GTM Glossary

Account-Based MarketingABMABM (account-based marketing) is a B2B strategy in which sales and marketing pick a defined list of target companies and treat each one as a market of its own. Instead of attracting as many leads as possible, ABM teams research every account, map the people who decide and run coordinated, tailored outreach to win that account.Targeting and data Account ExecutiveAEAn account executive (AE) is the salesperson who owns a deal from the first qualified meeting to the signed contract. In B2B sales, the account executive runs discovery, builds the business case with the buyer, brings in every stakeholder, negotiates terms and closes. Most AEs are measured on revenue closed against a quota, a target for a set period.Sales roles and motions Agentic WorkflowAn agentic workflow is a business process in which an AI agent handles some steps on its own: it plans the work, picks which tools to use, checks the result and tries again if it falls short. People define the goal, the limits and the approval points. Fixed automation, by contrast, follows the same steps every time.AI for go-to-market AI AgentAn AI agent is software that uses an AI model to work toward a goal in a loop: it reads the situation, decides on an action, uses a tool such as a CRM, browser or email, checks the result and repeats until the job is done. Unlike a chatbot, it acts instead of only answering.AI for go-to-market AI SDRDecide what an AI SDR should research, draft and track, what people must approve, and when a live conversation needs a human owner.Full guide Answer Engine OptimizationAEOAnswer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content so that answer engines, such as Google featured snippets, AI Overviews, voice assistants, ChatGPT and Perplexity, can pull a direct answer from it. It puts a clear, short answer right after each question, then adds the detail, so both people and machines get the answer fast.AI for go-to-market Appointment SettingAppointment setting is the work of booking sales meetings between a qualified prospect and the person who will sell to them. In B2B, appointment setting covers finding the right decision makers, starting the conversation, checking that each prospect fits and putting the meeting in the seller's calendar with notes on the buyer.Sales roles and motions ARRAnnual Recurring RevenueARR (annual recurring revenue) is the yearly value of all active subscription and contract fees a company expects to repeat, normalized to a 12-month period. It counts only recurring fees, not one-time setup, services or usage spikes. B2B software companies use annual recurring revenue to size the business, track growth and plan hiring.Revenue metrics

BANTBANT is a sales qualification framework that checks four things about a prospect: Budget (can they pay), Authority (who makes the decision), Need (do they have a problem you solve) and Timeline (when they plan to act). Sellers use BANT on discovery calls to decide whether a lead is worth pursuing.Qualification and pipeline BDRBusiness Development RepresentativeA BDR (business development representative) is a B2B salesperson who creates new sales opportunities, mostly through outbound prospecting. The BDR picks target accounts, contacts decision makers who have not asked to hear from the company, qualifies them and books a meeting for an account executive. Many companies use BDR and SDR as two names for one role.Sales roles and motions Buyer PersonaA buyer persona is a short, research-based profile of a person who takes part in buying your product. In B2B, a buyer persona describes the role, the goals, the problems that make them look for help, the objections they raise and how they judge a vendor, so sales and marketing can write messages that person will recognize.Targeting and data Buying SignalsBuying signals are observable clues that a prospect or account is moving toward a purchase. They range from company events, such as a new executive or a funding round, to research behavior, engagement with your outreach and questions asked on a sales call. Sellers use them to decide who to contact, when, and with what message.Targeting and data

