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
Outsourced SDR TeamAn outsourced SDR team is a third-party sales development group that handles top-of-funnel prospecting, qualification, and meeting setting for your...
Outsourced TelemarketingOutsourced telemarketing is the practice of hiring a specialized B2B sales development provider to handle phone-based outbound prospecting, lead...
Outsourced TelesalesOutsourced telesales is the practice of hiring an external B2B sales development partner to run phone-based prospecting, qualification, and...
Part-Time Cold CallerA part-time cold caller is a sales development professional who spends a limited number of hours each week making outbound B2B calls to identify...
Pay Per Appointment Lead GenerationPay Per Appointment Lead Generation is a performance-based B2B outbound model where you pay only when a qualified sales meeting is booked with a...
Pay Per MeetingPay Per Meeting (PPM) is a performance-based B2B lead generation pricing model where you only pay an external provider when a qualified sales meeting...
Performance PlanA performance plan is a structured, time-bound agreement that sets clear targets a person must meet, plus the support they will get to reach them. In...
Phone Number ValidationPhone number validation is the process of verifying that phone numbers are correctly formatted, active, and likely to connect to the intended contact...
PipelineA pipeline is a structured, stage-by-stage view of work moving toward a goal, most often a sale. In B2B sales development, a pipeline shows every...
Pipeline ManagementPipeline management is the practice of tracking and guiding deals through each stage of a sales process from first contact to close, used by any...
Point of Contact (POC)A point of contact (POC) is the main person responsible for handling communication, answering questions, and coordinating information for a specific...
Positioning StatementA positioning statement is a concise message that defines who your ideal customer is, the problem you solve, how you differ from alternatives, and...
Power DialerA power dialer is an outbound calling tool that automatically dials the next number in a prioritized list as soon as an SDR finishes a call,...
Predictive DialerA predictive dialer is an automated outbound calling system that uses algorithms to dial multiple numbers ahead of agent availability, filtering out...
Private CompaniesPrivate companies are businesses whose ownership is not traded on public stock exchanges, including most small and mid-sized firms,...
Problem StatementA problem statement is a concise, clear description of an issue that needs to be solved, including its impact and who it affects. In B2B sales...
Product DemoA product demo is a live or recorded walkthrough that shows a prospective buyer how a product works and how it solves their problems. In B2B sales...
Product FeaturesProduct features are the specific capabilities, integrations, technical attributes, and service elements that define what a product does. In B2B...
Product MarketingProduct marketing is the function that defines a product's target customer, positioning, and messaging, and translates features into value stories...
Product MessagingProduct messaging is the way you explain what a product does, who it is for, and why it matters in language that resonates with buyers. In B2B sales...
Profit MarginProfit margin is the percentage of revenue a business keeps as profit after costs, a core financial metric used across every industry. In B2B sales...
ProspectA prospect is a potential customer, a company or person who fits your ideal buyer and is being targeted for outreach but has not yet entered an...
ProspectingProspecting in B2B sales development is the proactive process of identifying, researching, and engaging potential customers that match your ideal...
Public CompaniesPublic companies are businesses whose shares are traded on public stock exchanges and are required to publish audited financial and operational...
QualificationQualification is the process of judging whether someone or something meets a defined set of criteria. In B2B sales development, qualification means...
Qualified LeadA qualified lead is a B2B contact or account that fits your ideal customer profile and has shown clear buying intent, making them ready for focused...
Qualifying QuestionA qualifying question is a targeted question used to determine whether a prospect is a good fit and worth pursuing further. In B2B sales development,...
RealTechRealTech (real estate technology) is the category of software, platforms, and data tools that serve the real estate industry, from listings and...
RegTechRegTech (regulatory technology) is software and data tooling that helps organizations meet compliance, privacy, and reporting requirements more...
Remote Sales RepsRemote sales reps are B2B sales professionals who work from home or distributed locations while prospecting, qualifying, and closing deals via phone,...
Reply-to-Meeting PercentageReply-to-Meeting Percentage is a B2B outbound email metric that measures how effectively your team converts email replies into booked sales meetings....
Reply TrackingReply tracking is the process of automatically monitoring, capturing, and categorizing responses to outbound emails. In B2B sales development, it...
ResponderA responder is anyone who replies to a message, campaign, or survey. In B2B sales development, a responder is a prospect who answers an outbound...
Response CategorizationResponse categorization is the process of systematically tagging and classifying every reply (and key non-replies like bounces and auto-responses) to...
Return on Investment (ROI)Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial metric that measures the gain from an investment relative to its cost, used across business and finance to...
Return on Marketing SpendReturn on Marketing Spend (ROMS) is a performance metric that compares the revenue or pipeline generated from marketing activities to the total cost...
Revenue SharingRevenue sharing is a commercial model where partners split the revenue generated from a product, service, or deal according to an agreed percentage....
Robo DialsRobo dials are phone calls placed automatically by software rather than dialed by hand, the same technology behind automated phone systems and...
Sales AccountA sales account is the company or organization record that B2B sales teams target, track, and develop over time, distinct from the individual...
Sales CadenceA sales cadence is a structured sequence of outreach touches (emails, calls, social messages, voicemails, etc.) that sales development reps follow to...
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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