The CRM Glossary
Plain-English definitions of every CRM, sales pipeline, and AI CRM term. Built for buyers comparing tools and teams getting their pipeline in order.
Start hereCRM GlossaryA reference that defines every CRM, sales pipeline, lead, and AI CRM term in plain English.
CRM Fundamentals
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)Software that stores and manages every interaction a business has with its customers and prospects.CRM vs SpreadsheetWhy a CRM beats a spreadsheet once you have more than a handful of contacts.Business CommunicationHow a business exchanges information internally and with customers across all channels.Contact ManagementOrganizing and maintaining records of everyone your business interacts with.Account ManagementManaging the full relationship with a customer account over time.System of RecordThe single authoritative source for customer data across a business.
Pipeline & Deals
Sales PipelineA visual representation of where every deal stands in your sales process, stage by stage.Sales FunnelThe journey a prospect takes from awareness to purchase, narrowing at each stage.Deal StageA defined step in your pipeline that indicates how close a deal is to closing.Top of FunnelThe awareness stage where prospects first discover you.OpportunityA qualified deal with real revenue potential, tracked through your pipeline.Closed-WonA deal that has been successfully closed as a new customer.Closed-LostA deal that ended without a sale.Stalled DealAn open deal that has stopped progressing through the pipeline.
Leads & Prospecting
Lead ScoringRanking leads by how likely they are to convert, so reps work the best ones first.Lead QualificationDeciding whether a lead is worth pursuing based on fit, need, budget, and timing.BANTA qualification framework: Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing.MQL vs SQLThe difference between a marketing-qualified lead and a sales-qualified lead.LeadA person or company that has shown some interest in what you sell.ProspectA qualified lead who fits your ideal customer and is worth actively pursuing.Inbound LeadA lead who reaches out to you first, through a call, form, chat, or referral.Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)A description of the company or person most likely to become a great customer.Buyer PersonaA semi-fictional profile of a typical buyer, used to guide sales and marketing.
Data & Records
Lead EnrichmentAdding context to a lead record, such as intent, fit, company data, and conversation history.Single Customer ViewOne unified record of every interaction a customer has had across all channels.CRM Data HygieneKeeping CRM records accurate, complete, and free of duplicates.Duplicate RecordsMultiple CRM entries for the same person or company, causing confusion and bad reporting.Lead SourceWhere a lead came from: referral, ad, organic search, call, or campaign.FirmographicsCompany-level attributes like industry, size, revenue, and location.Contact RecordThe single profile holding everything you know about one contact.Activity LogThe chronological history of every interaction on a contact or deal.Data NormalizationStandardizing CRM data into consistent formats and values.Field MappingMatching data fields between systems so information lands in the right place.Custom FieldsFields you add to CRM records to capture data specific to your business.
Sales Operations
Lead RoutingAutomatically directing each lead to the right rep, team, or workflow.OmnichannelEngaging customers consistently across phone, SMS, email, chat, and more.Round-Robin AssignmentDistributing leads evenly across a team in rotation.Lead NurturingStaying in touch with leads who are not ready to buy until they are.Demand GenerationMarketing activity that creates awareness and interest before a lead exists.Cold CallingCalling prospects who have had no prior contact with your business.CRM IntegrationConnecting your CRM to the other tools your business runs on.CRM MigrationMoving your data and workflows from one CRM to another.CRM AdoptionHow consistently your team actually uses the CRM.Sales CadenceA scheduled sequence of touches, calls, emails, texts, to work a lead.Follow-UpReaching back out to a lead or customer after an initial interaction.Drip CampaignAn automated series of messages sent on a schedule or by trigger.Sales EnablementGiving reps the content, data, and tools to sell more effectively.Territory ManagementDividing accounts and leads among reps by region, segment, or rules.Service-Level Agreement (SLA)A committed standard, like response time, for handling leads or tickets.
Metrics & Reporting
Pipeline VelocityHow quickly deals move through your pipeline and generate revenue.Speed to LeadHow fast you respond to a new lead after they reach out.Win RateThe percentage of deals you close out of the deals you pursue.Conversion RateThe share of prospects who take a desired action, like becoming a lead or customer.Sales CycleThe average time it takes to close a deal from first contact.Sales ForecastingPredicting future revenue based on the current pipeline and historical performance.Customer ChurnThe rate at which customers stop doing business with you.Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)The total revenue you expect from a customer over the whole relationship.Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)The average cost to acquire one new customer.Customer RetentionKeeping existing customers engaged and renewing over time.Average Handle Time (AHT)The average total time an agent spends on a customer interaction, including hold and follow-up work.Weighted PipelinePipeline value adjusted by each deal's probability of closing.Pipeline CoverageThe ratio of open pipeline to your sales target for a period.Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)Predictable subscription revenue normalized to a monthly figure.Net Revenue Retention (NRR)Revenue retained from existing customers including expansion, net of churn.Average Deal SizeThe average revenue per closed deal.Sales QuotaA revenue or activity target a rep or team is expected to hit.Cost Per Lead (CPL)The average marketing spend to generate one lead.Net Promoter Score (NPS)A measure of customer loyalty based on likelihood to recommend you.Customer Health ScoreA composite score predicting whether a customer will stay or churn.