Catch-All EmailA catch-all email accepts mail for any address on a domain, so verifiers cannot confirm it. What it means, how to verify it and when to send in cold email.Full guide Churn RateChurn rate is the percentage of customers, or of recurring revenue, that a company loses during a period. Customer churn counts accounts that cancel or do not renew. Revenue churn counts the recurring revenue lost to cancellations and downgrades. Subscription businesses track churn rate monthly or yearly because it limits how fast they can grow.Revenue metrics Claude SkillsAgent SkillsClaude Skills, also called Agent Skills, are folders that teach Claude how to do a specific task. Each one holds a SKILL.md file with instructions, plus optional scripts and resources. Claude loads a skill only when a task calls for it, in Claude Code, the Claude apps and the API, so the same know-how works everywhere.AI for go-to-market Cold CallingCold calling is the practice of phoning a potential customer who has had no earlier contact with the seller, to start a sales conversation. In B2B, cold calling usually targets a named decision maker at a company that fits the ideal customer profile, and the goal of the call is a qualified meeting, not a sale on the spot.Sales roles and motions Cold EmailCold email is a first, unrequested email sent to a business contact who has no earlier relationship with the sender, usually to start a sales conversation. A good B2B cold email is written for one person: it names a fact about their company, links it to a likely problem and asks for one small next step.Sales roles and motions Context WindowA context window is the amount of text, measured in tokens, that an AI model can work with in a single request. It holds everything the model sees at once: instructions, conversation history, documents, tool results and its own answer. Anything outside the window is invisible to the model, and on the API, everything inside it is billed.AI for go-to-market Customer Acquisition CostCACCustomer acquisition cost (CAC) is the total sales and marketing spend in a period divided by the number of new customers won in that period. It includes salaries, commissions, tools, agencies and ads, not just campaign budgets. CAC tells a company whether it can afford the way it grows.Revenue metrics Customer Lifetime ValueCLV or LTVCustomer lifetime value (CLV, often called LTV) is an estimate of the total gross profit a company earns from one customer over the whole relationship, from first payment to cancellation. Subscription businesses usually calculate it from average revenue per account, gross margin and churn rate. It sets the ceiling on what you can spend to win a customer.Revenue metrics

Data EnrichmentData enrichment is the process of adding missing information to an existing record, such as a lead or an account, from outside sources. In B2B sales, data enrichment fills fields like a verified work email, a direct phone number, job title, company size or a buying signal, so a team can qualify an account and reach the right person.Targeting and data Data MoatA data moat is the advantage competitors cannot copy with the same software or AI. What counts as one, why it beats a feature list and how to build it.Full guide Demand GenerationDemand generation is the work of making a market want what you sell before buyers are ready to fill out a form. It combines content, a founder or expert voice, events, retargeting and outbound so the right accounts already know your name when the problem arrives. Lead generation then captures the demand that exists.GTM strategy and ops Discovery CallA discovery call is the first in-depth sales conversation with a prospect, held to understand their situation, problem and goals and to decide together whether there is a fit worth pursuing. A good discovery call ends with a clear next step, such as a demo, a proposal or a meeting with other decision makers.Qualification and pipeline DKIMDomainKeys Identified MailDKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that adds a digital signature to every outgoing message. The receiving server uses a public key published in the sender's DNS to check that signature. A valid signature proves the email came from that domain and was not altered on the way.Email deliverability DMARCDMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is a DNS record that tells receiving mail servers what to do with email that uses your domain but fails authentication: deliver it, send it to spam or block it. It builds on SPF and DKIM and sends you reports on who is sending email as your domain.Email deliverability Domain ReputationDomain reputation is the trust that mailbox providers such as Gmail and Outlook assign to a sending domain, based on how its past email behaved. It reflects authentication, bounces, spam complaints, sending volume and how recipients engage. A strong domain reputation helps email reach the inbox. A damaged one sends it to spam.Email deliverability

Email Bounce RateEmail bounce rate is the percentage of sent emails that are returned as undeliverable instead of reaching a mailbox. A hard bounce means the address does not exist or the domain cannot receive mail. A soft bounce is a temporary failure, such as a full inbox. High bounce rates damage the sender's domain reputation.Email deliverability Email DeliverabilityEmail deliverability is the share of your sent emails that reach the recipient's inbox instead of bouncing or landing in spam. It depends on four things: authenticated sending domains, a verified contact list, a steady daily volume per mailbox, and messages relevant enough that recipients do not report them as spam.Email deliverability

Founder-Led SalesUse a clear opening, focused questions and an agreed next step in founder-led sales calls. Learn where controlling the conversation helps and where it backfires.Full guide

