Sales & Marketing Glossary

Comparing two versions of a webpage, email, or ad to see which performs better based on a specific metric.

A B2B strategy that focuses marketing resources on a specific set of target accounts using personalized campaigns.

Technology that enables machines to simulate human intelligence, including learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.

An autonomous AI system that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals without constant human supervision.

Using artificial intelligence to provide real-time guidance and feedback to sales reps during conversations or after analyzing their performance.

Different operational states an AI agent uses based on the stage of the prospect relationship, such as intake, qualification, nurturing, or closing.

Using artificial intelligence to generate marketing and sales copy, including emails, subject lines, and messaging variations optimized for engagement.

The process by which an AI system transfers a conversation or task to a human when it encounters complexity, uncertainty, or specific triggers.

The seamless transition of a conversation or lead from an AI system to a human sales representative, typically triggered by qualification criteria or complexity.

Machine learning algorithms that automatically rank leads based on their likelihood to convert, using behavioral data, demographics, and engagement patterns.

An AI system's ability to retain and recall information from previous conversations with a lead, enabling more contextual and personalized future interactions.

Using artificial intelligence to automate outbound sales activities including prospecting, initial outreach, follow-ups, and lead qualification.

Using artificial intelligence to automatically customize messages, content, and outreach based on individual prospect data, behavior, and preferences.

Using artificial intelligence to automatically assess and score leads based on predefined criteria, determining their readiness and fit for sales engagement.

The time it takes for an AI system to generate and send a response to an incoming lead or message, typically measured in seconds.

An artificial intelligence system that automates the role of a human sales development representative, handling prospecting, outreach, and lead qualification at scale.

Sales processes where AI provides real-time guidance, recommendations, and automation to help human salespeople close more deals effectively.

Actionable intelligence generated by AI analysis of sales and marketing data, helping teams make better decisions and optimize performance.

Email content created by artificial intelligence, personalized based on recipient data and optimized for engagement and response.

Customer relationship management software enhanced with artificial intelligence to automate data entry, provide insights, and predict outcomes.

A set of protocols allowing different software applications to communicate with each other, enabling integrations between tools.

Pre-built series of outreach activities that execute automatically based on triggers, time delays, or prospect behavior.

AI-driven communication that independently crafts, sends, and manages follow-up messages to prospects without requiring human intervention for each interaction.

A sales qualification framework: Budget (can they afford it?), Authority (can they make the decision?), Need (do they have a problem you solve?), Timeline (when do they need it?).

A semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about existing customers.

Actions or statements from a prospect that indicate purchase interest or readiness, such as asking about pricing, implementation, or contract terms.

The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing, sales, and related expenses. Calculated as Total Acquisition Costs / New Customers.

The rhythm and timing of sales outreach activities, defining how frequently and through which channels prospects are contacted.

An AI-powered program that simulates conversation with users, often used for customer support or lead qualification.

The percentage of customers who stop using your product/service during a given period. Calculated as (Lost Customers / Start Customers) × 100.

The percentage of leads or opportunities that convert into paying customers. Calculated as (Closed Deals / Total Opportunities) × 100.

A potential prospect who has not yet been contacted or has shown no prior interest in your product or company.

Initiating contact with prospects who have no prior relationship with your company, typically through email, phone, or social media.

A numerical measure of how certain an AI system is about its assessment, recommendation, or response, often used to trigger human review.

The percentage of leads successfully reached through outreach attempts. Critical for measuring the effectiveness of contact data and outreach timing.

Creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience with the goal of driving profitable action.

An AI system's ability to understand the full context of a conversation, including history, intent, and relevant information, to provide appropriate responses.

The logical progression of a dialogue between AI and prospect, designed to gather information, qualify interest, and guide toward desired outcomes.

The complete record of all interactions between a prospect and your company, providing context for future engagements and AI responses.

AI-powered analysis of sales conversations (calls, emails, chats) to extract insights, identify patterns, and improve sales effectiveness.

The percentage of outreach attempts that result in a meaningful two-way dialogue with a prospect, beyond simple opens or clicks.

AI technology that enables natural, human-like dialogue between machines and humans through text or voice, going beyond scripted chatbots to understand context and intent.

The percentage of visitors or leads who take a desired action. Calculated as (Conversions / Total Visitors) × 100.

The average cost to acquire a single lead. Calculated as Total Marketing Spend / Number of Leads Generated.

Software that helps manage interactions with current and potential customers, tracking deals, communications, and customer data.

A prompt that tells users what action to take next, such as 'Sign Up,' 'Download Now,' or 'Book a Demo.'

The percentage of people who click on a link or ad after seeing it. Calculated as (Clicks / Impressions) × 100.

An initial sales conversation focused on understanding the prospect's needs, challenges, and goals before presenting a solution.

An automated email marketing strategy that sends a series of messages to prospects over time, nurturing them toward conversion.

Content that automatically changes based on user data, preferences, or behavior, creating personalized experiences at scale.

A metric that quantifies how actively a prospect is interacting with your outreach, content, and communications.

The initial point of contact between a prospect and your company, whether inbound (they reached out) or outbound (you reached out).

