B2B Prospecting Glossary: All the Definitions You Need in 2026

As soon as you start building a prospect list, enriching a file, or comparing tools, you run into a dense vocabulary: scraping, lead generation, cold email, HLR Lookup, E.164 format… These terms blend B2B marketing English, technical data jargon, and GDPR legal terminology. Without solid reference points, it becomes hard to know what a tool actually does, what is permitted in France, and what is simply a sales argument.

This glossary brings together the essential definitions of modern prospecting, organized by theme rather than alphabetical order. Each term is summarized in one sentence, then links to a dedicated page that details the method, its limitations, and the legal framework applicable in 2026. The goal is simple: give you a clear entry point for understanding any conversation, product page, or article on prospecting.

We deliberately grouped terms by use case. When you are first discovering prospecting, alphabetical order scatters concepts that naturally belong together: an email finder makes little sense without the deliverability topic that follows it, and a phone number is only useful once it has been normalized and verified. Reading this glossary in order means following the real journey of a piece of prospect data, from the moment it is found to the rules that govern how it can be used. You can also browse it section by section depending on your current question.

Prospecting concepts and contact generation

These terms describe the broad approaches to identifying prospects and reaching out to them. They form the foundation of any sales effort: going to the market rather than waiting for it to come to you. They are often confused, yet they do not operate at the same level. Some refer to an objective, others to a strategy, others still to a concrete extraction technique. Distinguishing between them lets you evaluate a tool or provider that promises to "generate leads" much more accurately.

• Lead generation refers to the full set of methods that turn strangers into qualified contacts who may become customers.
• Outbound marketing is outbound prospecting: you initiate the contact (email, call, message), as opposed to inbound, where the prospect comes to you.
• Scraping consists of automatically extracting public data from a website or platform to build a usable list.
• A LinkedIn scraper is a tool that extracts profiles or contact details from LinkedIn — a regulated and risky practice for which cleaner alternatives exist.

Email, deliverability, and compliance

Email remains a central channel in B2B prospecting, but its effectiveness depends on two things: finding the right address, and respecting an increasingly strict legal framework. Finding an address is not enough if it bounces or ends up in spam; and a technically perfect campaign is still illegal if it ignores consent and disclosure requirements. These terms cover address discovery and the rules of the game that determine whether a message actually reaches an inbox.

• An email finder is a tool that finds or reconstructs a contact's professional email address from their name and company.
• A cold email is a message sent to a prospect with whom you have no prior relationship; in B2B, its legality depends on compliance with specific rules derived from GDPR.

Data, enrichment, and company databases

A prospect list is only as good as the quality and depth of the data it contains. A list of names without contact details, industry, or company size remains hard to work with; conversely, a well-filled record allows you to target, prioritize, and personalize your message. This section covers concepts related to collecting, enriching, and sourcing company data — in particular French open data, which represents a reliable and legally sound raw material.

• Data enrichment consists of completing an existing prospect record with additional information: size, industry, contact details, legal data.
• A company database is a structured repository of organizations, often built from French open data sources such as the SIRENE directory.
• A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is the tool that centralizes and tracks the relationship with each prospect and customer throughout the sales cycle.

Telephony, numbers, and reachability

The phone remains a powerful lever, provided you have valid numbers in the correct format. A calling list quickly loses its value: numbers change, get cancelled, or are ported to another carrier. These more technical terms determine the reliability of a calling list and the quality of your phone prospecting. Mastering them prevents you from wasting time on dead numbers and degrading the statistics of your PBX or calling solution.

• The E.164 format is the international standard for writing phone numbers (including country code), essential for normalizing any file.
• HLR Lookup is a verification method that confirms a mobile number is valid and still assigned to an active subscriber.
• French telephone dialing codes let you identify the type and area of a number in order to intelligently segment a prospecting file.
• Number portability is the right to keep your number when switching carrier, which breaks the link between a number and its original network in a contact file.

Legal framework and GDPR

Compliance is no longer optional: it determines what you are allowed to collect, store, and contact. The rules have changed significantly in recent years, and non-compliance exposes you to sanctions as well as reputational damage. This section brings together the key legal concepts for prospecting safely in France. The rule of thumb to keep in mind is straightforward: before reaching out, check what legal basis justifies the contact.

• B2B telephone canvassing is governed by the French law of 11 August 2026, which amends consent rules and updates the Bloctel opt-out system.

Note: compliance is not limited to phone outreach. Cold email, data enrichment, and profile scraping are also subject to GDPR. Each dedicated page in the previous sections specifies the obligations applicable to its topic.

Going further

This glossary is part of a broader set of OutSend resources. Depending on your needs, these other hubs explore complementary angles:

• Prospecting tool alternatives: factual comparisons for positioning each solution against OutSend.
• Prospecting without a SIRET number: practical guides for students, associations, freelancers, and job seekers.
• Compliant real estate prospecting: all guides adapted to the French law of 11 August 2026.
• OutSend features: how the platform covers the full prospecting pipeline end to end.

FAQ

What is the difference between lead generation and outbound marketing?

Lead generation is the goal: producing qualified contacts. Outbound marketing is one of the methods to get there, by actively reaching out to prospects (email, call, message). You can generate leads through outbound as well as inbound channels.

Is scraping legal in France?

Extracting public data is not forbidden in itself, but collecting it and using it for prospecting purposes is governed by GDPR and by the terms of service of the platforms concerned. The dedicated page details what is permitted and what is not.

Why normalize phone numbers to E.164 format?

E.164 format ensures a number is readable and usable everywhere: importing into a calling tool, verification, deduplication. A file where numbers are written in ten different ways is unreliable to work with at scale.

Does an email finder guarantee a valid address?

No. An email finder proposes a likely address, which generally needs to be verified afterward to confirm deliverability. Finding and verifying are two distinct steps, each with its own methods.

Is this glossary up to date for 2026?

Yes. The definitions incorporate recent regulatory changes, in particular the French law of 11 August 2026 on telephone canvassing, and all pages are anchored to that framework.