams are external specialists that handle parts or all of a company’s B2B sales development function, typically prospecting, cold...
Outsourced SDR CompanyAn outsourced SDR company is a specialized B2B sales development partner that provides external sales development representatives (SDRs) to handle...
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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