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.
78 matching terms · 6 categories · Updated continuously
Account Development Rep (ADR)An Account Development Rep (ADR) is a specialized B2B sales development role focused on researching target accounts, engaging key stakeholders, and...
Ad-Hoc ReportingAd-hoc reporting is the ability to quickly build one-off, custom reports or dashboards on demand to answer a specific question, without waiting on IT...
Adoption ProcessThe adoption process is the series of stages a person or organization moves through when deciding to accept and fully use a new product, tool, or...
Annual Contract Value (ACV)Annual Contract Value (ACV) is the average yearly revenue a company earns from a single B2B customer contract, normalized to one year regardless of...
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) is the normalized annual value of all active, contracted recurring revenue in a subscription or usage-based B2B...
Automated Follow UpsAutomated follow ups are system-triggered sales touchpoints, usually via email, calls, SMS, or LinkedIn, that are scheduled and sent based on...
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is a revenue metric that shows how much recurring revenue your company earns per active customer or account over a...
B2B MarketingB2B marketing is the set of strategies and channels companies use to identify, attract, and nurture other businesses as customers. In a sales...
Business Development Rep (BDR)A Business Development Rep (BDR) is a specialized B2B sales role focused on generating pipeline by identifying, prospecting, and qualifying potential...
Business IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence (BI) is the practice of collecting and analyzing data to support better business decisions, spanning reporting, dashboards, and...
Buying CycleThe buying cycle is the full journey a buyer takes from first recognizing a need through researching options, evaluating choices, getting approvals,...
Buying ProcessThe buying process is the series of steps a customer goes through to make a purchase, from recognizing a need to choosing and buying a product. In...
Chief Revenue OfficerA Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is the executive responsible for owning and orchestrating all revenue-generating activities across sales development,...
Churn RateChurn rate is the percentage of customers or revenue a B2B company loses over a given period, typically monthly or annually. In sales development, it...
Client Case StudyA client case study is a structured, story-driven proof asset that documents how a specific B2B customer used your solution to solve a problem and...
Closed-LostClosed-Lost is a CRM deal status marking an opportunity that ended without a purchase, whether lost to a competitor, to the status quo, or to no...
Closed-WonClosed-Won is a CRM deal status marking an opportunity that ended in a signed agreement or firm purchase commitment. In B2B sales development, it is...
Closed Won RatioClosed Won Ratio is the percentage of qualified opportunities that end as Closed Won versus Closed Lost in a given period. In B2B sales development,...
CloserA closer is the sales professional responsible for converting qualified opportunities into signed deals and revenue. In B2B sales development, the...
Closing RatioClosing ratio is the percentage of qualified sales opportunities that become closed-won deals. In B2B sales development, it typically measures how...
Cloud-Based CRMA cloud-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is a centrally hosted, subscription-based platform accessed via the internet that stores...
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...
Contract ManagementContract management is the end-to-end process of creating, negotiating, approving, executing, and renewing contracts in a way that protects revenue...
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...
Customer FeedbackCustomer feedback is the qualitative and quantitative input people share about their experience with a product, service, or interaction. In B2B sales...
Customer Pain PointA customer pain point is a specific, recurring problem, friction, or unmet need that a buyer is actively experiencing. In B2B sales development,...
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) SystemsCustomer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are software platforms that centralize and organize all interactions with prospects and customers...
Customer Success Manager (CSM)A Customer Success Manager (CSM) is the post-sale owner of a customer relationship, responsible for onboarding, adoption, and ongoing value so the...
Hard SellA hard sell is a high-pressure, highly directive sales approach that pushes a buyer toward an immediate decision, often using urgency, repeated...
Hat TrickA hat trick is achieving three notable successes in quick succession, a term borrowed from sports where it means scoring three goals in a single...
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the quantifiable metrics an organization uses to measure progress toward its most important goals. In B2B sales...
Knowledge BaseA knowledge base is a centralized, searchable repository of information that a team or its customers use to find answers quickly. In B2B sales...
Lead ManagementLead management in B2B sales development is the end-to-end process of capturing, enriching, routing, engaging, and tracking prospects from first...
Lead QualificationLead qualification in B2B sales development is the process SDRs use to determine whether a prospect is a good fit, has genuine buying intent, and is...
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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