130 B2B sales terms, from cold call to closing, defined simply. The main ones link to the guide that goes further.
A sales professional responsible for managing sales opportunities from initial qualification through closing. The AE takes over from SDRs/BDRs who have generated and qualified the lead. Their daily work includes product demonstrations, negotiation, drafting proposals, and signing contracts. In B2B SaaS organizations, the AE is evaluated on their signed revenue quota and win rate. They are the cornerstone of the sales cycle.
Mapping of stakeholders within a target account: decision-makers, influencers, end users, blockers. Enables multi-threading strategy and avoids single points of failure.
Read more: MEDDPICC and MEDDIC: complete 2026 guide
A marketing and sales strategy that focuses resources on a select set of high-potential target accounts. Unlike traditional inbound approaches that aim for volume, ABM personalizes every interaction (content, messaging, ad campaigns) for a specific account. Alignment between marketing and sales is central: both teams collaborate on the same list of priority accounts. ABM is particularly effective in B2B sales with high average deal sizes and long decision cycles.
Sales strategy that aligns sales and marketing on a small set of high-potential target accounts, with personalized action plans for each. Complementary to ABM, focused on sales execution rather than demand generation.
Read more: How to qualify a B2B prospect: 5 frameworks
The opening line of a prospecting call or email designed to capture the prospect's attention within seconds. A strong opening mentions a specific problem the prospect faces, a quantified result achieved by a peer, or a contextual element that demonstrates prior research. In cold calling, the first 30 seconds determine whether the prospect stays on the line or hangs up. The opening is the most trainable skill and the one with the greatest impact on initial conversion rates.
Read more: Cold call techniques in 2026 · B2B cold call script
Annual Contract Value and Total Contract Value. ACV = annualized revenue per contract. TCV = total contract value over its duration. A 36-month contract at 5k per month has 60k ACV and 180k TCV.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
A sales communication framework in four steps: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. First, capture the prospect's attention with a compelling element. Then, spark their interest by presenting a problem they recognize. Next, create desire by showing how the solution transforms their situation. Finally, trigger action with a clear call-to-action (meeting, trial, signature). AIDA structures sales pitches, prospecting emails, and sales pages alike.
AI technique that automatically detects the emotional tone of a conversation: positive, neutral, negative. In sales, surfaces moments of prospect frustration or excitement to adapt the conversation.
Read more: AI and sales: 5 concrete use cases [2026]
Negotiation technique of opening with a high anchor price that becomes the reference point for the rest of the discussion. The human brain is biased toward the first number heard.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Annual Recurring Revenue and Monthly Recurring Revenue. Key SaaS metrics measuring predictable recurring revenue. ARR = MRR x 12. Used as the basis for SaaS startup valuation.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
A sales qualification method that evaluates four criteria: Budget (can the prospect afford it?), Authority (are we talking to the decision-maker?), Need (is the need identified and prioritized?), Timeline (what is the buying timeline?). Developed by IBM in the 1960s, BANT remains a foundational framework for determining whether an opportunity is worth pursuing. More recent methodologies like MEDDIC have expanded on it with additional criteria, but BANT remains relevant for quick qualification early in the cycle.
Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. Your fallback option if negotiation fails. The stronger your BATNA, the greater your negotiation leverage. Core concept from the Harvard Negotiation Project.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Capital efficiency metric popularized by David Sacks. Formula: Net Burn / Net New ARR. A Burn Multiple below 1 is excellent, 1-2 is solid, above 3 is concerning.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
A sales professional specializing in generating new opportunities, primarily through outbound prospecting. The BDR identifies target accounts, contacts decision-makers via phone, email, or LinkedIn, and qualifies leads before passing them to an Account Executive. It is often the first role in B2B sales. The BDR is evaluated on the number of qualified meetings generated. Unlike the SDR who handles inbound leads, the BDR actively hunts for new prospects.
A semi-fictional representation of the ideal customer based on real data and documented assumptions. A buyer persona includes the job title, responsibilities, professional goals, frustrations, decision criteria, and typical objections. In sales enablement, personas guide the creation of targeted pitches and allow reps to adapt to each prospect. Pitchbase uses buyer personas as the foundation for call simulations: each AI prospect is built from the company's offer and the customers it targets.
Customer Acquisition Cost. Sum of sales and marketing spend divided by new customers acquired in the period. A healthy B2B SaaS CAC pays back in under 12 months (CAC Payback).
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Planned series of touchpoints (email, phone, LinkedIn) spread over 10 to 21 days to engage an outbound prospect. Dedicated tools: Outreach, Salesloft, Lemlist.
Read more: Cold call techniques 2026: what works
Recorded call review between a sales rep and their manager. Helps surface concrete improvement areas: talk-to-listen ratio, question quality, objection handling. Core sales coaching practice.
