Scrum is an agile framework that helps teams structure and manage their work through a set of values, principles, and practices. Inspired by the rugby play of the same name, it encourages teams to learn through experience, self-organize while working on a problem, and reflect on their wins and losses to continuously improve.
A Scrum team is a self-organizing unit with three specific roles designed to optimize flexibility and productivity. Each role has distinct responsibilities, but they all collaborate closely to deliver the product incrementally. This structure ensures clear accountability and focus.
Scrum artifacts are key pieces of information that help define the product and the work required to create it. They provide transparency and create opportunities for inspection and adaptation. These artifacts ensure the entire team and stakeholders are aligned on goals and progress.
While both are agile frameworks, Scrum and Kanban offer different approaches to managing work and delivering value.
Scrum excels at helping teams adapt to changing conditions and user needs. Its iterative approach uses short release cycles for constant learning and improvement. This incremental delivery ensures teams can quickly pivot and deliver higher value to customers.
The framework also promotes transparency, clear communication, and collective ownership. Empowering cross-functional teams to self-organize reduces bottlenecks and increases resilience. Regular feedback loops keep the team motivated and stakeholders aligned on progress.
Implementing Scrum is a significant undertaking that often requires a major cultural shift. Teams can struggle with the new ceremonies and the need for deep-seated trust and transparency. Navigating these issues involves understanding the inherent trade-offs.
How long is a typical sprint?
Sprints are typically two to four weeks long. This fixed duration allows the team to deliver a usable product increment consistently, providing a regular cadence for planning, execution, and review. The length is chosen to be short enough to adapt to changes quickly.
Can Scrum be used for non-software projects?
Absolutely. While it originated in software development, Scrum's principles of iterative progress and continuous improvement are effective for marketing, sales, and other complex projects. Its adaptability makes it a versatile framework for various industries.
What's the difference between a Scrum Master and a Project Manager?
A Scrum Master is a servant-leader who facilitates the Scrum process and removes impediments for the team. A traditional Project Manager focuses more on planning, resource allocation, and managing timelines, often with a more directive approach.
Sales metrics are quantifiable data points that track and measure a sales team's performance against specific goals and objectives.
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Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the total cost a business spends to gain a new customer. It includes all sales and marketing expenses.
A Single Page Application (SPA) is a web app that interacts with the user by dynamically rewriting the current page rather than loading new pages.
A User Interface (UI) is the point where humans and computers interact. It encompasses all visual elements like screens, icons, and buttons.
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Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a web security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into trusted websites.
Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a business strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, conversion, and expansion.
AI data enrichment uses artificial intelligence to automatically enhance and update raw data, making it more complete, accurate, and valuable.
Digital advertising is the practice of delivering promotional content to users through various online and digital channels like social media or search engines.
A landing page is a standalone web page created for a marketing campaign. It’s where a visitor “lands” after clicking an ad or email link.
“No Spam” is a commitment to sending only relevant, solicited messages. It means avoiding bulk, unwanted emails to respect the recipient's inbox.
A performance plan is a formal document outlining an employee's goals, expectations, and metrics for success over a specific period.
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where affiliates earn a commission for promoting another company’s products or services.
Contact discovery is the process of finding accurate contact details for potential leads, including names, emails, phone numbers, and job titles.
Warm outbound is a sales strategy for contacting prospects who've shown interest in your brand through prior engagement, like website visits.
Buying intent is the collection of online cues and behaviors that signal a prospect is actively researching and moving toward a purchase decision.
Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is the percentage of recurring revenue kept from existing customers, including upsells, downgrades, and churn.
Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy for managing all of a company's relationships and interactions with its customers.
Email verification is the process of confirming that an email address is valid and deliverable, which helps improve campaign performance.
Content Rights Management involves controlling the use and distribution of copyrighted digital media to protect intellectual property.
Outbound lead generation means proactively reaching out to potential customers who haven't yet expressed interest to introduce them to your brand.
Sales intelligence is technology that gathers and analyzes data to help salespeople find and understand prospects and existing clients.
Sales operations analytics is the practice of analyzing sales data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire sales process.
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a tool that centralizes customer data to help manage interactions and nurture relationships.
Lead scoring models rank prospects by assigning points for their behaviors and demographics, helping sales teams prioritize their outreach.
Audience targeting is the process of segmenting consumers into specific groups to deliver more personalized and relevant marketing messages.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a focused B2B strategy where marketing and sales collaborate to target and convert high-value accounts.
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A sales methodology is the framework that guides how your sales team approaches the entire sales process, from prospecting to closing deals.
Consultative selling is an approach where salespeople act as expert advisors, diagnosing customer needs to provide the most suitable solutions.
The FAB technique is a sales framework connecting product features to advantages and then to the specific benefits for the customer.
A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a prospect who has shown interest based on marketing efforts but isn't yet ready for a sales conversation.
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Account mapping is comparing your customer list with a partner's to find common prospects and unlock new sales opportunities.
A Marketing Qualified Opportunity (MQO) is a lead vetted by marketing as a genuine sales opportunity, ready for direct sales follow-up.
Revenue intelligence is the process of collecting and analyzing customer data to provide insights that help sales teams make smarter decisions.
A persona map visually outlines a target customer, detailing their goals, behaviors, and pain points to help your team build genuine empathy.
