Glossary
Letter T
Tactics
Concrete actions or methods used to implement a strategy, such as campaigns, outreach sequences, or pricing experiments.
Talk track
A structured verbal guide used by sales reps to ensure consistent messaging during calls, demos, or pitches.
TAM analysis
The process of calculating and evaluating the total market potential for a product or service.
Target
A defined performance goal, market segment, or customer profile used to focus business efforts.
Target account list (TAL)
A curated list of high-value accounts prioritized for outbound sales or ABM programs.
Target account selling
A sales approach focusing deeply on selected high-value accounts rather than broad prospecting.
Target audience
The specific group of people or organizations a company aims to reach with its marketing or sales efforts.
Target base pay
The planned annual fixed salary defined for a specific role, excluding incentives or bonuses.
Target bids
Predefined bid amounts used in paid advertising to achieve optimal placement or ROI.
Target buyer
The ideal customer profile (ICP) within a target account or market segment who has the authority, need, and budget to purchase a product or solution.
Target buying stage
The specific point in the buyer journey (awareness, consideration, decision) that a prospect or segment is currently in, used to tailor messaging and outreach.
Target compensation
The combined value of base salary and variable pay that an employee is expected to earn when meeting performance goals.
Target incentive
The portion of variable pay a salesperson is expected to earn upon achieving 100% of quota or performance objectives.
Target incentive compensation
The structured variable pay plan awarded to employees for achieving predefined performance targets.
Target market
The defined group of customers most likely to purchase a product or service, based on segmentation and market analysis.
Target market analysis
A systematic evaluation of demographics, behaviors, needs, and competitive factors in the chosen market segment.
Target performance
The expected level of achievement or output against which performance is measured, often tied to KPIs or quotas.
Target persona
A semi-fictional representation of an ideal customer created using demographic, behavioral, and psychographic data to guide marketing and sales efforts.
Target profit
The desired level of profit an organization aims to achieve within a certain period or through specific products.
Target total compensation
The full expected earnings for a role, including base salary, incentives, bonuses, and other monetary rewards.
Target total compensation ranges
The minimum-to-maximum pay bands for total compensation associated with a position or job family.
Targeted marketing
A marketing approach that tailors messaging, channels, and offers specifically to a defined segment or audience to increase relevance and efficiency.
Targeting
The process of selecting specific audiences, segments, or accounts to receive personalized marketing or sales efforts based on relevance and expected impact.
Task
A discrete unit of work assigned to an individual or team, typically with a defined deadline and outcome.
Team factors
Attributes such as collaboration, communication, skills, and workload distribution that influence team performance.
Team incentives
Compensation or rewards distributed based on collective team performance rather than individual contribution.
Team selling
A coordinated sales approach where multiple roles (AE, SE, CSM, SDR) work collaboratively to win complex or high-value deals.
Telesales
Sales conducted over the phone, typically involving direct product pitches, follow-ups, and closing activities.
Tele-sales representative
A salesperson who conducts sales activities primarily via phone, focusing on closing deals remotely.
Term
A defined period or condition, often used in contracts, subscriptions, or financial agreements.
Territory
A geographic or account-based area assigned to a salesperson or team for coverage and development.
Territory design
The process of dividing geographic or account-based regions to balance workload, potential, and revenue opportunity.
Territory management
Managing and optimizing activities, resources, and strategies within an assigned sales territory.
Territory representative (TR)
A salesperson responsible for managing sales activities within a defined territory.
Test and learn
An iterative experimentation approach where hypotheses are tested in controlled conditions to drive continuous improvement.
Third-party data
Information collected by an external entity without a direct relationship to the user, often aggregated and sold for targeting purposes.
Threshold
A minimum performance level or metric that must be met before incentives, bonuses, or commissions begin paying out.
Tiered bonus
An incentive structure where bonus amounts increase progressively as higher performance levels or targets are reached.
Tiered commission
A compensation model where commission rates rise as a salesperson surpasses predefined revenue or quota thresholds.
Time management
The practice of organizing and prioritizing tasks to maximize productivity, efficiency, and goal achievement within limited time.
Time management for sales professionals
A structured approach helping sales reps balance prospecting, meetings, follow-ups, and admin tasks to optimize selling time.
Time spent selling
The portion of a salesperson’s workday dedicated to revenue-generating activities—such as meetings, demos, and prospecting—versus administrative tasks.
Time to revenue
The duration between initial lead acquisition and the moment revenue is recognized from a closed deal.
Timelines
Defined schedules outlining when tasks, stages, or milestones must be completed within a project or process.
Tire kicker
A prospect who shows interest and asks questions but has low intent to buy, often consuming sales time without advancing toward a deal.
Top of the funnel (TOFU)
The awareness stage of the buyer journey where prospects first discover a problem or brand through broad, educational content.
Top performers
Individuals or teams consistently exceeding targets, KPIs, or performance expectations.
Top prospect list
A curated list of high-value or high-priority prospects targeted for personalized sales outreach.
Top-down
A strategic approach where decisions and initiatives originate from leadership and cascade down across the organization.
Top-down approach
A methodology where planning and forecasting start at the organizational level before being broken down into team or individual targets.
Top-down quota allocation
A quota-setting method where leadership defines global targets and distributes them downward through regions, teams, and reps.
Topic targeting
An advertising strategy that targets content based on specific themes or subjects, ensuring ads appear alongside highly relevant material.
Top-line budget
A financial plan focused primarily on revenue goals rather than costs or profitability.
Total addressable market (TAM)
The total revenue opportunity available if a company achieved 100% market share in a given market.
Total revenue
The sum of all income generated from sales of products or services before expenses.
Total rewards
A comprehensive compensation package that includes salary, incentives, benefits, recognition, and career development opportunities.
Total RFP value
The full monetary worth of a Request for Proposal, including potential contract size and upsell/cross-sell opportunities.
Total target compensation
The full expected earnings for a role at 100% performance, including base salary, bonuses, incentives, and commissions.
Touchpoints
Specific moments or interactions where a customer or prospect engages with a brand across marketing, sales, or service channels.
Tracking
The process of monitoring user behavior, campaign performance, or system data through analytics tools and tracking technologies.
Trade promotion
Marketing activities and incentives offered to distributors, retailers, or partners to stimulate product demand and increase sales.
Trailing credit
Commission credit assigned to a salesperson for revenue occurring after the initial sale—such as renewals or usage.
Transactional approach
A sales or management style focused on direct exchanges, task completion, and short-term goals.
Transactional data
Data generated from purchases, payments, or interactions, often used to analyze buying patterns.
Transactions
Completed exchanges of goods, services, or payments between a customer and a business.
Trend
A long-term shift in consumer behavior, market dynamics, technology adoption, or data patterns.
Trend reports
Analytical documents identifying emerging patterns, market shifts, and consumer behaviors to support strategic planning.
Trigger event
A change in a prospect’s situation (e.g., funding, hiring, mergers) that creates a timely sales opportunity.
Triggers
Events, actions, or signals that initiate a workflow, campaign, or decision point in marketing or sales.
True up (aka catch up)
A compensation adjustment ensuring a salesperson receives the correct payout after final results are reconciled.
Trusted advisor
A sales or service professional who provides strategic guidance beyond transactional interactions, earning long-term trust.
