For sales development managers, timing is everything.
Your prospects are dropping clues about their buying intent every single day, whether they’re visiting your pricing page, changing jobs, or searching for products like yours.
Signal-based selling is the strategy that top B2B sales teams use to capitalise on these moments. It doesn’t rely on cold emailing or outdated lead lists; instead, it helps reps prioritise the right accounts at the right time, when intent is highest and conversations convert.
In this blog, we’ll explain what signal-based selling is, why it matters, and how high-performing revenue teams are turning buying signals into pipeline.
Signal-based selling is a go-to-market strategy that prioritises outreach based on real-time buyer intent signals, not guesswork or generic lead scoring.
These signals can include anything from:
Instead of treating all leads equally, signal-based selling helps your reps focus on the accounts with the highest likelihood of buying. It’s about getting ahead of the competition and reaching out when timing, intent, and relevance are on your side.
Sales signal data isn’t just noise - it’s insight your team can act on right now to build more pipeline, faster.
Here’s how your sales reps can use it to drive results:
Job-change signals, page visits, or intent spikes tell you which accounts are showing buying behaviour.
Instead of working through static lead lists, reps can focus on the warmest opportunities first.
Customer signal data gives reps a reason to reach out and the context to craft a message that resonates.
For example:
“I saw your company just announced a hiring spree in sales. We work with similar teams to help them hit targets faster.”
If an old opportunity goes dark, a new signal (like a tech install or funding round) can reignite the conversation.
It’s an instant reason to follow up.
Tools like Cognism Sales Companion surface real-time signals (e.g. job openings) directly inside your workflow, so you can reach out in the moment, not days later.
Signals unify GTM teams around real buying behaviour.
Marketing can run nurturing plays in parallel while sales focuses on one-to-one conversations.
Signal-based selling works because it’s grounded in buyer behaviour, not assumptions.
Platforms like Cognism deliver signals directly to your reps, so they can take immediate, high-impact action.
Here are 5 real-world examples:
When a decision-maker or existing champion moves roles, it opens two doors: a new opportunity at their new company, and a gap at their old one.
Reconnect with the champion in their new role, while reaching out to their replacement to keep the original deal in play.
If a company just raised Series A, B, or more, that’s a strong buying signal. They’re likely expanding tech, hiring teams, and building processes.
Target these accounts with messaging around scale, efficiency, or readiness for growth.
A prospect visiting your pricing page or multiple product pages is gold dust. They’re comparing vendors or considering your solution.
Follow up immediately with tailored messaging referencing their activity. Offer them a demo or a pricing discussion.
When companies are hiring for B2B sales, marketing, or tech roles, it signals investment and potential needs.
Reach out with relevant use cases showing how your product supports fast-growing teams in those functions.
Signal-tracking tools like Cognism can reveal when a prospect starts using, stops using, or switches tech in your category.
Use this insight to tailor messaging. For example:
If a prospect removes a competitor’s tool from their sales tech stack, contact them. Position your product as a better alternative.
Cognism Sales Companion surfaces all of these signals, alongside accurate contact data, verified mobiles, and buying intent overlays, making it easier than ever for reps to strike while intent is high.
Implementing signal-based selling isn’t just about adding more data - it’s about building a smarter, faster sales motion.
Here’s how to roll it out step by step:
Start by defining which triggers align with your sales motion. For example:
Focus on 2–3 high-impact signals first. You can scale from there.
Don’t make reps log into another dashboard. Instead, integrate signal data into tools they already use:
This ensures reps see and act on signals without expending extra effort.
Each signal should trigger a clear GTM play. For example:
Keep these plays templated and easy to execute.
Speed is everything. Coach your team to treat signals like they would a warm inbound, not “just another lead.”
Reps should know:
Signals aren’t just for sales. Use them to:
The goal? One GTM team acting on the same data, at the right time.
Want to see how it looks in practice? 👉 Get a free data sample from Cognism and see signal-based selling in action.
If you want to build a high-performing signal-based sales engine, your tech stack needs to combine real-time buyer intent with accurate contact data and workflow integrations.
Here are the top tools that can help, with Cognism leading the way.
The only platform that gives you verified mobile numbers and real-time buying signals in one place.
Take an interactive tour 👇
B2B sales teams who want real-time signals and verified contacts in a single click.
👉 Get a Cognism data sample here.
Bombora is a leader in buyer intent data, built around a B2B data co-op. It tracks content consumption across thousands of websites to uncover early-stage buying behaviour.
Marketing and RevOps teams looking to fuel top-of-funnel awareness and power ABM programs with broad behavioural insights.
Sales Navigator offers a growing set of “buyer intent” signals based on in-platform activity and account insights.
Reps doing high-touch, relationship-driven outbound who want to layer contextual signals into their prospecting.
👉 See how Cognism compares to LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
6sense is an enterprise-grade ABM platform. It uses predictive data analytics to surface buying stages across your target account list.
Larger GTM teams running full-funnel account-based strategies, especially when aligning marketing and SDRs across buying stages.
👉 See how Cognism compares to 6sense.
ZoomInfo offers intent data via its proprietary content publisher network, helping salespeople to identify accounts researching specific keywords.
Teams already using ZoomInfo for data enrichment who want a basic layer of intent-based prioritisation.
👉 See how Cognism compares to ZoomInfo.
Signal-based selling only works when the signals are timely, relevant, and paired with actionable contact data. Most tools only give you part of the picture.
Cognism is the only platform that brings buyer signals and mobile-verified contacts straight into your prospecting flow.
Signal-based selling can be a game-changer, but only if your team knows how to use it effectively.
Here are 6 practical tips to help your reps turn buyer signals into closed-won revenue:
Signals aren’t “nice to have”; they’re a reason to act.
If someone visits your pricing page or your champion changes jobs, that’s no different to a demo request. Prioritise it.
Don’t let reps guess. Define clear, repeatable signal plays, such as:
Make it easy for your reps to know what to say and when to say it.
Start every day with a “Signals First” approach.
Reps should check their Cognism Sales Companion feed or CRM views for fresh signals, then call those leads before working on anything else.
If you want reps to adopt signal-based selling, track it.
Examples:
This gives visibility and celebrates what’s working.
Signals are only valuable if the contact info is accurate.
Ensure your team has access to verified mobiles and updated firmographics (especially for mid-market). This is where Cognism makes all the difference.
Don’t just talk sales methodology. In weekly 1:1s or team training, review real signals and ask your reps:
“What would you say in this scenario?”
“How would you open that call?”
“What’s your first email here?”
This turns signals into sales rep muscle memory.
Reps who use signals effectively book meetings faster, generate high conversion rates, and spend less time on cold accounts.
The best sales teams don’t just work hard - they work smart.
By tapping into real-time buyer signals, your reps can prioritise the hottest accounts, personalise their outreach, and have better conversations from day one.
Whether you’re chasing outbound targets, reviving stale accounts, or scaling mid-market coverage, signal-based selling gives you the edge.
But it only works if the data is accurate and the signals are timely.
👉 If your B2B data isn’t up to speed, why not try Cognism? Get your free data sample and start selling with signals today.