Read more: AI sales coaching: 2026 complete guide
A sales methodology popularized by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson (CEB). The Challenger teaches the customer something new about their business, tailors their approach, and takes control of the conversation. It is the most represented profile among top performers in their CEB study of more than 6,000 sales reps ("Selling Is Not About Relationships," Harvard Business Review, 2011).
Qualification framework: CHallenges, Authority, Money, Prioritization. Modern alternative to BANT that puts the prospect s challenges first (instead of budget). Better aligned with Challenger and SPIN approaches.
Read more: GPCT vs BANT vs MEDDIC: which framework?
Internal sponsor at the customer account who believes in your solution and champions it to other stakeholders. The Champion shares intel, sets up meetings, and accelerates closing. Core element of MEDDIC.
Read more: MEDDPICC and MEDDIC: complete 2026 guide
The attrition rate measuring the percentage of customers who cancel their subscription or stop buying over a given period. High churn signals issues with satisfaction, onboarding, or product-market fit. In SaaS, reducing churn is often more profitable than acquiring new customers. Sales teams contribute by selling to the right profiles (aligned ICP) and setting realistic expectations during the sales process, avoiding post-signature disappointment.
The final phase of the sales cycle where the sales rep secures the prospect's formal commitment: contract signature, purchase order, or budget approval. Closing is not just a pressure technique: it is the natural outcome of a well-executed discovery, value demonstration, and objection handling process. Closing techniques include benefit summary, alternative close (choosing between two options), legitimate urgency, and usage projection.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate · Practice closing with Pitchbase
A professional (often a manager or external consultant) who supports sales reps in developing their selling skills. Sales coaching differs from traditional training through its individual and contextual approach: listening to real calls, debriefing, role-playing, and personalized development plans. A good coach doesn't give answers but asks the questions that help reps find their own solutions. AI is transforming this field by making coaching accessible at scale.
Read more: Remote sales coaching
A prospecting phone call to a contact who has not requested to be contacted. Cold calling remains one of the most challenging and valued skills in B2B sales: the rep must capture attention in seconds, legitimize their outreach, identify a need, and book a meeting, all in under two minutes. The key: thorough preparation (prospect research), a personalized opening, and the ability to handle initial objections ("I don't have time," "send me an email").
Read more: Cold call techniques in 2026 · Practice cold calling with Pitchbase
A prospecting email sent to a contact who has not expressed prior interest. Unlike spam, a good cold email is highly personalized, concise (under 100 words), focused on a specific problem the recipient faces, and offers clear value. Cold email sequences typically combine 3 to 5 emails spaced a few days apart, with different angles. The average reply rate ranges from 2% to 8%, but can exceed 15% with precise segmentation and targeted copywriting.
Technology that records, transcribes and AI-analyzes sales calls to surface insights: talk-to-listen ratio, keywords, topics covered, sentiment. Reference tools: Gong, Chorus, Fireflies.
Read more: AI and sales: 5 concrete use cases [2026]
The percentage of prospects who move from one funnel stage to the next. In B2B sales, multiple conversion rates are tracked: cold call to meeting (typically 2-5%), demo to proposal (30-50%), proposal to signature (20-40%). Tracking these rates at each pipeline stage identifies bottlenecks and focuses training efforts where the impact is greatest. A rep who converts well at the demo stage but not at closing has a negotiation problem, not a pitch problem.
Customer relationship management software that centralizes all interactions between a company and its prospects/customers: contacts, exchange history, current opportunities, tasks. In B2B, the CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive...) is the rep's daily tool. It feeds sales forecasts, enables management to track the pipeline, and facilitates team collaboration. A well-maintained CRM is the collective memory of the sales team.
A sales technique of offering complementary products or services to an existing customer. For example, a SaaS vendor selling a CRM might offer an emailing or analytics module. Cross-selling is more profitable than acquisition: the customer already knows you, trust is established, and the sales cycle is shortened. The key is to propose add-ons that address a real identified need, not to push a catalog.
The set of stages a prospect goes through from first contact to contract signature. In B2B SaaS, a typical cycle includes: prospecting, qualification, discovery call, demonstration, proposal, negotiation, and closing. Duration varies considerably: from a few days for self-service software to 6-12 months for an enterprise contract. Shortening the sales cycle without sacrificing quality is a core objective of sales enablement.
An ongoing sales opportunity in the pipeline. A deal is characterized by an identified prospect, an estimated amount, a stage in the sales cycle, and an expected closing date. "Deal management" involves systematically tracking and advancing each opportunity. In B2B, a deal often involves multiple stakeholders and requires an account strategy rather than a single-contact relationship.
Structured review of an opportunity with a manager to assess its true close probability. Uses a qualification framework (MEDDIC, BANT) to surface risk areas and plan next actions.
