Glossary

The words behind the calls.

50 terms from outbound calling, compliance and AI reception, in plain English. General information, not legal advice.

A

A2P 10DLCA2P 10DLC is the US system for registering businesses that send application-to-person text messages from standard 10-digit local phone numbers.Abandoned CallAn abandoned call is a call that a person answers but that is not connected to a live representative within two seconds of their greeting.AI ReceptionistAn AI receptionist is software that answers a business's phone calls with an AI voice, handles common questions, takes messages, and routes urgent calls.AI SDRAn AI SDR is software that uses an AI voice or text agent to handle parts of a sales development rep's job, such as calling leads, qualifying them, and passing ready buyers to a human.Answering Machine Detection (AMD)Answering machine detection is technology that tries to tell, in the first seconds of a call, whether a person or a voicemail system answered.Artificial or Prerecorded VoiceAn artificial or prerecorded voice is any call voice that is not a live human speaking in real time, which under the TCPA includes AI-generated voices.

B

BANTBANT is a lead qualification framework that checks a lead's Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline.Branded CallingBranded calling is a service that shows a verified business name, and sometimes a logo and call reason, on a person's phone when your company calls.

C

Call Attestation (A, B, C)Call attestation is the level of confidence a phone carrier signs onto a call under STIR/SHAKEN about who is calling and whether they may use the number shown.Call CadenceA call cadence is the planned sequence and timing of calls, and often texts and emails, used to reach a lead over days or weeks.Call CoachingCall coaching is giving feedback on calls, live or from recordings, to help a rep or AI agent get better results.Call DispositionA call disposition is the label recorded at the end of a call that says how it ended, such as connected, voicemail, no answer, transferred, or do not call.Call ForwardingCall forwarding is a phone feature that sends incoming calls from one number to another, either always or only when a call is not answered.Call Recording Consent (One-Party vs Two-Party)Call recording consent is the legal permission needed to record a phone call, which in the US depends on whether the state requires one party or all parties to agree.Caller ID ReputationCaller ID reputation is how carriers and call analytics companies judge whether calls from a phone number are wanted, which affects whether calls get labeled or blocked.Caller ID SpoofingCaller ID spoofing is deliberately sending false caller ID information so a call appears to come from a different number or name.Calling WindowA calling window is the range of hours in the called person's local time when you are allowed to place sales calls.CNAMCNAM, short for Caller ID Name, is the name that shows on a landline or some phones next to the incoming number, pulled from a carrier database.Cold TransferA cold transfer is a call handoff where the call is forwarded to another person without any introduction or shared context.Connect RateConnect rate is the share of outbound dials that become connected calls.Connected CallA connected call is a dial that is answered and results in a live connection, as opposed to a call that rings out, is busy, or fails.Consent RevocationConsent revocation is when a person takes back their permission to be called or texted.CRM SyncCRM sync is the automatic sharing of contacts, activities, and outcomes between a sales tool and a customer relationship management system.

D

DNC List (National Do Not Call Registry)The National Do Not Call Registry is the free US government list where people can register phone numbers they do not want telemarketing calls on.DNC Safe HarborThe DNC safe harbor is a defense that protects a seller from liability for an occasional do-not-call violation if it had proper written procedures and followed them.

E

Established Business Relationship (EBR)An established business relationship is a recent purchase or inquiry that, under the do-not-call rules, can allow a seller to call a person whose number is on the National Do Not Call Registry.

I

Internal Do-Not-Call ListAn internal do-not-call list is a company's own record of people who asked that company to stop calling them.

L

Lead ListA lead list is a collection of contacts, with names, phone numbers, and other details, that a sales team plans to reach.Lead QualificationLead qualification is the process of finding out whether a lead is a good fit and ready for a sales conversation.Live Call MonitoringLive call monitoring is listening to a call while it happens, usually by a manager or rep, without joining the conversation.

O

Opt-OutAn opt-out is a person's request to stop receiving calls, texts, or emails, or the mechanism that lets them make that request.

P

Parallel DialerA parallel dialer is a calling tool that dials several numbers at the same time for one rep and connects the rep to the first person who answers.Power DialerA power dialer is a calling tool that automatically dials the next number on a list as soon as a rep finishes the previous call.Predictive DialerA predictive dialer is a calling system that uses math to guess when agents will be free and dials ahead, often placing more calls than there are agents available.Prior Express ConsentPrior express consent is permission a person gives to be called at a number, which is enough for some non-telemarketing autodialed or artificial voice calls but not for telemarketing.Prior Express Written ConsentPrior express written consent is a signed written agreement in which a person clearly authorizes a specific seller to make telemarketing calls or texts to a specific number using an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice.

R

Reassigned Numbers DatabaseThe Reassigned Numbers Database is an FCC-created tool that lets callers check whether a phone number has been permanently disconnected and possibly given to a new person.Retry ScheduleA retry schedule is the set of rules that decides when an unanswered call gets dialed again and how many times.RobocallA robocall is a phone call that plays a prerecorded or artificial voice message, and in common use it also means any unwanted automated call.

S

SDR (Sales Development Representative)An SDR, or sales development representative, is a salesperson who focuses on reaching and qualifying new leads and setting meetings for account executives.Spam Likely LabelA Spam Likely label is a warning a mobile carrier or call app shows on an incoming call when its analytics think the call may be unwanted.Speed to LeadSpeed to lead is the time between a lead asking to hear from you and your first real contact with them.STIR/SHAKENSTIR/SHAKEN is a set of technical standards that lets phone carriers digitally sign and verify the caller ID on calls that travel over IP networks.

T

Talk TimeTalk time is the amount of time spent in live conversation on calls, measured per call or as a total for a rep, agent, or campaign.TCPAThe TCPA, or Telephone Consumer Protection Act, is the 1991 US federal law that limits telemarketing calls, autodialed calls, artificial or prerecorded voice calls, and many text messages.Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR)The Telemarketing Sales Rule is the FTC regulation that governs telemarketing in the US, including the National Do Not Call Registry, calling hours, and required disclosures.

V

Voice CloningVoice cloning is creating a synthetic voice that sounds like a specific real person, using recordings of that person's speech.Voicemail DropA voicemail drop is a feature that leaves a prerecorded voicemail with one click when a call reaches an answering machine, so the rep can move to the next call.

W

Warm TransferA warm transfer is a call handoff where the person or AI agent passing the call introduces the caller and context to the next person before stepping away.WebhookA webhook is an automatic message one app sends to another app's web address the moment an event happens.