| Impasse |
| In sales, the point at which both parties are deadlocked in some way, and are not able to move forward unless the parties enter into more substantive negotiation. |
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| Impending Event |
| An upcoming event expected to occur that drives the rationale for a customer making a decision for your product or service. |
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| Implementation Plan |
| The set of steps outlining how the solution agreed to by the customer will be implemented. Implementation plans include What, Who, and By When elements. |
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| Implication |
| In sales, a consequence (positive or negative) that occurs as a result of taking action, or of not taking action. Understanding and surfacing negative implications is often considered a strong selling strategy, as existence of negative implications often lead the customer to a buying decision. |
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| Inbound call |
| In telesales, a call that comes into the call center. |
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| Incentives |
| Any form of compensation or reward made to a salesperson or sales team to influence sales results. These typically include compensation elements such as bonuses, commissions, and other non-financial rewards an organization may offer, such as recognition trips, catalog award points, etc. |
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| Indicators (leading and passive) |
| Leading indicators represent those measures that tend to predict a future outcome. Passive indicators are measures that suggest what happened historically. Most sales forces focus more on passive indicators due to the relative ease to track that information. |
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| Indifference |
| An attitude expressed by a customer when they perceive no need, or because they are satisfied with their current product or service. |
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| Influencer |
| An individual who has sway over how a decision is made, but is not the direct decision maker. |
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| Inner circle |
| Typically refers to the most senior executives responsible for running a company. |
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| Inquiries |
| Those individuals or organizations who contact your organization to find out more about what you do. These organizations have not yet been qualified. When qualified, they become a qualified lead. |
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| Inside Sales |
| Those sales professionals who typically work over the phone, or behind the counter in a retail or warehouse based establishment. |
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| Inspiring |
| A characteristic directed to salespeople who are able to influence the customer to take strong action, with conviction. Inspiring salespeople arouse a high level of interest, motivate the customer to move forward, and stimulate ideas in a positive direction. |
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| Is-Now / Should-Be |
| Traditionally used by management consultants, Is-Now and Should-Be phrases are working their way into the vernacular of selling organizations. In essence, these terms symbolize the requirement of the sales person to understand what is happening now, and to craft what the desired state needs to be. This helps define the gaps that can then be filled by the solution the selling organization is promoting. |
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