Read more: MEDDPICC and MEDDIC: complete 2026 guide
A live presentation of the product or solution to a qualified prospect. An effective demo is not a feature tour: it shows how the product solves the specific problems identified during the discovery call. Top reps structure their demo around 2-3 of the prospect's priority use cases, use their data or context, and leave time for questions. Preparing for the demo is as important as the demo itself.
Read more: Prepare your demos with Pitchbase
The first in-depth call with a qualified prospect, focused on understanding their needs, challenges, and decision-making process. The rep asks open-ended questions to map the current situation, frustrations, goals, budget, stakeholders involved, and timeline. It is the most strategic stage of the cycle: a poorly executed discovery leads to a generic pitch, unanticipated objections, and a painful close. Top AEs spend 70% of the time listening.
Final financial decision-maker who authorizes the purchase and signs. Often a VP, C-level or CFO. The E in MEDDIC. Identifying the Economic Buyer early is critical to avoid closing surprises.
Read more: MEDDPICC and MEDDIC: complete 2026 guide
Communication technique where the seller paraphrases, clarifies and validates what the prospect says before responding. Reduces misunderstandings and builds trust.
A strategic discipline that provides sales teams with the tools, content, training, and processes needed to sell more effectively. Sales enablement covers onboarding new reps, ongoing training, playbook creation, access to battle cards, and performance measurement. The goal: ensuring every rep has the right resource at the right moment in the sales cycle. With AI, sales enablement is transforming by delivering personalized coaching at scale.
Read more: Sales enablement and AI: the complete guide
The process of adding supplementary information to an existing lead: firmographic data (company size, industry, revenue), contact data (direct line, verified email), and intent data (recent searches, technologies used). Enrichment enables better prospect qualification and more personalized outreach. Tools like Clearbit, Apollo, or Lusha automate this process. On Pitchbase, AI enrichment adds behavioral traits (speech patterns, concerns) to personas for more realistic simulations.
Additional revenue generated from existing customers through upsell, cross-sell or usage increase. Most profitable growth lever: 5 to 25x cheaper than acquiring a new customer.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Structured feedback given to a sales rep on their performance during a call, demo, or meeting. Effective feedback is specific (cites precise moments), actionable (proposes concrete alternatives), and balanced (strengths + areas for improvement). Traditionally provided by the manager after listening to a call, feedback can now be automated by AI that analyzes the transcript in real time and produces targeted recommendations on the opening, discovery, objection handling, and closing.
Read more: AI-powered sales coaching
A follow-up action taken after an initial contact, a meeting, or sending a proposal. Follow-up is the lifeblood of sales: 80% of deals close after 5 or more touchpoints, yet most reps give up after 2. A good follow-up adds value with each touch (case study, relevant article, customer success story) rather than simply asking "Have you made a decision?" Timing and persistence make the difference between a stagnant pipeline and one that converts.
An estimate of the revenue a sales team will generate over a given period, based on analysis of the current pipeline. The forecast combines each deal's amount, closing probability, and estimated signature date. It is a critical exercise for management: it drives investment, hiring, and production decisions. A reliable forecast relies on up-to-date CRM data, a rigorous qualification methodology (MEDDIC), and honest assessments from reps about the real state of their deals.
A funnel model representing the stages a prospect goes through, from awareness to purchase decision. At each stage, a percentage of prospects drop off, hence the funnel shape. The funnel helps visualize the health of the sales process: if many prospects enter at the top but few sign, the problem lies in the middle or bottom of the funnel. Optimizing the funnel means improving conversion rates at each stage rather than increasing volume at the top.
Methodology created by Keenan. The seller identifies the prospect s Current State and desired Future State, and sells the difference (the GAP). Heavily discovery-focused approach.
A person who screens calls and controls access to the decision-maker: executive assistant, receptionist, or even a colleague. Getting past the gatekeeper is a fundamental cold calling skill. Effective strategies include calling early morning or late evening (when the decision-maker answers directly), using the decision-maker's first name confidently, being concise about the purpose of the call, and treating the gatekeeper as an ally rather than an obstacle. Direct lines and LinkedIn are gradually reducing this barrier.
A product launch or market entry strategy that defines how to reach target customers and generate revenue. A GTM strategy covers positioning, pricing, distribution channels, messaging, buyer personas, and the sales motion (product-led growth, sales-led, channel...). In B2B, the GTM strategy determines whether to hire SDRs for outbound, rely on inbound, or combine both. It is the bridge between the product and the market.
Percentage of recurring revenue retained period over period, excluding expansion. Pure customer retention metric. Good B2B SaaS GRR is above 90%, excellent above 95%.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
The sales skill of responding to prospect resistance constructively, without confrontation. Common B2B objections include "it's too expensive," "we already have a tool," "now is not the right time," and "I need to run this by my director." An effective handling process follows a sequence: acknowledge (show you understand), question (dig into the real reason behind the objection), reframe (provide a new perspective), and confirm (verify the objection is resolved). Every objection is an opportunity to deepen the discovery.
