Buying Signals 101: How to Identify Prospects Who Are Ready to Buy Now
Stop guessing which accounts to pursue. Learn how to leverage intent data and buying signals to focus on prospects actively researching solutions like yours.
Imagine knowing which accounts are researching your competitors right now. Or which companies just got funding and are about to expand their tech stack. That's the power of buying signals.
What Are Buying Signals?
Buying signals are observable actions or events that indicate a prospect's likelihood to purchase. They fall into several categories:
Behavioral Signals - Visiting your website (especially pricing pages) - Downloading content - Attending webinars - Engaging with emails
Intent Signals - Searching for solutions in your category - Reading reviews on G2 or Capterra - Researching competitors - Publishing relevant content
Event-Based Signals - New funding round - Executive changes - Expansion announcements - Technology changes - Hiring patterns
The Signal Hierarchy
Not all signals are equal. Here's how to prioritize:
Tier 1 (Act Now): - Direct website visit to pricing/demo page - Request for information - Trial signup
Tier 2 (High Priority): - Competitor research activity - Multiple visits in short timeframe - Senior stakeholder engagement
Tier 3 (Worth Pursuing): - General category research - Content consumption - Funding/growth signals
Building a Signal-Based Workflow
Step 1: Aggregate Signals Connect multiple data sources to capture signals wherever they occur: website analytics, intent data providers, CRM, marketing automation.
Step 2: Score and Prioritize Weight signals by importance and recency. A pricing page visit yesterday matters more than a blog visit last month.
Step 3: Route to Reps Ensure hot signals reach the right rep immediately. Speed matters—the first vendor to respond wins 35-50% of deals.
Step 4: Personalize Outreach Reference the signal in your outreach: "I noticed you've been researching sales intelligence platforms..."
Common Mistakes
1. Signal overload: Too many alerts cause fatigue—focus on high-value signals 2. Slow response: Acting on week-old signals is often too late 3. Generic follow-up: Don't waste a hot signal with a template email 4. Single-source reliance: Combine multiple signal sources for complete picture
The Prospectory Difference
We aggregate signals from 50+ sources and surface them in real-time with recommended actions. When a high-value account shows buying intent, your team knows within minutes—not days.
Ready to transform your sales pipeline?
See how Prospectory's AI-powered platform can help your team research, reach, and relate to prospects at scale.