Glossary
B2B prospecting glossary
This glossary defines, in two sentences each, the terms a B2B SME manager comes across when structuring their prospecting, from the ideal customer to the sales pipeline.
Each term has its own anchor, so it can be quoted or shared directly, and points to a guide that goes deeper once it is published.
The terms
- ICP (ideal customer profile)
- The ICP, for Ideal Customer Profile, describes the type of company and decision-maker for whom your offer delivers the most: sector, size, role, reason to buy. It acts as a filter to decide whom to contact, and above all whom not to contact.Go further: Write your ideal customer in one sentence
- Target account
- A target account is a company chosen by name because it matches your ideal customer. It is prospected in a coordinated way, often across several people and channels, rather than by chance from a search.Go further: Choosing your target accounts
- Buying signal
- A buying signal is an observable event in a company, such as hiring, a funding round, a move or a change of manager, that makes a need more likely. It gives a legitimate reason to get in touch now rather than later.Go further: Spotting buying signals
- Personalisation
- A personalised message starts from something specific to the prospect (their role, their company, a recent post) and not from a template where only the first name changes. Personalisation comes down to one question: could the message have been sent to someone else?Go further: Writing a personalised first message
- Multichannel sequence
- A multichannel sequence is a planned series of contacts across several channels, for example LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp, spread over several days. Each step has a specific role and the sequence stops as soon as the prospect replies.Go further: Building a LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp sequence
- Sales cadence
- Your sales cadence is the regular, sustainable rhythm at which you prospect: how many contacts, which days, how much time. A modest cadence kept every week produces more than an intense effort followed by a month of silence.Go further: Keeping a sales cadence while running an SME
- Response rate
- The response rate is the share of contacted prospects who reply to your message, whatever the reply. It is measured per message and per segment, over a sufficient number of contacts, before being compared with anything.Go further: Measuring your response rate
- Qualified lead
- A qualified lead is a prospect who matches your ideal customer and shows real interest: a question, a need, availability for a conversation. A polite reply or a simple accepted invitation does not make someone a qualified lead.Go further: Qualifying before accepting the meeting
- Sales pipeline
- The sales pipeline shows the stages a prospect goes through, from first contact to signature, with the number of prospects at each stage. It shows where conversations are lost and what the next action is for each one.Go further: Organising your prospecting follow-up
- Sales objection
- An objection is a prospect's reply that slows things down, such as "it's not the right time" or "send me some documentation". It calls for a clarifying question rather than a sales pitch.Go further: Structuring a first meeting
- LinkedIn automation
- LinkedIn automation means using software or an extension that sends invitations or messages, visits profiles or extracts data on the user's behalf. LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits it: see the comparison.Go further: Automate or prepare your messages
- LinkedIn invitation limit
- LinkedIn caps the number of invitations an account can send each week, without publishing a guaranteed figure. An order of magnitude of 100 invitations per week is commonly observed, and it varies from account to account.Go further: LinkedIn invitation limits
- GDPR in B2B prospecting
- The GDPR applies to the data of the people you prospect, even in B2B: you need a legal basis, most often legitimate interest, must inform the person and respect their objection. The rules for sending emails vary by country, notably between France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.Go further: GDPR and B2B prospecting by country
- Prospecting diagnostic
- A prospecting diagnostic examines your target, your messages, your channels and your follow-up to identify what is holding you back before adding a tool or more volume. It ends with a prioritised action plan.Go further: Diagnosing your prospecting
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an ICP and a persona?
The ICP describes the ideal company: sector, size, situation. The persona describes the person who buys within that company: their role, their priorities, their objections. In B2B prospecting, you define the ICP first, then the persona to contact.
What is the difference between a sequence and a sales cadence?
A sequence applies to one prospect: the series of messages they will receive and on which channels. A cadence applies to you: the weekly rhythm at which you prospect. A good sequence is useless without a cadence you keep up.
What is a qualified lead in B2B prospecting?
It is a prospect who matches your ideal customer and shows real interest: a question, a need, availability. An accepted invitation or a polite reply is not enough.
Does social selling replace direct prospecting?
No. Posts and comments make your name familiar and give context to your messages. Direct contact is still needed to open a sales conversation.
Is LinkedIn automation allowed?
No. LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits software and extensions that automate activity on the platform or extract data from it. Trouve Tes Clients automates no sending: you send each message yourself.