Read more: B2B sales objections · Practice objection handling with Pitchbase
Application of large language models (LLM) to sales tasks: personalized email drafting, call scripts, prospect simulation for training, meeting summaries, automated call scoring.
Read more: AI and sales: 5 concrete use cases [2026]
A detailed description of the type of company that derives the most value from your product and generates the most revenue with the least friction. The ICP is defined by firmographic criteria (size, industry, revenue, location), technographic criteria (tools used), and behavioral criteria (digital maturity, buying process). Unlike the buyer persona which describes a person, the ICP describes an account. Selling outside your ICP leads to high churn, extended sales cycles, and dissatisfied customers.
A sales approach where the prospect initiates contact after discovering the company through content (blog, webinar, whitepaper, SEO). The inbound rep handles leads who have already shown interest: they downloaded content, requested a demo, or filled out a form. The challenge: qualify quickly, respond fast (according to a study published by the Harvard Business Review in 2011, companies that tried calling back within the hour were nearly seven times more likely to qualify the lead than those that waited just one more hour), and guide the prospect through their buying journey without being too "pushy."
A key performance indicator measuring the effectiveness of a sales rep or team. Essential B2B KPIs include: number of calls/emails sent (activity), meeting booking rate (prospecting effectiveness), demos completed, win rate (deals won / deals handled), average deal size, sales cycle length, and quota attainment. A good KPI dashboard distinguishes activity metrics (input) from result metrics (output) to identify improvement levers.
Read more: Key B2B sales skills · How to calculate training ROI
Negotiation technique by Chris Voss (former FBI) of naming the other party s emotion or position. Example: It sounds like timing is a concern... . Defuses tension and lowers defenses.
Read more: Objection handling: 5 frameworks and scripts
Sales strategy of entering an account through a small initial deal (Land), then growing revenue through expansion to other teams, sites or use cases (Expand). Dominant SaaS PLG model.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
A person or company that has shown potential interest in your product or service. A raw lead is a simple contact; its value increases as it gets qualified. Leads come from various sources: web forms, events, referrals, outbound prospecting, partnerships. Lead management involves collecting, qualifying, scoring, distributing to reps, and tracking through conversion. A healthy pipeline requires a constant flow of qualified leads.
The process of evaluating a lead to determine if it matches the ICP and is ready to advance in the sales cycle. Qualification uses frameworks like BANT or MEDDIC to assess budget, need, contact authority, and buying timeline. A well-qualified lead prevents Account Executives from wasting time on no-potential opportunities. The boundary between MQL (marketing qualified lead) and SQL (sales qualified lead) is a critical point in marketing-sales alignment.
A scoring method that assigns a score to each lead based on demographic criteria (job title, company size, industry) and behavioral criteria (pages visited, emails opened, content downloaded). The higher the score, the "hotter" the lead and the more ready to be contacted by a rep. Lead scoring prioritizes the sales team's efforts and prevents wasting time on immature leads. Well-calibrated scoring significantly increases MQL to SQL conversion rates.
Percentage of customers (by count, not revenue) retained period over period. Complementary to GRR which measures revenue. 90% Logo Retention means 10% of customers churned.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Total value a customer generates over their lifetime. Simplified SaaS formula: ARPU x Gross Margin x (1 / Churn). Core metric to assess channel acquisition profitability.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Sales and marketing efficiency metric: (Quarterly Net New ARR x 4) / prior quarter S&M spend. Above 1 means accelerate investment, below 0.5 means cut spending.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
An advanced qualification framework used in complex B2B sales. Metrics (prospect success indicators), Economic Buyer (budget decision-maker), Decision Criteria (selection criteria), Decision Process (validation process), Identify Pain (identified pain point), Champion (internal ally). The extended MEDDPICC version adds Paper Process (contract/legal process) and Competition. MEDDIC forces the rep to validate each dimension before considering a deal as serious. It is the standard in enterprise sales with long cycles.
Technique of repeating the last 1 to 3 words of the prospect as a question. Encourages them to elaborate without sounding intrusive. Popularized by Chris Voss in Never Split the Difference.
Read more: Objection handling: 5 frameworks and scripts
The time needed for a new sales rep to reach full productivity after being hired. It lasts several months and is costly for the company: salary, training, lost opportunities. For an SDR, The Bridge Group measured an average ramp-up of 3 months in 2025. Speeding up ramp-up is a major sales enablement challenge: structured onboarding, access to playbooks, call shadowing, and intensive practice on the most common objections.