AI in CRM
AI CRMA CRM that uses AI to populate records, score leads, and act on conversations automatically.Conversation IntelligenceAI that analyzes calls and messages to extract insights, coaching, and CRM data.Call TranscriptionConverting recorded calls into searchable, structured text.Sentiment AnalysisDetecting the emotional tone of a conversation to flag risk and opportunity.Predictive AnalyticsUsing data and AI to forecast outcomes like which deals will close.Natural Language Processing (NLP)AI that understands and extracts meaning from human language.AI AgentSoftware that autonomously handles tasks like answering, qualifying, and booking.AI Call SummaryAn automatic, structured recap of what happened on a call.Intent DetectionAI identifying what a person actually wants from their words.AI Note-TakingAutomatically capturing notes from calls and meetings into the CRM.
Phone & Telephony
VoIP NumberA phone number that routes calls over the internet instead of a traditional copper phone line.VoIP PhoneA phone, hardware or software, that places calls over the internet using VoIP.SoftphoneA software app that turns a computer or mobile device into a full business phone.TelephonyThe technology that carries voice communication between people over a distance.Cloud TelephonyPhone service delivered over the internet from the provider's servers, with no on-site hardware.PBX (Private Branch Exchange)A private phone system that routes calls within a business and out to the public network.PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange)An automatic private phone exchange that routes internal and external calls without an operator.SIP TrunkingA method of delivering phone lines to a PBX over the internet using the SIP protocol.JitterVariation in the delay of voice data packets that degrades call quality.UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service)A cloud service that bundles phone, messaging, video, and collaboration into one platform.Unified CommunicationsBringing calling, messaging, video, and voicemail into one connected experience.Virtual Phone NumberA phone number not tied to a specific device or line, routable to any phone over the internet.DID Number (Direct Inward Dialing)A direct phone number that routes straight to a specific person or extension.Call ForwardingAutomatically redirecting an incoming call to another number or device.VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)A technology that carries phone calls as data over the internet instead of over copper phone lines.How VoIP WorksVoIP converts voice into data packets, sends them over the internet, and reassembles them at the other end.Hosted PBXA business phone system where the PBX runs in the provider's cloud instead of on hardware at your office.Hosted VoIPVoIP phone service delivered and managed entirely from the provider's cloud.IP PBXA PBX that routes calls over an IP network using VoIP instead of analog phone lines.SIP PhoneA phone that uses the SIP protocol to place and receive calls over the internet.SIP CallingMaking calls over the internet using the Session Initiation Protocol to start and end each session.PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)The traditional circuit-switched phone network that carries calls over physical copper lines.POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service)The basic analog landline service that runs over copper wires on the traditional phone network.ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)A digital phone standard that carries voice and data over traditional copper lines.PRI (Primary Rate Interface)A digital ISDN connection that delivers multiple phone channels to a business over one circuit.IP TelephonyThe delivery of voice communication over an IP network instead of the traditional phone line.Wi-Fi CallingPlacing and receiving phone calls over a Wi-Fi network instead of a cellular signal.Virtual Phone SystemA cloud-based phone system that runs entirely in software, with no on-site hardware.CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service)A cloud platform that lets businesses add voice, SMS, and video to their own apps through APIs.Cloud CommunicationsVoice, messaging, and video services hosted in the cloud and delivered over the internet.A2P 10DLCA US standard for sending application-to-person text messages over standard 10-digit long codes.Number PortingTransferring an existing phone number from one carrier or provider to another.LOA (Letter of Authorization)A signed document that authorizes a new provider to port your phone number from the old one.QoS (Quality of Service)Network settings that prioritize voice traffic so calls stay clear under load.Do Not Disturb (DND)A phone setting that silences incoming calls and routes them elsewhere while active.
Contact Center & Support
Omnichannel Contact CenterA support operation that handles calls, chat, email, and SMS in one connected system.IVR (Interactive Voice Response)An automated phone menu that routes callers using voice or keypad input.Call MaskingHiding the real phone numbers of both parties behind a temporary proxy number.Call MonitoringListening to or reviewing calls to assess quality, compliance, and coaching needs.ChatbotSoftware that holds a text conversation with users to answer questions or complete tasks.Conversational AIAI that understands and responds in natural language across voice and text.Knowledge BaseA self-serve library of articles and answers customers and AI agents can draw on.Phone ExtensionA short internal number that routes to a specific person or department within a phone system.Contact CenterA team or system that handles customer interactions across phone, email, chat, and text.Call CenterA centralized team that handles a high volume of inbound or outbound phone calls.Call RoutingThe rules that direct each incoming call to the right person, team, or queue.DNIS (Dialed Number Identification Service)A feature that tells a phone system which number a caller dialed, so it can route accordingly.ANI (Automatic Number Identification)A feature that identifies the caller's phone number and passes it to the receiving system.Call TrackingAssigning unique numbers to campaigns to measure which marketing drives phone calls.
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