The Jargon Buster Directory is your central resource for locating
an explanation to typical terms found for within all industries , professions
and governments.
Use our directory to locate and decipher jargon that you would like an
explanation for.
Keeping our directory up to date and to include all the spheres where jargon
is used is a never ending task for us. We have started with what we can locate
but but it is a vast subject and can be very niche specific.
Are you in a profession or industry that uses jargon that is NOT included
here? Then why not send us your own jargon buster text and we will include
it within our database. to say thank you we will provide you with a return
link back to your web site.
Used to describe 'traditional' marketing activities that do not require a
direct response but instead build awareness of goods or services, e.g. television
and radio, posters and press.
Advertorial
A paid advertisement that is designed in such as manner that it gives the
impression of being an editorial rather than advertisement.
Appointment Setting
The process of arranging qualified sales meetings.
Awareness
Advertising or other promotional activity (e.g. public relations) whose primary
purpose is to increases general knowledge of the company, and to make people
feel more positive towards it.
Below the line
A term applied to marketing that carries a response mechanism. This includes
coupons, DRTV and telemarketing (verbal responses).
Brief
Written instructions given to the supplier or suppliers before commencement
of a project. This document details the project objectives, reporting procedures,
timescales etc.
Business to business
Marketing activity directed from one business to another (as opposed to a
consumer).
Business lists
Lists of business contact details used for marketing purposes, e.g.
telemarketing. These lists are available in either electronic format or on
labels.
Cold call
The process of contacting a person (known as a prospect) that has no prior
relationship with you, e.g. a telemarketing bureau calling from a previously
uncontacted database.
Cold list
A list (database) of people who have no prior relationship with the advertiser.
Cold lists are used as a method of generating sales leads.
Consumer lists
Lists of names (address and telephone number) of private individuals. These
lists are available in either electronic format or on labels.
Cross-selling
Using a customer's buying history to select them for related offers, e.g.
a car alarm for new car buyers.
Database
This can range from a simple list of names and addresses (on paper or in
electronic format) to detailed profile data.
Data capture (also known as data entry)
The process of keying-in or scanning data into an electronic format.
Database cleaning
The process of telephoning an individual / business to verify the contacts
name, job title and address prior to a mailing.
Deduplication (de-dupe)
The identification and removal of duplicate names and addresses from a database.
Direct Mail
A personally addressed advertising piece sent through the post.
DMC Associates Ltd
DMC Associates are a specialist outbound telemarketing company in the
business-to-business environment.
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Enclosing
The physical folding and insertion of printed materials into an envelope.
This process can be carried out by hand or by machine.
Follow-up call
A telephone call made after the initial mailer has been sent with the objective
of increasing impact and the response rate.
Fulfilment house
The place where the processing of an order takes place. This usually includes
the acknowledgement of the order, dispatching of goods and the collecting
of payment.
Gone-away
The term used to describe that a person mailed has moved address.
Handed-overs
A term used by telemarketing agencies to describe when hot sales leads are
passed on to the client for them to pursue.
Headline
Large text carrying the main selling message.
Incentives
'Extras' designed to increase response rates to a marketing message, e.g.
a prize draw.
Lead generation
The process of finding people (consumer or business) with a qualified interest
in a certain product or service.
List (mailing list)
This can range from a simple list of names and addresses (on paper or in
electronic format) to detailed profile data.
List broker
A specialist who acts as an intermediary between the list owner and the list
buyer.
List building
The process of gathering names and addresses and compiling them into a database
for direct marketing purposes (e.g. telemarketing)
List Cleaning/ List Cleansing
The process of telephoning an individual / business to verify the contacts
name, job title and address prior to a mailing.
List rental
The process of renting a list of names from a broker or list owner.
Lapsed Customer Rejuvenation
The process of re-contacting 'former' customers and following up on 'lost
orders/old quotations' with the objective of generating new leads.
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Mailer
A personalised advertisement sent through the post.
Mail merge
Merging a mailer template with contact details in order to personalise a
mailer.
Market research
The Market Research Society defines research as follows:
The collection and analysis of data from a sample of individuals or organisations
relating to their characteristics, behaviour, attitudes, opinions or possessions.
It includes all forms of marketing and social research such as consumer and
industrial surveys, psychological investigations, observations and panel
studies.
Prospects
A list of contacts who have been identified and/or qualified as being a potential
customer.
Response rate
The level of replies to a particular campaign. Usually portrayed as a percentage.
Salutation
The addressing of a mailer to a particular individual, e.g. Dear Mr White.
Seeds
The list owner's own details placed into a mailing list in order to identify
whether a rented list is being used more than the agreed level.
Telemarketing
Outbound telemarketing is the process of telephoning potential customers
from a targeted list of names (database).
Inbound telemarketing is where respondents reply to a telephone number, usually
as a response to a mailer or an advertisement.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
The defining reasons that provide a competitive advantage over the competition.