Read more: Reduce sales rep ramp-up
MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead): a lead that has reached a sufficient marketing engagement score (downloads, repeat visits, sign-ups) to be passed to the sales team. SQL (Sales Qualified Lead): a lead that the sales team has contacted and validated as a real opportunity after qualification (BANT/MEDDIC). The MQL to SQL handoff is the most critical transfer point between marketing and sales. Misalignment at this stage (lukewarm MQLs, loose qualification) generates frustration on both sides.
Master contract defining general terms applicable to all future orders between parties. Speeds up subsequent sales by avoiding renegotiating boilerplate clauses.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Strategy of building relationships with multiple stakeholders within an account (vs a single contact). Dramatically reduces the risk of deal collapse if your main contact leaves.
Read more: MEDDPICC and MEDDIC: complete 2026 guide
Shared document between seller and buyer listing steps, deliverables and dates through closing. Engages the buyer in the process and significantly increases late-stage win rates.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Confidentiality agreement signed before sharing sensitive information with a prospect. In enterprise sales, the NDA is often a prerequisite to a product demo or POC.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Modern qualification framework: Need, Economic Impact, Access to Authority, Timeline. Designed by Harris Consulting Group as a more comprehensive BANT alternative, focused on measurable economic impact.
Read more: GPCT vs BANT vs MEDDIC: which framework?
The phase of the sales cycle where the rep and the prospect discuss contract terms: price, payment conditions, scope, commitment duration, SLA. Negotiation is not a power struggle but a search for mutually beneficial agreement. Key principles: never concede without a counterpart, defend value before discussing price, know your margins and walk-away price, and always have a BATNA (best alternative if the deal falls through).
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate · Practice closing with Pitchbase
Net change in ARR over a period: New ARR (new customers) + Expansion ARR - Churn ARR - Downgrade ARR. Core indicator of a SaaS company s real growth.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Percentage of recurring revenue retained including expansion. NRR above 100% means expansion offsets churn and the existing base grows on its own. Top public SaaS: 120-130%.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
The process of maturing leads who are not yet ready to buy, by regularly providing relevant content (newsletters, case studies, webinars, articles). Lead nurturing maintains the relationship and positions the company as a reference in the prospect's mind until the need becomes concrete. In B2B, a well-executed nurturing program increases sales opportunities by 20%. Marketing automation (email sequences, retargeting) is the primary nurturing tool.
Resistances expressed by a prospect during the sales process. Objections can relate to price ("it's too expensive"), timing ("not now"), competition ("we already use X"), authority ("it's not my decision"), or need ("we don't have that problem"). Far from being a rejection, an objection is often a sign of interest: an indifferent prospect doesn't bother to object. The ability to anticipate and handle objections distinguishes top performers from average reps.
Read more: B2B sales objections · Practice objection handling
A structured integration program for new sales reps, designed to get them to operational performance as quickly as possible. Effective onboarding covers product knowledge, pitch mastery, market and ICP understanding, tool proficiency (CRM, sequences), and call practice. Companies with structured onboarding reduce ramp-up by 40% on average. AI voice simulation training is a powerful onboarding accelerator.
Read more: AI-powered sales onboarding · Accelerate onboarding with Pitchbase
Total compensation a salesperson earns at 100% quota attainment. Composed of base salary + variable (commission). Typical SaaS B2B ratio: 50/50 or 60/40.
Read more: Cut sales ramp-up time
A sales strategy where the rep initiates contact with prospects who have not yet expressed interest. Outbound includes cold calling, cold emailing, LinkedIn prospecting, and trade show participation. It is the opposite of inbound where the prospect comes to you. Outbound is more direct and allows precise targeting of priority accounts (ABM), but requires high activity volume and resilience in the face of rejection. Most high-performing B2B organizations combine inbound and outbound.
Unexpected opening technique that breaks the prospect s mental script (typically defensive reflex to cold calls). Example: I know you don t expect my call, give me 25 seconds to explain why I m calling .
Read more: Cold call techniques 2026: what works
A visual representation of all ongoing sales opportunities, organized by sales cycle stage (prospecting, qualification, demo, proposal, negotiation, closing). The pipeline lets the rep and manager visualize business health: how many deals at each stage, what total amount, and what are the next actions. A healthy pipeline has a coverage ratio of at least 3x quota: to hit 100k in quota, you need at least 300k in the pipeline.
Ratio of qualified pipeline to revenue target for the period. Healthy B2B SaaS benchmark: 3x to 4x. Below 2x signals high risk of missing target.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
A concise and persuasive presentation of a product or solution, tailored to the audience and context. A good pitch doesn't list features: it starts with the prospect's problem, quantifies the impact, presents the solution, and illustrates with a concrete result (case study, data point). The elevator pitch (30 seconds) is used in cold calls; the full pitch (5-10 minutes) structures the demo. Personalization is key: a generic pitch convinces no one, while a pitch that speaks to the prospect's specific context creates immediate engagement.
