A sales conversation can move from a first enquiry to a price discussion and a follow-up email in a few minutes. Knowing the right English phrases helps you explain an offer, understand a customer’s concerns and agree on the next step. This guide covers practical sales vocabulary with examples for calls, emails and team updates.
Start with lead, prospect, customer, quote and deal, then learn phrases such as qualify a lead, send a proposal and follow up with a customer. Practise the words in complete conversations: ask about the customer’s needs, explain what is included, and confirm a clear next step.
What's your English level?
Take the test and get your certificate!
Leads, prospects, opportunities and customers
Sales teams use several words for potential buyers and possible business. Their exact definitions can vary between organisations, so learn your team’s conventions as well as the general meanings.
| Word | Practical meaning |
|---|---|
| Lead | A person or business identified as a possible buyer. |
| Prospect | A potential customer, often one being assessed or contacted by the sales team. |
| Opportunity | A possible sale being actively pursued and tracked. |
| Customer | A person or organisation that buys from a business. |
| Decision-maker | Someone with authority to make the buying decision. |
In a customer relationship management system, or CRM, these words may also name different record types. For example, Salesforce’s introduction to leads explains how its lead records relate to potential customers. Do not assume every company uses the same stages.
Imagine a training company receives an enquiry from a hotel. A salesperson speaks to the hotel manager and learns that the hotel needs classes for twelve employees. The team might describe the enquiry as a lead and the potential training contract as an opportunity.
To qualify a lead means to assess whether there is a suitable potential sale. “Who will approve the purchase?” helps identify the decision-maker, while “When would you like the training to begin?” clarifies the timing.
Vocabulary for discovery calls and product explanations
A discovery call is a conversation to understand a potential customer’s situation and needs. A demo, short for demonstration, shows how a product works. A sales pitch presents the reasons someone might buy.
You do not need complicated language to begin a useful discussion. Try “What are you hoping to improve?” or “How do you handle this at the moment?” Follow the answer with a specific question rather than immediately listing every feature.
Features, benefits and requirements
A feature describes what a product has or does; a benefit explains why that matters to the customer. For example, “The system sends automatic reminders” describes a feature. “Your team will not need to send each reminder manually” explains its practical benefit, assuming that is how the system works.
A requirement is something the customer needs the solution to provide. You might ask, “Is weekend support a requirement?” If you do not know whether it is available, say “Let me confirm that for you” rather than promising it.
In a meeting, fit describes suitability: “This package may be a good fit for your team.” A natural response is “Could you explain how it would work for our evening staff?” Both sentences connect the offer to a real use case.
Quotes, estimates, proposals and discounts
A quote, or quotation, sets out an offered price for specified work or products. An estimate gives an approximate expected cost. Cambridge’s definition of estimate reflects this idea of an approximate calculation.
A proposal usually explains a suggested solution, its scope and its price. The scope describes what the proposed work covers. Rather than relying only on a document’s label, check the quantities, assumptions, exclusions and conditions it contains.
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| Send a quote | “Could you send a quote for twenty licences?” |
| Include in the price | “Is initial training included in the price?” |
| Offer a discount | “We can offer a 5% discount on this package.” |
| Revise a proposal | “I will revise the proposal to include the extra session.” |
| Confirm the payment terms | “Please confirm when payment would be due.” |
Make the basis of a price explicit. “The price is £80 per user per month” is clearer than “It costs £80.” If there is a setup fee, minimum quantity or excluded service, explain it separately.
Notice the difference between a discount of 5% and a price reduced to £95. On an original price of £100, those descriptions produce the same final price, but they express different things. For invoice and payment language, see our accounting vocabulary guide.
Handling objections and writing follow-up emails
An objection is a concern or reason for hesitation, such as price or timing. To address a concern means to respond to the issue raised. “The annual cost is higher than we expected” is more specific than a general statement that the customer is not interested.
A useful reply asks for clarification: “Is your main concern the total cost or the payment schedule?” The answer helps you respond accurately. If the offer does not meet the customer’s needs, acknowledge that instead of treating every objection as something to overcome.
Follow up as a verb; follow-up as a noun or adjective
Write “I will follow up tomorrow” when you mean the action. Use the hyphen in “a follow-up email” or “a brief follow-up”. Common patterns are follow up with someone and follow up on something.
Subject: Follow-up on the training proposal
Hello Maya,
Thank you for discussing your team’s requirements today. I have attached the revised proposal, including the additional evening session. Could you let me know whether the proposed dates work for you?
Best regards,
Alex
This message identifies the discussion, names the attachment and asks one clear question. If the customer asks you to contact them next month, you can say “Thank you. I will follow up with you in November.”
Sales updates, targets and common English mistakes
A pipeline tracks possible deals through sales stages. A quota is an assigned target for a period. A forecast is an estimate of future results; it is not a guarantee. These are among the terms explained in Salesforce’s sales glossary.
“We have three proposals awaiting a decision” describes a current situation. “We expect one customer to decide this week” expresses an expectation. Keep those two kinds of information separate in your updates.
To close a deal usually means to complete a sales agreement. In a CRM, however, a closed opportunity may be marked won or lost. “We closed three opportunities” does not necessarily mean that three customers bought something.
| Common mistake | More natural English |
|---|---|
| We sale software. | We sell software. |
| I work in sells. | I work in sales. |
| We made a sell. | We made a sale. |
| I will explain you the price. | I will explain the price to you. |
| Let’s discuss about the proposal. | Let’s discuss the proposal. |
Sell is the verb, sale can refer to one selling transaction, and sales can name the activity or department. Practise all three together: “We sell training courses. I work in sales. We made our first sale on Monday.” For more meeting language, use our business English vocabulary guide.
Practise sales vocabulary with answers
Choose the word or phrase that fits each situation. Then replace the product or service with something relevant to your own work.
- You want to show how your software works. Offer a demo or a discount?
- A customer asks for an approximate cost before the details are final. They need an estimate or a receipt?
- Complete the sentence: “I will follow up ___ the customer tomorrow.”
- Correct this sentence: “We sale office furniture.”
- A colleague says an opportunity is closed lost. Did the team win that sale?
Answers: 1. A demo. 2. An estimate. 3. With. 4. “We sell office furniture.” 5. No; the opportunity was recorded as lost.
Now write a short update containing three facts: what the customer needs, what you have sent, and what happens next. For example: “The customer needs five licences. I sent a quote this morning. We have agreed to discuss it on Thursday.” Save the useful phrases, with your own examples, in your vocabulary notebook.
Frequently asked questions
Which sales words should a beginner learn first?
Begin with customer, price, quote, order and sale. Add practical phrases such as send a quote, answer a question and confirm the next step before learning every CRM abbreviation.
Are lead and prospect always different?
No universal distinction applies in every business. Some teams use prospect for a lead they have assessed; others use it more generally for a potential customer. Check how the words are used in your organisation.
What is the difference between sales and marketing?
Marketing includes activities that build awareness and interest, while sales focuses on conversations and activities that lead to purchases. The responsibilities can overlap, especially in small teams.
How can I sound natural in a sales email?
Use a specific subject, short sentences and a clear request. “Could you confirm the quantity?” is more useful than a long, vague sentence asking the reader to share their thoughts.
