Glossary
Clear definitions for lead generation and outbound terms—written for practical execution.
A
A/B Testing
A/B Testing is a method of comparing two versions of a message, page, or sequence to determine which performs better for a specific metric like replies or conversions.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a B2B strategy that focuses outbound and content efforts on a defined list of high-value accounts rather than broad lead capture.
B
Bounce Rate (Email)
Bounce Rate (Email) is the percentage of emails that fail to deliver. High bounce rates hurt sender reputation and reduce inbox placement.
Buyer Intent
Buyer Intent is a set of signals that indicates a prospect is more likely to purchase, such as hiring, funding, or a new domain launch.
C
CAN-SPAM
CAN-SPAM is a U.S. law that sets rules for commercial email, including requirements for identification and opt-out mechanisms.
Catch-All Domain
Catch-All Domain is an email domain configured to accept any address, which makes verification less certain and can increase deliverability risk.
Cold Email
Cold Email is an outbound email sent to a recipient who has not previously interacted with you, typically used for B2B prospecting and sales outreach.
Cold Outreach Sequence
Cold Outreach Sequence is a structured set of messages sent over time, usually including follow-ups, to increase response rates without spamming.
Company Enrichment
Company Enrichment is the process of augmenting a company record with additional attributes like industry, size, location, and tech signals.
Contact Enrichment
Contact Enrichment is the process of adding missing fields to a person record, such as role, email, company, and social profiles.
CRM
CRM is software used to manage customer relationships and sales pipelines, tracking accounts, contacts, and deal stages.
CSV
CSV is a simple file format for storing tabular data. Many lead gen tools export lists as CSV for CRM imports and campaign uploads.
D
Deliverability
Deliverability is the ability of your emails to reach the inbox instead of spam or promotions, influenced by reputation, authentication, and list quality.
Disposable Email
Disposable Email is a temporary address used to avoid giving a real inbox. Blocking disposable emails prevents low-quality signups and fraud.
DMARC
DMARC is an email authentication policy that tells mailbox providers how to handle messages that fail SPF and DKIM checks.
Domain Reputation
Domain Reputation is a trust score mailbox providers assign to a domain based on sending behavior, complaints, bounces, and engagement.
E
Email Verification
Email Verification is the process of checking if an email address is valid and deliverable, reducing bounces and protecting deliverability.
Enrichment
Enrichment is adding missing fields and signals to your lead records so you can segment lists and personalize outreach more effectively.
F
Follow-Up
Follow-Up is a subsequent message sent after the initial email to increase response rates, usually with added context or proof.
I
ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) is a definition of the best-fit customer for your product, including firmographics and buying triggers.
Inbox Placement
Inbox Placement is the percentage of delivered emails that land in the primary inbox rather than spam or other tabs.
L
Lead
Lead is a potential customer record that includes enough information to start a sales conversation, such as a company and contact method.
Lead Generation
Lead Generation is the process of identifying and capturing potential customers so you can qualify them and move them into sales conversations.
Lead List Hygiene
Lead List Hygiene is maintaining clean lists by removing duplicates, invalid emails, and risky addresses before running outreach.
List Building
List Building is the workflow of sourcing prospects, extracting contacts, verifying records, and organizing segments for outreach campaigns.
O
Open Rate
Open Rate is the percentage of recipients who open your email. It is influenced by subject lines, deliverability, and list relevance.
Outreach
Outreach is contacting prospects through email or other channels to start a conversation, qualify interest, and generate meetings.
P
Personalization
Personalization is tailoring messages to a prospect’s context using signals like role, industry, triggers, or specific company details.
R
S
Sender Reputation
Sender Reputation is a score mailbox providers assign based on your sending behavior, engagement, and complaint history across inboxes and domains.
Spam Complaint
Spam Complaint is an action by a recipient marking an email as spam. High complaint rates quickly degrade deliverability and reputation.