In 2026, 77% of the B2B buying journey happens without contact with a salesperson (Gartner). Your prospects research, compare your competitors, and build their shortlist before calling you. Intent signals give you the ability to detect these invisible moments and position yourself before your competitors.

What is a B2B intent signal?

An intent signal is an observable behaviour indicating that a company is in an active buying phase. We distinguish first-party intent signals (your site visits, downloads, email opens) and third-party intent signals (searches on comparison sites, consultations of your competitors, sector forum mentions).

According to Bombora, companies that activate third-party intent signals see conversion rates 2 to 4 times higher than those prospecting cold on firmographic criteria alone.

Signal 1: Decision-maker change

A new decision-maker in their first 90 days: statistically the moment when buying probability is highest. According to Gartner, 75% of new purchase decisions in the first 90 days of a mandate are initiated by the new decision-maker.

Detection: LinkedIn (title changes), Apollo.io (appointment alerts), Clay (automatic enrichment). The Lead-Gene machine monitors these changes in real time.

Signal 2: Recent funding round

A company that raises funds is going to spend. Activation window: 3 to 6 months post-raise. Sources: Crunchbase, LinkedIn. Messaging angle: contextualise on growth, don't mention the funding directly.

Signal 3: Targeted job posting

A company recruiting a profile compatible with your solution is building a capability — and has the budget. Platforms: LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed. Apollo and Clay automate monitoring by keywords.

Signal 4: Content activity on your theme

A decision-maker actively publishing or commenting on your topic is actively searching. Response rate 60 to 80% higher. Tools: Shield App, advanced LinkedIn searches.

Signals 5, 6 and 7: Contract expiry, geographic expansion, comparison platform searches

Signal 5 — Competitor contract expiry: recent negative reviews on G2/Capterra signal dissatisfied customers seeking an alternative.

Signal 6 — Geographic expansion: new office, hiring in new region = available budget, accelerated decision. Sources: LinkedIn, Companies House.

Signal 7 — Comparison platform searches: G2, Capterra, Trustpilot — actively comparing solutions = active buying phase. Bombora and 6sense aggregate these signals. Lead-Gene machine covers 70-80% of this value at 10% of the cost.