Generative Engine OptimizationGEOGenerative engine optimization (GEO) is the practice of making your content easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Google AI Overviews to find, understand, trust and cite when they answer a question. It builds on search engine optimization (SEO) but aims for a citation inside the AI answer, not only a ranked link.AI for go-to-market Go-to-MarketGTMGo-to-market (GTM) is the plan and the system a company uses to reach the buyers it wants and win them as customers. It covers who you sell to, what you say, which channels you use, how deals are run and the tools underneath. The go to market meaning, put simply: how a product gets from built to bought.GTM strategy and ops GTM EngineeringGTM EngineerGTM engineering is the practice of building the data and automation systems behind a company's go-to-market: finding target accounts, enriching contacts, running AI research, scoring and routing leads, and syncing clean records to the CRM and outreach tools. A GTM engineer builds these workflows, often in Clay, so sellers spend their time on conversations instead of spreadsheets.GTM strategy and ops

Ideal Customer ProfileICPAn ideal customer profile (ICP) is a description of the type of company that gets the most value from your product and brings you the most value in return. A B2B ideal customer profile lists testable traits such as industry, size, location and a buying trigger, so sales and marketing know which accounts to pursue and which to skip.Targeting and data

Lead ScoringLead scoring is a method of ranking leads by giving each one points for how closely it matches your ideal customer profile and how strongly it shows interest in buying. The total score tells sales who to call first, who marketing should nurture longer, and who to drop from the list.Qualification and pipeline LinkedIn InMailLinkedIn InMail is a paid LinkedIn message that lets you write to a member who is not one of your first-degree connections. InMail comes with LinkedIn's paid plans for job seekers, businesses, sales teams and recruiters, which include a monthly allowance of credits. Sales teams use LinkedIn InMail to reach decision makers before any connection exists.Sales roles and motions LTV to CAC RatioThe LTV to CAC ratio compares customer lifetime value (the gross profit a customer brings over the relationship) with customer acquisition cost (the sales and marketing spend needed to win them). A ratio of 1 means you spend as much to win a customer as you earn from them. A higher ratio means each customer returns more than it cost.Revenue metrics

Marketing Qualified LeadMQLA marketing qualified lead (MQL) is a lead that marketing judges likely to buy, based on fit and engagement, and passes to sales for follow-up. An MQL is not a qualified opportunity yet: it has shown interest, such as downloading a guide or attending a webinar, but no one in sales has confirmed the need.Qualification and pipeline MEDDICMEDDIC is a sales qualification framework for complex B2B deals. It checks six elements: Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Identify pain and Champion. Sellers use MEDDIC to judge whether a deal is real, who will actually sign it and what is still missing before they put it in the forecast.Qualification and pipeline MRRMonthly Recurring RevenueMRR (monthly recurring revenue) is the predictable subscription revenue a company earns in one month from all active customers, with every contract converted to a monthly amount. It excludes one-time fees and services. Subscription businesses track MRR to see growth early, because new deals, upgrades, downgrades and cancellations show up in it within weeks.Revenue metrics MultithreadingMultithreading in sales is the practice of building relationships with several people inside a target account instead of relying on one contact. A multithreaded deal has links to the decision maker, the users, technical evaluators and others in the buying group, so it survives when one person goes quiet, changes jobs or loses influence.Qualification and pipeline MX RecordMail Exchange recordAn MX record (mail exchange record) is a DNS record that tells other mail servers where to deliver email for a domain. It points to one or more mail server host names, each with a priority number. Without a working MX record, a domain cannot receive email, and receivers may treat its outgoing mail as suspicious.Email deliverability

Net Revenue RetentionNRRNet revenue retention (NRR) is the percentage of recurring revenue a company keeps from an existing group of customers over a period, after adding expansion and subtracting downgrades and churn. Revenue from new customers is excluded. NRR above 100% means the existing base grows on its own. Below 100% means it shrinks.Revenue metrics

Outbound SalesOutbound sales is a sales approach in which the seller starts the conversation, contacting potential buyers who have not asked to hear from the company. In B2B, outbound sales teams choose target accounts, find the decision makers, reach them by phone, email or LinkedIn, and turn the ones who fit into qualified meetings and pipeline.Sales roles and motions