Read more: B2B sales roleplay guide
A reference document that formalizes best practices, processes, and scripts for every sales situation: how to qualify a lead, how to run a discovery call, how to handle the 10 most common objections, how to negotiate pricing. The playbook standardizes the team's winning methods and accelerates new rep onboarding. It's not a script to recite but an adaptable guide. The best playbooks are co-created with top performers and updated quarterly.
Growth strategy where the product itself drives acquisition, retention and expansion. Free trial, freemium, self-serve onboarding. Examples: Slack, Notion, Figma, Calendly.
Read more: AI sales onboarding: speed up ramp-up
Evaluation phase where the prospect tests the solution on a limited scope with success criteria defined upfront. A well-scoped POC accelerates closing. A poorly scoped POC stalls deals indefinitely.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Procurement department of the prospect company, typically involved late-stage to negotiate final terms. Being prepared for procurement negotiation (anchoring, BATNA, concession strategy) is critical to protect margins.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
The sales activity of finding and contacting new potential customers. Prospecting is the first stage of the sales cycle and the pipeline's feed source. It can be phone-based (cold call), digital (email, LinkedIn, social selling), event-based (trade shows, meetups), or referral-based. Consistency matters more than volume: 1 hour of daily prospecting beats 5 hours once a week. The key: target the right profiles (ICP) and personalize every outreach.
Read more: Cold call techniques in 2026 · B2B cold call script
A methodical evaluation process to determine if a prospect represents a viable sales opportunity. Qualification goes beyond simply "are they interested?": it evaluates ICP fit, budget existence, decision-maker identification, buying timeline, and business pain. Frameworks like BANT, MEDDIC, or CHAMP structure this evaluation. Qualifying well upfront avoids wasting resources on prospects who will never sign and focuses energy on the highest-potential deals.
SPIN question type that amplifies a discovered problem by making the prospect realize the consequences of doing nothing. Example: What happens if your reps keep losing 30% of deals at demo stage?
SaaS efficiency indicator: (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Churn MRR + Contraction MRR). Above 4 is excellent, 2 to 4 is healthy, below 1 is concerning.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
A revenue or deal count target assigned to a sales rep over a given period (month, quarter, year). The quota is the performance benchmark: a rep "at 120% of quota" has exceeded their target by 20%. Setting quotas is a managerial art: too low, they don't motivate; too high, they discourage. Quotas are typically based on the territory's historical capacity, addressable market size, and the company's growth targets. The rep's OTE (On-Target Earnings) is indexed on quota attainment.
The productivity ramp-up period for a new sales rep, from their start date to the point where they consistently hit quota. In B2B, ramp-up lasts several months (3 months on average for an SDR according to The Bridge Group, 2025) and represents a significant investment: salary plus training plus lost opportunities. Reducing ramp-up is a major growth lever: every month saved is an extra month of output. Key levers: structured onboarding, a mentor or buddy, quick access to the playbook, intensive simulation practice, and frequent feedback from the very first calls.
Read more: Reduce sales rep ramp-up
Ratio between customer lifetime value (LTV) and customer acquisition cost (CAC). B2B SaaS benchmark: 3:1 is healthy, 5:1 is excellent, 1:1 or below is unsustainable. Key business model health indicator.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Request for Proposal and Request for Information. Formal documents sent by the buyer to multiple vendors to compare offers. Common in enterprise sales. Responding to an RFP without an internal Champion is usually poor time allocation.
Read more: MEDDPICC and MEDDIC: complete 2026 guide
Return on investment measured for a sales action or tool. ROI compares the gain generated (additional revenue, costs avoided) to the cost invested (tool, training, time). In sales enablement, ROI is measured through improved win rate, reduced ramp-up, increased average deal size, and shortened sales cycle. Example: if a simulation tool costs $500/month and helps a rep sign one additional $10k/month deal, the ROI is 1900%. Always quantify ROI to justify an investment to management.
Read more: Sales training ROI
A role-playing exercise where a sales rep practices running a sales call against a colleague or manager who plays the prospect role. Roleplay allows practicing openings, discovery questions, objection handling, and closing in a safe environment without risking a real prospect. Limitations of traditional roleplay: manager availability, peer leniency bias, difficulty simulating realistic reactions. AI simulators like Pitchbase solve these issues by offering virtual prospects available 24/7 with calibrated reactions.
Read more: B2B sales roleplay guide
SaaS rule stating that a healthy company should have Growth + Operating Margin >= 40%. A company growing at 30% with 10% margin passes. A company growing at 80% burning 30% also passes.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Concept borrowed from Amazon: a senior salesperson involved in hiring and coaching to maintain high standards. Safeguard against quality decline when scaling the team.