AI systems capable of creating new content (text, images, code) based on patterns learned from training data, powering tools like ChatGPT and Claude.

A highly qualified prospect who has demonstrated strong buying intent and is ready for immediate sales engagement.

An AI system design where humans review, approve, or intervene in automated processes at critical decision points to ensure quality and appropriateness.

Advanced personalization that uses AI and real-time data to deliver highly relevant, individualized content and experiences to each prospect.

A detailed description of the type of company that would benefit most from your product and provide the most value as a customer.

A marketing strategy that attracts customers through valuable content and experiences, rather than interruptive advertising.

AI-driven follow-up sequences that adapt timing, channel, and messaging based on prospect behavior and engagement patterns.

Behavioral data that reveals when prospects are actively researching solutions, indicating purchase intent before they contact you directly.

Behavioral indicators that suggest a prospect is actively researching or ready to buy, such as website visits, content downloads, or specific keyword searches.

A standalone web page created specifically for a marketing campaign, designed to convert visitors into leads or customers.

A potential customer who has shown interest in your product or service by providing contact information or engaging with your content.

The process of adding additional data points to lead records from third-party sources, improving targeting and personalization capabilities.

A free resource (ebook, template, webinar, etc.) offered in exchange for contact information to generate leads.

The process of building relationships with prospects at every stage of the sales funnel through targeted content and communication until they're ready to buy.

The process of automatically assigning incoming leads to the appropriate sales representative based on criteria like territory, expertise, or availability.

A methodology for ranking leads based on their perceived value and likelihood to convert, using behavioral and demographic data.

The current position of a lead in your sales process, from initial awareness through qualification, proposal, negotiation, and close.

The rate at which qualified leads are entering and moving through your sales pipeline, indicating business growth momentum.

Advanced AI models trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like language, powering conversational AI applications.

The total revenue a business expects from a single customer account throughout their relationship. Also called CLV (Customer Lifetime Value).

Technology that automates repetitive marketing tasks like email campaigns, social posting, and lead nurturing.

The percentage of contacted leads who schedule a meeting or demo, a key metric for measuring outreach effectiveness.

A lead that has been deemed more likely to become a customer based on their engagement with marketing efforts, such as downloading content or attending webinars.

A coordinated approach to contacting prospects across multiple communication channels (email, SMS, phone, social) to maximize engagement and response rates.

An indicator in an AI CRM system that signals when a lead requires human review or intervention, typically triggered by low confidence scores or specific criteria.

A branch of AI that enables computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language in a way that is both meaningful and useful.

A customer loyalty metric measuring how likely customers are to recommend your product on a scale of 0-10. Score = % Promoters - % Detractors.

The process of addressing and overcoming concerns or hesitations a prospect raises during the sales process.

A unified approach to customer engagement that provides consistent experience across all channels—email, SMS, chat, phone, and social.

The percentage of recipients who open an email. Calculated as (Opens / Delivered Emails) × 100.

Traditional marketing that pushes messages out to potential customers through channels like cold calling, email blasts, and advertising.

A visual representation of where prospects are in your sales process, from initial contact to closed deal.

The speed at which deals move through your sales pipeline from opportunity to close, calculated using deal value, win rate, and cycle time.

Machine learning models that analyze historical data to predict which leads are most likely to convert, prioritizing sales efforts accordingly.

The practice of crafting effective instructions and context for AI systems to generate optimal outputs for specific tasks.

A statistical model that predicts the likelihood of a specific outcome, such as a lead converting to a customer based on their attributes and behaviors.

The percentage of outreach messages that receive a reply from prospects. A key metric for measuring outbound campaign effectiveness.

Revenue generated per dollar spent on advertising. Calculated as Revenue from Ads / Ad Spend.

A measure of profitability calculated as (Revenue - Cost) / Cost × 100. Shows how much return you get for each dollar invested.

A lead distribution method that assigns leads to sales reps in rotation, ensuring equal distribution of opportunities across the team.

A software distribution model where applications are hosted in the cloud and accessed via subscription, rather than installed locally.

The average time it takes to convert a lead into a customer, from first contact to closed deal.

Technologies and data that provide insights about prospects and accounts, helping sales teams prioritize and personalize their outreach.

AI technology that interprets and classifies the emotional tone in text communications, helping identify positive, negative, or neutral responses from prospects.

A predetermined series of outreach touchpoints (emails, calls, social touches) designed to engage prospects over time and move them through the sales funnel.

The percentage of scheduled meetings where prospects actually attend. A critical metric for forecasting and pipeline management.

AI-suggested responses to incoming messages that can be sent with one click or used as a starting point for personalized follow-up.

The time between when a lead submits their information and when they receive the first response. Studies show responding within 5 minutes increases conversion by 100x.

A lead that has been vetted by the sales team and meets specific criteria indicating they're ready for direct sales engagement.

Any interaction or point of contact between a prospect and your company, including emails, calls, website visits, and social media engagement.

Selling a more expensive version or add-ons to an existing customer or during the initial sale.

A prospect who has shown interest in your product or engaged with your content but hasn't been fully qualified for sales.

An automated message sent from one app to another when a specific event occurs, enabling real-time data transfer.