Product-Led GrowthPLGPLG (product-led growth) is a go-to-market model in which the product itself is the main way customers find, try, adopt and buy it. Users start with a free plan or trial, reach value without a sales call and upgrade on their own. Sales joins later, usually for larger accounts that need approvals, security reviews or custom terms.GTM strategy and ops

RevOpsRevenue OperationsRevOps (revenue operations) is the function that runs the shared systems, data and processes behind sales, marketing and customer success, so the whole revenue team works from one set of rules and one source of truth. It owns the CRM, the definition of each funnel stage, routing, forecasting and the automation between teams.GTM strategy and ops

Sales CycleA sales cycle is the series of stages a deal goes through from the first contact with a prospect to a signed contract, and the time that journey takes. In B2B, the sales cycle usually runs through prospecting, qualification, discovery, proposal, negotiation and close, and gets longer as deal size and the number of decision makers grow.Qualification and pipeline Sales EnablementSales enablement is the work of giving sellers what they need to run better conversations and win more deals: buyer research, messaging, content for each stage, training, call coaching and tools that remove admin. It is measured in deal outcomes, such as win rate and sales cycle length, not in the amount of content produced.GTM strategy and ops Sales Qualified LeadSQLA sales qualified lead (SQL) is a prospect that the sales team has checked and accepted as a real opportunity worth pursuing. Sales confirms it, usually on a discovery call, against written criteria such as a clear need, access to the decision maker, a budget and a timeline. In most CRMs an SQL becomes an opportunity.Qualification and pipeline SDRSales Development RepresentativeAn SDR (sales development representative) is a B2B salesperson who opens new conversations with potential buyers. The SDR researches target accounts, contacts decision makers by phone, email or LinkedIn, checks whether each one fits, and books a qualified meeting for an account executive, who then runs the sales process and closes the deal.Sales roles and motions Show RateNo-Show RateMeeting show rate is the percentage of booked sales meetings that actually take place. A related metric, the no-show rate, counts meetings the prospect did not attend. Teams that book B2B meetings track both to judge lead quality and booking habits, and to see how much of a full calendar turns into real sales conversations.Qualification and pipeline SPF RecordSender Policy FrameworkAn SPF record (Sender Policy Framework) is a TXT record in a domain's DNS that lists the mail servers allowed to send email for that domain. Receiving servers check it to spot forged senders. A missing or broken SPF record makes your email more likely to be rejected or filtered to spam.Email deliverability Stakeholder MappingStakeholder mapping is the process of identifying everyone who influences a buying decision inside an account and recording each person's role, level of influence and attitude toward your offer. In B2B sales, a stakeholder map shows who signs, who champions, who evaluates and who could block the deal, so sellers know who to reach next.Qualification and pipeline

TOFU, MOFU and BOFUFunnel stagesTOFU, MOFU, BOFU are short for top of the funnel, middle of the funnel and bottom of the funnel. They split the buyer journey into three stages: becoming aware of a problem, comparing ways to solve it, and choosing a vendor. Marketing and sales teams use them to match content, outreach and metrics to where each buyer is.Qualification and pipeline Total Addressable MarketTAMTAM (total addressable market) is the total revenue a company could earn if it won every possible customer for its product in a defined market. TAM sets the ceiling. Investors use it to judge how large a business could grow, and sales teams use it to size how many accounts are worth pursuing.Targeting and data

Waterfall EnrichmentWaterfall enrichment is a method for filling missing contact or company data by querying several data providers in sequence. The first provider runs on every record, and each next provider runs only on the records still missing a valid result. The goal is higher coverage than any single database, at the lowest cost per usable record.Targeting and data Win RateWin rate is the percentage of sales opportunities that end in a won deal, out of all opportunities that reached a final outcome. It is calculated as deals won divided by deals won plus deals lost. Win rate shows how well a team qualifies and sells, and it is a core input to pipeline and revenue forecasts.Qualification and pipeline