Read more: AI sales coaching: 2026 complete guide
The set of core competencies that make up a sales rep's profile. On Pitchbase, Sales DNA is visualized as a hexagonal radar covering 6 axes: Opening (ability to capture attention), Discovery (quality of questions asked), Pitch (clarity and impact of the presentation), Objections (handling resistance), Negotiation (defending value and finding agreement), and Closing (ability to close). Each simulation contributes to refining this profile. Sales DNA helps reps identify their strengths and priority areas for improvement.
Read more: Sales DNA: key sales skills
A strategic function that aligns resources (content, tools, training, data) with the sales journey so every rep can engage, convert, and retain customers effectively. Sales enablement is not limited to training: it includes creating sales content (battle cards, case studies, templates), optimizing processes, driving tool adoption, and measuring performance. In the 2019 CSO Insights sales enablement study, organizations with a sales enablement function had a 49% win rate on forecast deals, versus 42.5% for those without one.
Read more: Sales enablement and AI: the complete guide
The data and technologies that enable sales reps to better understand their prospects and prioritize their actions. Sales intelligence aggregates firmographic, technographic, purchase intent, and business signal data (fundraising, hiring, leadership changes). Platforms like ZoomInfo, Cognism, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator provide this data. The goal: contact the right prospect, at the right time, with the right message. Sales intelligence transforms mass prospecting into intelligent targeting.
How a company sells its product. Three main motions: PLG (product-led), SLG (sales-led), Hybrid. The chosen motion drives team structure, compensation and tooling stack.
Read more: AI sales onboarding: speed up ramp-up
Composite metric measuring how fast the pipeline generates revenue. Formula: (Number of opportunities x Average deal size x Win rate) / Sales cycle length. Yields revenue per day of pipeline.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Sales methodology created by David Sandler in the 1960s. Flips the classic dynamic: the seller qualifies the prospect before pitching, and isn t afraid to disqualify bad fits. Heavily discovery-focused.
A score given to a sales call, based on precise criteria: opening quality, discovery question relevance, pitch clarity, objection handling effectiveness, and closing ability. On Pitchbase, each simulation gets an indicative score out of 100, read against the team's sales method: every point links back to the moment in the call that proves it. It is there to help you improve, never to evaluate you. Tracking your score over time measures your progress and identifies which skills to prioritize.
A sales professional specializing in qualifying inbound leads and converting them into meetings for Account Executives. The SDR is the first human point of contact after a prospect has engaged with marketing (content download, demo request, sign-up). Their role: quickly contact the lead, validate qualification (BANT), and schedule a meeting with the AE. SDRs are evaluated on the number of qualified meetings generated and the MQL to meeting conversion rate.
A sales training tool that uses artificial intelligence to create realistic sales call simulations. The rep talks to a virtual prospect powered by a language model, with real-time speech recognition and voice synthesis for the responses. Unlike traditional roleplay with a colleague, the simulator is available 24/7, offers reactions calibrated by difficulty level, and gives a precise debrief after each call. Pitchbase is an AI sales simulator that covers the entire B2B sales cycle.
Read more: Complete guide to AI sales simulation
The strategic use of social networks (mainly LinkedIn in B2B) to identify, engage, and build relationships with prospects. Social selling is not about spamming prospecting messages: it is a long-term approach that includes publishing valuable content, genuinely engaging with prospects' posts, and building visible expertise. According to LinkedIn (2014), sales reps at the top of the Social Selling Index (SSI) get 45% more opportunities per quarter than those at the bottom of the ranking.
Document detailing the scope, deliverables, timeline and payment terms of an engagement. Often attached to an MSA. Critical in services / enterprise SaaS to align expectations.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Qualification framework created by Winning by Design: Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, Decision. Designed for modern SaaS sales, emphasizes measurable Impact and the Critical Event driving the decision.
Read more: GPCT vs BANT vs MEDDIC: which framework?
Sales Performance Incentive Fund. One-off bonus paid to a salesperson for hitting a specific short-term goal. Tactical motivation tool to push a product, segment or campaign.
Read more: Cut sales ramp-up time
A sales methodology developed by Neil Rackham, based on four types of questions: Situation (understand the prospect's current context), Problem (identify difficulties), Implication (raise awareness of the problem's impact), and Need-payoff (lead the prospect to articulate the solution's value). SPIN Selling is particularly effective in consultative B2B sales, where the goal is to surface the need rather than push a product. Reps who master implication questions are 3x more effective at closing.
Structured plan for giving ground in negotiation without destroying perceived value. Rules: never concede for free (always trade), reduce concession size each round, give slowly.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Average value of contracts closed over a given period. Total ARR divided by number of won deals. Helps size sales resources and segment accounts.
