B2B has its own language. Learn it now and interviews stop feeling intimidating.
Why vocabulary is your first power move
You can have every skill in the world and still lose confidence in an interview the moment someone drops a term you don't recognize. SDR. OTE. ICP. Quota. Pipeline. These are not buzzwords for sounding smart — they’re the everyday terms language.
This module makes sure you're never caught off guard. These are the ~30 terms that come up constantly. Know them cold.
SDR — Sales Development Representative
The most common entry-level B2B sales role. SDRs focus on outreach and prospecting — their job is to find potential customers and book meetings. They pass qualified leads to Account Executives to close. This is typically where careers in B2B sales begin.
BDR — Business Development Representative
Very similar to an SDR. Some companies use BDR for outbound-focused roles (you reach out first) and SDR for inbound (you follow up on leads that come to you). In practice, the titles are often used interchangeably.
AE — Account Executive
The closer. AEs receive qualified leads from SDRs, run discovery calls, present solutions, and close deals. They carry a quota. This is the natural next step after SDR and is where compensation jumps significantly.
CSM — Customer Success Manager
Works with customers after they buy. Their job is retention — making sure customers get results so they renew and expand. CSM is a great path for people who love relationships over cold outreach.
OTE — On-Target Earnings
The total amount you'd earn if you hit 100% of your quota. A job posting might say "$50K base + $40K OTE." That means your base salary is $50K, and if you hit all your targets, you'd earn $90K total. OTE is what you're aiming for — not guaranteed.
Base Salary
The guaranteed portion of your pay — what you receive regardless of how much you sell. For entry-level SDRs, base salaries typically range from $35K–$60K depending on the company and market. Commission is on top of this.
Commission
The variable portion of your pay tied to your results. If you book 20 meetings and 5 convert to closed deals, you earn commission on those deals. Commission structures vary — some are a flat percentage, some are tiered (earn more per deal as you exceed targets).
Quota
Your monthly or quarterly revenue target. If your quota is $50K/month, you need to close $50K worth of business to hit it. Exceed quota and you typically earn accelerators (more commission per deal). Miss quota repeatedly and it affects your job security.
Ramp Period
The time you're given to get up to speed before you're held to full quota. Most companies give new hires 30–90 days. During this time, your targets are lower and you're still learning. Always ask about the ramp period in an interview — a company that doesn't offer one is a red flag.
Pipeline
All the deals currently in progress, organized by stage. A healthy pipeline means you have multiple potential deals at different stages at all times.
Prospect
A potential customer you've identified but haven't yet contacted or qualified. Your list of prospects is what you pull from for outreach.
Lead
Someone who has shown some interest — they signed up for a webinar, downloaded something, or replied to an email. A lead is warmer than a prospect. Not all leads become qualified opportunities.
Qualified Lead
A lead who has been confirmed to have budget, authority to buy, a real need, and a reasonable timeline. These are the ones worth pursuing. Unqualified leads waste everyone's time.
ICP — Ideal Customer Profile
A description of the type of company most likely to buy and get value from what you sell — industry, company size, location, common problems. Knowing your ICP means you spend time on the right prospects.
Cold Outreach
Reaching out to someone who has no prior relationship with you or your company. Cold email and cold calling are two of the most common SDR activities.
Warm Outreach
Reaching out to someone who has already had some exposure to your company — they came to your website, attended an event, or were referred. Warm outreach converts significantly better than cold.
Objection
A reason a prospect gives for not moving forward. "It's too expensive," "now isn't the right time," "I need to check with my boss." Objections are not rejections — they're questions in disguise.
Close
Asking for the decision. "Are you ready to move forward?" Closing is not pressure — it's creating clarity at the right moment.
Follow-Up
Any communication after initial outreach or a meeting. Most deals require multiple follow-ups before a decision is made. Being persistent without being annoying is a skill.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management software. Where you log every call, email, meeting, and deal stage. Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive are common examples.
Discovery Call
A structured conversation to understand a prospect's needs before pitching. The goal is listening, not talking. You're qualifying them as much as they're evaluating you.
When you see this in a job posting, here's what it means:
Your guaranteed salary plus what you'd earn at 100% quota. Always ask how long it takes reps to hit OTE and what percentage of the team hits it.
You'll be making calls and sending emails to people who don't know you. This is normal in SDR roles. It gets easier quickly.
"Preferred" ≠ required. You learn CRMs on the job. Show that you understand what a CRM does, and you're fine.
You'll own the whole pipeline — prospecting, discovery, pitch, close, and follow-up. More responsibility, typically more commission potential.
1. A job posting says "$45K base + $30K OTE." What does this mean?
2. What is an ICP?
3. A "ramp period" in a sales job means: