.png){kind=logo}
Reference · Glossary
Sales glossary: the jargon, explained
Sales runs on acronyms. Here are 30 of the most common B2B sales terms and pieces of jargon, defined in plain English — so the next time someone says "multi-thread the MQLs to lower CAC," you know exactly what they mean.
- Plain-English definitions
- 30 core B2B sales terms
- 5 free contacts, no card
- GDPR & DPDP compliant
Grouped by where you'll meet them — prospecting, qualifying, the pipeline, and the metrics. Skim, or search the page for the one you need.
Prospecting & outreach
- Prospect — a potential customer who fits your target but hasn't engaged yet.
- Lead — a prospect who has shown some interest or been captured as a contact.
- ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) — a description of the company most likely to buy and succeed with your product.
- Cold outreach — contacting a prospect who has had no prior relationship with you.
- Multi-threading — building relationships with several stakeholders in an account, not just one.
- Single-threading — relying on one contact; the most common reason deals stall.
- Cadence / sequence — a planned series of outreach touches over time.
- Gatekeeper — a person (often an assistant or receptionist) who controls access to a decision maker.
- Champion — an internal advocate who wants your deal to happen and sells it for you.
Qualifying
- BANT — a qualification checklist: Budget, Authority, Need, Timing.
- MQL (Marketing-Qualified Lead) — a lead marketing deems ready for sales based on engagement.
- SQL (Sales-Qualified Lead) — a lead sales has confirmed as a real opportunity.
- Discovery — the stage of understanding a prospect's problem, stakeholders and process.
- Decision maker — the person with authority to approve the purchase.
- Economic buyer — the stakeholder who controls the budget and signs off.
- Buying committee — the group of stakeholders who jointly decide in a complex deal.
Pipeline & deals
- Pipeline — all the open deals a rep or team is working, by stage.
- Sales cycle — the stages a deal moves through from first contact to close. See the B2B sales cycle stages.
- Opportunity — a qualified deal actively being worked.
- Close (won / lost) — the final outcome of a deal.
- Forecast — a prediction of which deals will close and when.
- ABM (Account-Based Marketing) — targeting specific named accounts with coordinated sales and marketing. See enterprise marketing.
- Upsell / cross-sell — selling more to, or additional products to, an existing customer.
Metrics
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) — the total cost to win one customer.
- CPL (Cost Per Lead) — spend on a channel divided by the leads it produced. See lead acquisition.
- LTV (Lifetime Value) — the total revenue a customer generates over the relationship.
- Conversion rate — the share of leads or opportunities that move to the next stage.
- Win rate — the share of opportunities that close won.
- Quota — a rep's sales target for a period.
- ARR / MRR — Annual / Monthly Recurring Revenue, the standard measures for subscription businesses.
Less jargon, more contacts
However you label them — leads, prospects, MQLs — you eventually have to reach them. GetLeadz returns the verified work email and direct mobile from a LinkedIn profile, five free to start.
One credit per field · nothing charged on a missFAQ
What does MQL and SQL mean in sales?
An MQL (marketing-qualified lead) is a lead marketing judges ready for sales attention based on engagement. An SQL (sales-qualified lead) is one sales has confirmed as a real opportunity after speaking with them. The MQL-to-SQL handoff is a common point where leads are lost.
What is multi-threading in sales?
Multi-threading means building relationships with several stakeholders in an account rather than relying on one contact. It protects a deal when your single champion goes quiet or leaves, and it's essential in enterprise sales where a committee decides.
What does BANT stand for?
BANT is a qualification framework: Budget, Authority, Need, Timing. It's a quick checklist for whether a lead is worth pursuing — do they have money, the power to buy, a real need, and a timeframe?