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
Total Addressable Market, Serviceable Available Market, Serviceable Obtainable Market. Market pyramid used to quantify opportunity: the entire market (TAM), the portion your product can serve (SAM), the realistic short-term share (SOM).
Read more: Calculate sales training ROI (3 formulas)
The percentage of deals that result in a signature out of all opportunities handled. An average B2B SaaS close rate ranges from 15% to 25%, but varies widely by segment (SMB vs. enterprise), acquisition channel (inbound vs. outbound), and team maturity. Improving the close rate requires better upstream qualification (not pushing poorly qualified deals to close), more effective objection handling, and the ability to create legitimate urgency.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
The ratio of prospects who pass from one funnel stage to the total at the previous stage. Each transition has its own conversion rate: visitor to lead (1-5%), lead to MQL (15-30%), MQL to SQL (20-40%), SQL to opportunity (30-50%), opportunity to customer (15-30%). Tracking these rates identifies weak links in the sales process. A 5% improvement at one intermediate stage can double the final result through the cumulative effect across the funnel.
Percentage discount granted off list price. A disciplined discount policy protects margins: maximum 15-20% on annual contracts, escalation required above.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
A geographic zone, market segment, or account list assigned to a sales rep. Territory design aims for fairness (each rep has comparable potential) and efficiency (specialization by industry or company size). Good territory design avoids conflicts between reps (who handles which prospect?) and ensures complete coverage of the addressable market. Territories are typically reviewed annually based on performance, hiring, and market evolution.
The time between a lead's creation and the first sales touch. According to "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads" (Harvard Business Review, 2011), companies that tried to contact a lead within the hour were nearly seven times more likely to qualify it than those that waited just one more hour, and more than sixty times more likely than those that waited 24 hours or more.
Read more: Cold call techniques 2026: what works
The sales skill of responding constructively to a prospect's resistance. The standard four-step process: actively listen to the objection without interrupting, rephrase to show understanding ("If I understand correctly..."), respond with a targeted argument (social proof, data, customer testimonial), and verify the objection is resolved ("Does that address your concern?"). Regular simulation practice automates these reflexes and builds natural responses to the most common objections.
Read more: B2B sales objections · Practice objection handling
A sales technique of offering an existing customer a higher-tier version or more comprehensive plan of the solution they already use. Example: upgrading from a starter plan to a pro plan, or from a 10-user license to 50 users. Upselling is more profitable than acquiring new customers because the cost of sale is lower and trust is already established. The ideal upsell moment: when the customer has hit the limits of their current plan and the value delivered is clearly demonstrated through usage.
A clear statement explaining how your product solves a specific customer problem, what concrete benefits it delivers, and why it is superior to alternatives. The value proposition is the foundation of every sales conversation: it guides the pitch, prospecting emails, demos, and negotiations. A good value proposition is specific (numbers, results), differentiating (what you do better than others), and customer-centered (not about your features). It should be expressible in a single sentence.
Sales approach centered on quantifying economic value created for the customer: ROI, productivity gains, cost reduction, risk avoidance. Opposite of product-led selling focused on features.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
A sales approach where the rep positions themselves as an expert advisor rather than a product seller. Consultative selling prioritizes listening, deep understanding of the prospect's business challenges, and co-creating the solution. The rep asks strategic questions, challenges the prospect's assumptions ("challenger sale"), and adapts their recommendation to the specific context. This approach dominates in complex B2B where expertise and trust are decision factors as important as price or features.
Sales approach where the seller acts as an advisor, asks deep questions to understand real needs and proposes a tailored solution. Opposite of transactional selling.
A structured approach to collecting and analyzing customer feedback to understand their needs, expectations, perceptions, and frustrations. VoC aggregates data from satisfaction surveys, customer interviews, online reviews, support tickets, and sales conversations. In sales enablement, the voice of the customer feeds battle cards (arguments against real objections), improves positioning, and enables creating case studies based on verified results. Integrating VoC into the sales process increases the credibility and relevance of the sales message.
The percentage of deals won out of the total deals handled over a given period. The win rate is the ultimate metric of sales effectiveness: it synthesizes the quality of qualification, pitch, objection handling, and closing. A 25% win rate means one in four deals ends with a signature. To improve it, work on two fronts: better upstream qualification (eliminating doomed deals) and better execution at every cycle stage. Teams that practice regularly see their win rate improve by 10 to 20 points within 6 months.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
Systematic analysis of won and lost deals to identify key success and failure factors. Includes post-mortem interviews with prospect decision-makers, not just sales reps. Underutilized source of strategic insights.
Read more: AI sales coaching: 2026 complete guide
Zone of Possible Agreement. Range of values where a deal is mutually acceptable for seller and buyer. Identifying the ZOPA upfront (through discovery and respective BATNAs) is the key to effective negotiation.
Read more: Improve your B2B close rate
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