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.
81 matching terms · 6 categories · Updated continuously
Account ListIn B2B sales development, an account list is a prioritized, structured set of target companies that match your ideal customer profile (ICP) and will...
Account ResearchAccount research in B2B sales development is the structured process of gathering and analyzing detailed information about target companies and their...
Address ValidationAddress validation is the process of verifying and standardizing business postal addresses in B2B prospect and customer databases by checking them...
AgriTechAgriTech (agricultural technology) refers to the ecosystem of B2B companies providing software, hardware, data and biotech solutions to modernize...
Buyer BehaviorBuyer behavior is the study of how people decide what to purchase, including the needs, motivations, and steps that shape a buying decision. In B2B...
Buyer PersonaA buyer persona is a research-based, semi-fictional profile of an ideal decision-maker or influencer within your target accounts. In B2B sales...
Buying CriteriaBuying criteria are the factors a buyer uses to evaluate options and decide what to purchase, including business, technical, financial, and risk...
Buying IntentBuying intent is the measurable likelihood that a person or company is actively researching and preparing to buy, inferred from behavioral signals...
Buying SignalA buying signal is any action or data point suggesting that a person or company is moving toward a purchase. In B2B sales development, buying signals...
Buying TriggerA buying trigger is a specific event, signal, or change in a target account that indicates a higher likelihood they are entering an active buying...
CohortA cohort is a group of people or things that share a common characteristic over a defined period, a concept used widely in statistics, research, and...
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...
Custom List BuildingCustom list building in B2B sales development is the process of researching and assembling a highly targeted, account- and contact-level prospect...
Data EntryData entry is the task of accurately capturing, standardizing, and updating information in a system of record such as a database, spreadsheet, or...
Data ValidationData validation is the process of confirming that data is accurate, complete, and usable before it is stored or acted on. In B2B sales development,...
Decision MakerA decision maker is the person or group with the formal authority to approve or reject a choice or purchase. In B2B sales development, decision...
DemographicsDemographics are the measurable attributes of a population or individual, such as age, role, income, education, and location. In B2B sales...
EdTechEdTech, short for education technology, is the broad category of software, hardware, and digital tools that support teaching, learning, and training....
Employee CountEmployee Count is a core firmographic data point that indicates how many people work at a company, typically expressed as an exact number or in...
EnrichmentEnrichment is the process of filling in and updating missing or incomplete records by pulling additional details from third-party data sources. In...
FinServFinServ is shorthand for the financial services industry, banks, credit unions, insurers, wealth and asset managers, capital markets, payments...
FinTechFinTech (financial technology) refers to technology-driven companies and platforms that deliver financial services such as payments, lending,...
FirmographicsFirmographics are company-level attributes, such as industry, employee count, revenue, geography, and growth stage, used to segment and prioritize...
Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a data-backed description of the organizations that are most likely to buy from you, stay with you, and generate...
Industry CodesIndustry codes are standardized classification systems, such as SIC and NAICS, that categorize companies based on their primary line of business. In...
Industry SegmentationIndustry segmentation is the practice of organizing target accounts into distinct industry or vertical groups, often using NAICS/SIC or self-reported...
InfluencerAn influencer is a person who shapes other people's decisions through expertise, authority, or trust. In B2B sales development, an influencer...
Intent DataIntent data is behavioral information captured from digital activities, such as content consumption, keyword searches, and comparison research, that...
Lead EnrichmentLead enrichment is the process of adding accurate, up-to-date firmographic, technographic, contact, and intent data to raw leads so B2B sales teams...
List BuildingList building is the process of identifying, researching, validating, and organizing a set of contacts or accounts to reach, such as an email list or...
List Building SoftwareList building software is a category of B2B sales tools that helps revenue teams automatically identify, compile, and maintain targeted prospect...
List Building TeamA List Building Team in B2B sales development is a specialized group, internal or outsourced, responsible for identifying, researching, verifying,...
List Building ToolsList building tools are software platforms and data services that help B2B sales teams identify, compile, and enrich targeted lists of accounts and...
List CleaningList cleaning is the ongoing process of verifying, correcting, and removing invalid, duplicate, or outdated records from a contact database. In B2B...
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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