NoSQL ("Not only SQL") databases offer a flexible alternative to relational models, excelling at managing large and unstructured data sets.
CRM integration connects your CRM software with other tools, creating a unified system for all your customer data and business processes.
Sales development is the process of identifying and qualifying potential customers to create a pipeline of sales-ready leads for closers.
Copyright compliance is adhering to laws that protect creative works. It involves legally using content by obtaining permission or licenses.
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Website visitor tracking collects and analyzes data on user behavior to understand their journey and improve the overall user experience.
Mobile compatibility ensures your site or app works flawlessly on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, for a seamless user experience.
Objection handling in sales is the process of responding to a prospect's concerns about a product or service to move the deal forward.
An Operational CRM is a system that automates and improves customer-facing business processes like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Sales enablement content refers to the materials and tools that empower your sales team to engage prospects and close deals more efficiently.
Email marketing is a digital strategy where businesses send targeted emails to prospects and customers to build relationships and drive sales.
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Event marketing is a strategy where brands engage directly with target audiences through live events like trade shows, conferences, or webinars.
Chatbots are AI-powered programs that simulate human conversation. They interact with users via text or voice, typically for customer support.
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A Point of Contact (POC) is the designated individual or department that serves as the main hub for information and communication on a matter.
Cohort analysis is a behavioral analytics tool that groups users with common traits to track their actions and engagement over time.
An Account Development Representative (ADR) identifies and qualifies new business opportunities, creating a pipeline for account executives.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other and exchange information.
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation.
Regression testing ensures that new code changes don’t negatively impact existing features. It's a key step to maintain software quality after updates.
A messaging strategy defines what your brand says, how it says it, and where it says it to connect effectively with your target audience.
Demand generation is the process of creating awareness and interest in your products to build a pipeline of qualified leads for your sales team.
Load testing is a type of performance testing that determines how a system behaves under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
Technographics is data that outlines a company’s technology stack, helping B2B teams identify prospects based on the software and hardware they use.
A product champion is an internal evangelist who drives a product's adoption and success by ensuring it solves real problems for their team.
Dynamic pricing is a strategy where businesses set flexible prices for products or services based on current market demands and other factors.
Closed Lost is a sales term for a deal that didn't go through. The prospect decided not to buy, or the sales team disqualified them.
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) is the predictable income a company expects to receive from its customers over a one-year period.
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Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are websites that look and feel like native mobile apps, offering features like offline access and push notifications.
Sales objections are reasons or concerns raised by a potential customer as to why they are hesitant or unwilling to make a purchase.
An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a detailed description of the perfect, hypothetical company that would get the most value from your product.
Customer retention refers to the strategies and activities a company uses to prevent customer churn and encourage them to continue buying.
Inside sales is a remote sales process where reps sell products or services via phone, email, and other digital tools instead of in person.
Product recommendations are a marketing strategy that uses customer data to suggest relevant products, boosting sales and customer engagement.
Lead scoring is the process of assigning points to leads based on their attributes and actions to determine their sales-readiness.
Triggers are predefined conditions that, when met, automatically launch a workflow or action, ensuring timely and relevant outreach.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is a document declaring the preliminary commitment of one party to do business with another, outlining the chief terms.
Programmatic advertising uses AI and real-time bidding to automate the buying and selling of digital ad space, targeting specific audiences.
Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) is the portion of the market your business can realistically serve with its current products and sales channels.
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Data security protects digital information from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft throughout its entire lifecycle.
Lead qualification is the process of determining which prospects are most likely to become paying customers based on predefined criteria.
Sales workflows are a set of automated actions that streamline the sales process, helping teams engage leads consistently and close deals faster.
A marketing automation platform is software that automates marketing actions. It helps manage tasks like email campaigns and lead nurturing.
Intent leads are prospects who show buying signals through their online actions, indicating they're actively looking to make a purchase.
Retargeting marketing is a digital advertising strategy that targets users who have previously interacted with your website or brand online.
Sales Engineers blend deep technical knowledge with sales acumen, demonstrating a product's value and solving customer problems to drive revenue.
Rollback procedures are a set of steps to restore a system to a previous, stable version after a failed update, ensuring minimal disruption.
Event tracking is the method of collecting data on specific user actions, or 'events,' on a website or app, such as clicks or downloads.
Revenue forecasting is the process of estimating a company's future revenue, using historical data and market trends to guide strategic planning.
Data enrichment is the process of enhancing raw data by adding missing information from other sources, making it more complete and actionable.
Trigger marketing uses customer actions or events to automatically send highly relevant, personalized messages at the perfect moment.
A canary release is a deployment strategy where new software is rolled out to a small user group first, minimizing risk before a full release.
A sales coach is a mentor who trains and guides sales reps to enhance their skills, boost performance, and ultimately close more deals effectively.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) software helps teams coordinate personalized marketing and sales efforts to land high-value customer accounts.
A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is an action plan that outlines how a company will reach target customers and achieve a competitive advantage.
Sales partnerships are strategic alliances where two companies co-sell products to expand their reach, generate new leads, and increase revenue.
A Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) API is a web service that uses XML to exchange structured information between different applications.
Customer relationship marketing is a strategy for building lasting connections with customers to foster long-term loyalty and engagement.
The lead qualification process is how you determine which prospects are most likely to become customers by evaluating them against specific criteria.