Your prospects are already comparing solutions before your SDR sends the first email. They change jobs, raise funding, post about new strategic priorities, and search for your competitors — all without telling you. Intent signals are the instrumentation layer that makes these invisible moments visible. Here are the 7 signals that matter most, and how to act on them before your competition does.
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 scope. 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 scope, 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 effort. See how we qualify leads automatically from these signals.
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