Growth & AI Automation Glossary
50 essential business terms explained with definitions, examples, formulas, and FAQs. From AI automation to PE portfolio operations, understand the language of modern business growth.
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Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
Growth & MarketingA B2B strategy where marketing and sales target specific high-value accounts with personalized campaigns instead of casting a wide net.
AI Automation
AI AutomationUsing artificial intelligence to handle repetitive business tasks automatically, reducing costs by 30-40% while improving response times.
AI Lead Qualification
AI AutomationUsing AI to automatically evaluate and score inbound leads based on fit, intent, and likelihood to convert before passing them to sales.
AI Receptionist
AI AutomationAn AI-powered phone system that answers calls, understands caller intent, books appointments, and answers FAQs without human intervention.
AI-Powered CRM
AI AutomationA CRM system enhanced with artificial intelligence to automate data entry, predict deal outcomes, recommend actions, and surface insights automatically.
Attribution Modeling
Analytics & MetricsDetermining which marketing touchpoints receive credit for conversions, from simple last-click models to complex multi-touch attribution.
C
Churn Rate
Analytics & MetricsThe percentage of customers who stop using your product or service over a given period, indicating retention health and product satisfaction.
Conversational AI for Business
AI AutomationAI systems that engage in natural language conversations with customers across phone, chat, email, and messaging to handle inquiries and complete tasks.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
Growth & MarketingThe systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action like purchasing, signing up, or requesting a quote.
Cost Per Acquisition Benchmarks by Industry
Analytics & MetricsAverage costs to acquire one customer across different industries, used to evaluate whether your marketing spend is competitive or wasteful.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Analytics & MetricsThe total cost to acquire one new customer, calculated by dividing all sales and marketing spend by the number of new customers acquired.
Customer Journey Mapping
Growth & MarketingDocumenting every touchpoint a customer experiences from first awareness to purchase and beyond to identify friction and opportunities.
Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
Analytics & MetricsThe total revenue a business expects from a single customer over the entire duration of their relationship.
F
Fractional CMO
Growth & MarketingA part-time Chief Marketing Officer who provides senior marketing strategy and leadership without the full-time salary, typically $300K or more.
Franchise Marketing vs. Corporate Marketing
Industry-SpecificFranchise marketing splits responsibilities between corporate (brand, national campaigns) and franchisees (local execution), creating unique coordination challenges.
Full-Funnel Marketing
Growth & MarketingA marketing strategy that addresses every stage of the buyer journey: awareness, consideration, decision, and retention, rather than optimizing only one stage.
M
Marketing Automation
AI AutomationSoftware and workflows that automate repetitive marketing tasks like email campaigns, lead nurturing, and customer segmentation at scale.
Missed Call Revenue Impact
Industry-SpecificThe quantified revenue lost when a business fails to answer incoming phone calls, typically $200 to $1,000+ per missed call in service industries.
MQL vs. SQL
Growth & MarketingMQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) shows interest through engagement. SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) has been vetted by sales and confirmed as a real opportunity.
Multi-Location Marketing
Industry-SpecificMarketing strategies designed specifically for businesses with multiple physical locations, balancing brand consistency with local market relevance.
Multi-Location Operations
Industry-SpecificManaging business operations across multiple physical locations while maintaining consistency, efficiency, and quality at every site.
N
Net Revenue Retention (NRR)
Analytics & MetricsThe percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers over a period, including expansions and contracting, excluding new customers.
No-Code Automation
AI AutomationBuilding automated workflows using visual drag-and-drop tools that require no programming knowledge, enabling non-technical teams to automate processes.
O
Operational Due Diligence
PE & OperationsThe assessment of a target company's operations, technology, processes, and team before acquisition to validate assumptions and identify risks.
Owner-Operator Scaling Playbook
Industry-SpecificA systematic approach for transitioning a business from founder-dependent to scalable, typically moving from $1M to $10M+ revenue.
P
Patient Acquisition Cost
Industry-SpecificThe total cost to acquire one new patient, including advertising, staff time, and technology, critical for healthcare practice profitability.
Performance Marketing
Growth & MarketingResults-driven marketing where advertisers pay for specific measurable actions like clicks, leads, or sales rather than impressions.
Platform Company vs. Bolt-On Acquisition
PE & OperationsA platform company is the initial PE acquisition that serves as the foundation for growth, while bolt-ons are smaller companies acquired and integrated into it.
Portfolio Company Reporting
PE & OperationsStandardized financial and operational reporting that PE portfolio companies provide to their investors, typically monthly or quarterly.
Practice Valuation Multiples
Industry-SpecificThe multiplier applied to a healthcare practice's earnings or revenue to determine its market value, varying by specialty, size, and growth rate.
Private Equity (PE) Portfolio Operations
PE & OperationsStrategic and operational support for companies within a PE firm's portfolio, focused on driving growth, improving margins, and preparing for exit.
Process Optimization
PE & OperationsAnalyzing and improving business processes to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and eliminate waste, often combined with AI automation.
Product-Market Fit
Growth & MarketingThe point where your product satisfies strong market demand, evidenced by high retention, organic growth, and customers actively seeking you out.
R
Revenue Operations (RevOps)
PE & OperationsAligning sales, marketing, and customer success operations under one function to drive predictable revenue growth and eliminate silos.
Revenue Per Employee
Analytics & MetricsTotal annual revenue divided by the number of full-time employees, measuring operational efficiency and how effectively a company uses its workforce.
RPA vs. AI Agents
AI AutomationRPA (Robotic Process Automation) mimics human clicks on screens. AI agents understand goals, make decisions, and adapt to changing conditions.
Run-Rate Revenue
Analytics & MetricsAnnualized revenue projection based on current performance, used to estimate future revenue by extrapolating a recent period's results.
S
Sales Enablement
Growth & MarketingProviding sales teams with the content, tools, training, and data they need to sell effectively and close deals faster.
Same-Store Sales Growth
Industry-SpecificRevenue growth at existing locations compared to the same period last year, isolating organic growth from growth driven by opening new locations.
Service Dispatch Optimization
Industry-SpecificUsing technology and data to assign the right technician to the right job at the right time, minimizing travel and maximizing billable hours.
T
Tech Stack Rationalization
PE & OperationsEvaluating and consolidating a company's technology tools to eliminate redundancy, reduce costs, and improve data flow between systems.
Technician Utilization Rate
Industry-SpecificThe percentage of a technician's available work hours spent on billable, revenue-generating tasks versus non-billable time like travel or admin.
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