B2B prospecting glossary
The vocabulary of B2B prospecting, each term defined in one or two sentences, with a link to the page on this site that goes further. Regulatory entries are informative, dated and not legal advice.
Updated on September 27, 2026.
Index
Definitions
- ABM (Account-Based Marketing)
- An approach that treats each target account as a market of one: messages, content and outreach are prepared for a named list of companies rather than a broad segment.
- Account Executive (AE)
- Salesperson who runs the meeting or demo through to signature. They receive the meetings prepared by SDRs or by an outsourced provider. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- BANT
- Four-criterion qualification method: Budget, Authority, Need and Timeline. Simple and quick, it is often the starting point of qualified-meeting scorecards. See also : Meeting qualification scorecard →
- BDR (Business Development Representative)
- Salesperson focused on outbound prospecting: they identify and contact companies that have not yet shown interest, then hand over qualified meetings. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- Bel-me-niet Register
- Former Dutch do-not-call register. It was abolished on 1 July 2021, when telemarketing to natural persons (including sole traders) moved to a prior-consent (opt-in) regime in the Netherlands. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- Bloctel
- French opt-out list for telemarketing to consumers, free for them. Since 11 August 2026, the law of 30 June 2025 also requires the consumer's prior consent for any telemarketing call, except calls about an ongoing contract. The regime covers consumers, not businesses. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- Buying signal
- An observable event that makes a need more likely: hiring, funding, relocation, new leadership, end of contract. It helps decide who to call first without replacing qualification. See also : B2B appointments by sector →
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
- Money spent to win customers divided by the number of customers won over the same period. The figure changes a lot depending on what is included (prospecting only, or also salaries, tools and marketing). See also : Meeting cost and CAC calculator →
- CHAMP
- A BANT variant that starts with the problem: CHallenges, Authority, Money and Prioritization. It avoids discussing budget before the need is understood. See also : Meeting qualification scorecard →
- Cold calling
- Calling a company that has not asked to be contacted. In B2B it remains an effective way to reach a decision-maker, provided you target well, introduce yourself clearly and honour any objection. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- Cold emailing
- Sending prospecting emails to business contacts with no prior relationship. Rules differ by country (legitimate interest, consent, unsubscribe link): see our article on B2B prospecting and the GDPR. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- Conversion rate
- The share that moves from one stage to the next: contacts to meetings, meetings to proposals, proposals to signatures. Measure it stage by stage. See also : Meeting cost and CAC calculator →
- CRM
- Customer relationship management software: it centralises contacts, companies, interactions and deals, and tracks the sales pipeline. See also : AI and automation for SMEs →
- Data enrichment
- Adding information to a prospect record (role, company size, buying signals) from public sources or data providers. Personal data added this way remains subject to the GDPR. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- Do Not Call Me
- Belgian telemarketing opt-out list on which consumers can register their number. Belgium still uses an opt-out regime; a move to opt-in is in the 2025 federal coalition agreement but had not been finalised as of September 2026. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
- Description of the ideal company for your offer: sector, size, area, situation, signals. It is the starting point of any prospect list. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- KBO / BCE
- Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, the Belgian company register kept by the FPS Economy. Each company has a ten-digit enterprise number; it is a public source for building a list of Belgian accounts. See also : B2B appointment setting in Brussels →
- KvK
- Kamer van Koophandel, the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, which keeps the Business Register (Handelsregister). Each company has an eight-digit KvK number; a public source for account lists in the Netherlands. See also : B2B appointment setting in Amsterdam →
- Lead
- A contact or company that has shown interest or matches the target, without the need having been checked yet. A lead is not a meeting.
- Lead scoring
- Assigning points to each lead based on fit with the target and behaviour (visits, replies, downloads), to decide who to contact first. See also : AI and automation for SMEs →
- Legitimate interest
- One of the GDPR legal bases (Article 6(1)(f)), often relied on for B2B prospecting. It requires a balancing test against the person's rights and does not remove the duty to inform or to honour objections. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- LTV (Lifetime Value)
- A customer's value over the whole relationship. To compare it with CAC, calculate it as margin rather than revenue. See also : Meeting cost and CAC calculator →
- LTV / CAC ratio
- Ratio between the margin a customer brings over their lifetime and what they cost to acquire. Above 1, the customer brings in more than they cost; the target level depends on each business. See also : Meeting cost and CAC calculator →
- MEDDIC
- Qualification method for complex sales: Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Identify pain and Champion. Suited to long cycles and large accounts. See also : Meeting qualification scorecard →
- MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)
- A lead that marketing considers promising (profile and behaviour) but that has not yet been checked in a sales conversation.
- No-show
- A confirmed meeting the prospect does not attend. A reminder the day before, a clear agenda and a slot chosen by the prospect reduce it; the contract should state whether it is billed. See also : Meeting qualification scorecard →
- Opt-in
- A regime in which a person may only be contacted after giving prior consent. It applies to telemarketing to natural persons in the Netherlands since 2021 and to consumers in France since 11 August 2026. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- Opt-out
- A regime in which a person may be contacted until they object, for example by joining an opt-out list. Every objection must be recorded and honoured. See also : B2B prospecting and the GDPR →
- Persona
- Portrait of the person to convince within the target company: role, concerns, objections, vocabulary. One company often has several personas.
- Pipeline
- All open sales opportunities, grouped by stage (first meeting, proposal, negotiation…). Used to forecast revenue and spot bottlenecks.
- Qualified meeting
- A meeting with someone who meets the criteria written down before launch (target, role, need, timing) and who has accepted a confirmed slot. It is the billing unit of a pay-per-meeting campaign. See also : Meeting qualification scorecard →
- Sales cycle
- Time between the first contact with a prospect and the signature. It depends on deal size, the number of decision-makers and the buyer's purchasing process.
- SDR (Sales Development Representative)
- Salesperson who qualifies leads, often inbound, and books meetings for account executives. In many companies SDR and BDR refer to the same role. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- Sequence (cadence)
- A planned series of touches over several days and channels (call, email, LinkedIn) that stops as soon as the prospect replies or objects. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- Show rate
- The share of booked meetings that actually take place. It turns a cost per booked meeting into a cost per held meeting. See also : Meeting cost and CAC calculator →
- SIRENE
- The French register of companies and establishments kept by INSEE. It assigns the SIREN number (nine digits, the company) and the SIRET (fourteen digits, the establishment); a public source for French account lists. See also : B2B appointment setting →
- SQL (Sales Qualified Lead)
- A lead whose need, role and timing have been checked in a conversation, and who is ready for a sales meeting. See also : Meeting qualification scorecard →