How to Identify Qualified B2B Prospects with Custom Signals
Stop wasting time on unqualified leads. Learn how to build custom buying signals that identify prospects ready to buy—with specific examples and implementation steps.
Founding AI Engineer @ Origami
How to Identify Qualified B2B Prospects with Custom Signals
After spending 6 months building signal detection systems for our sales team, I learned something that changed everything: the best signals aren't the ones everyone uses—they're the custom signals specific to YOUR buyers.
Generic signals like "company size" or "industry" tell you who MIGHT buy. Custom signals tell you who's ready to buy RIGHT NOW.
Here's what most people miss about building signals that actually work.
What Are Custom Signals?
Custom signals are specific, observable events that indicate buying intent for YOUR product. Not generic intent—YOUR intent.
Generic signal: Company has 100+ employees
Custom signal: Company just posted a job for "RevOps Manager" mentioning Salesforce integration challenges
See the difference? The custom signal tells you exactly what problem they're solving and when they're solving it.
The Custom Signal Framework
Every effective custom signal has three components:
- Observable event — Something you can actually detect
- Relevance to your solution — Why this matters for YOUR product
- Timing indicator — Why NOW is the right moment
Example: SaaS Security Product
| Signal Component | Generic Approach | Custom Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Observable | "Tech company" | SOC 2 certification mentioned in job posting |
| Relevance | "Uses software" | Actively pursuing compliance |
| Timing | "Growing" | Deadline pressure on certification |
The custom signal is 10x more actionable.
7 Categories of Custom Signals
1. Hiring Signals
Job postings reveal what companies are building and the problems they're trying to solve.
How to build custom hiring signals:
- Identify job titles that indicate need for your product
- Look for specific skills or tools mentioned
- Watch for pain points described in job descriptions
- Track posting velocity (3+ similar roles = serious initiative)
Example signals:
Signal: "Data Engineer" posting mentions "pipeline reliability issues"
→ Indicates: Need for data infrastructure solutions
→ Timing: Active project, budget allocated
Signal: 5+ SDR roles posted in 30 days
→ Indicates: Scaling outbound, need for prospecting tools
→ Timing: Team is building, decisions happening now
2. Funding Signals
Money in the bank means budget to spend.
How to build custom funding signals:
- Track funding rounds at your target stage (Series A? B? C?)
- Look for specific use-of-funds mentions
- Monitor follow-on investments (signal of momentum)
- Watch for bridge rounds (urgency to show results)
Example signals:
Signal: Series B with "go-to-market expansion" in announcement
→ Indicates: Sales/marketing spend coming
→ Timing: 30-90 days post-announcement
Signal: $5M seed round, AI company
→ Indicates: Building infrastructure
→ Timing: Making early vendor decisions now
3. Technology Signals
The tools companies use reveal their sophistication and integration needs.
How to build custom technology signals:
- Identify technologies that complement yours
- Track competitor tool adoption
- Watch for platform migrations
- Monitor technology job requirements
Example signals:
Signal: Company added Salesforce to tech stack
→ Indicates: CRM investment, ready for integrations
→ Timing: Implementation phase = buying window
Signal: Moved from HubSpot to Salesforce
→ Indicates: Scaling, budget for enterprise tools
→ Timing: Evaluating entire stack
4. Organizational Signals
Leadership changes and restructuring create buying windows.
How to build custom organizational signals:
- Track executive hires in relevant functions
- Watch for new department formations
- Monitor title changes (promotions = mandate)
- Look for advisory board additions
Example signals:
Signal: New VP of Sales hired (previously at competitor customer)
→ Indicates: Fresh perspective, may bring preferred vendors
→ Timing: First 90 days = evaluation period
Signal: "Head of Revenue Operations" role created
→ Indicates: Professionalizing sales stack
→ Timing: Building new processes
5. Behavioral Signals
What prospects DO tells you more than who they ARE.
How to build custom behavioral signals:
- Website visits (especially pricing pages)
- Content downloads
- Event attendance
- Social engagement with your brand
Example signals:
Signal: Visited pricing page 3x in one week
→ Indicates: Active evaluation
→ Timing: Decision imminent
Signal: Downloaded competitor comparison guide
→ Indicates: In buying process
→ Timing: Evaluating options now
6. Market Signals
External events that create urgency.
How to build custom market signals:
- Regulatory changes affecting your buyers
- Competitor announcements
- Industry consolidation
- Economic shifts impacting priorities
Example signals:
Signal: New data privacy regulation announced
→ Indicates: Compliance pressure
→ Timing: Before enforcement deadline
Signal: Major competitor raised prices 30%
→ Indicates: Customers evaluating alternatives
→ Timing: Contract renewal periods
7. Social Signals
Public statements reveal mindset and priorities.
How to build custom social signals:
- Executive LinkedIn posts about challenges
- Company blog posts about initiatives
- Podcast appearances discussing problems
- Conference speaking topics
Example signals:
Signal: CEO posts about "scaling challenges"
→ Indicates: Growth pains, open to solutions
→ Timing: Active problem awareness
Signal: VP Sales speaking at conference about "outbound efficiency"
→ Indicates: Priority focus area
→ Timing: Actively thinking about solutions
Building Your Custom Signal System
Step 1: Analyze Your Best Customers
Look at your last 10 closed-won deals:
- What events happened in the 90 days before they bought?
- What was the trigger that started their evaluation?
- What signals could you have detected earlier?
Template:
| Customer | Trigger Event | Detectable Signal | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme Corp | New VP Sales | LinkedIn job posting | 60 days |
| TechCo | Series B | Crunchbase funding | 45 days |
| DataInc | Competitor issue | Reddit complaint | 30 days |
Step 2: Prioritize Signals by Impact
Not all signals are equal. Rank by:
- Conversion rate — What % of these signals become customers?
- Volume — How many signals can you detect per month?
- Detectability — Can you actually monitor this reliably?
Focus on high-conversion, high-volume, high-detectability signals first.
Step 3: Set Up Monitoring
Use tools to detect signals automatically:
- Origami — Natural language signal queries
- Bombora/6sense — Intent data platforms
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator — Job changes and postings
- Google Alerts — News mentions
- BuiltWith — Technology changes
Step 4: Create Response Playbooks
Each signal needs a response plan:
Signal: New VP of Sales hired
Timing: Reach out 30-45 days after start date
Channel: LinkedIn + Email
Message: Welcome them, share relevant insight
Goal: Discovery call
Step 5: Measure and Refine
Track signal performance monthly:
| Signal | Detected | Contacted | Meetings | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VP Hire | 47 | 42 | 8 | 2 |
| Funding | 23 | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| Tech Change | 156 | 89 | 12 | 3 |
Double down on what works. Kill what doesn't.
Common Mistakes
1. Too Many Signals
Start with 3-5 signals. Master those before adding more. Signal overload leads to action paralysis.
2. Signals Without Context
A signal alone isn't enough. You need to understand WHY it matters and WHAT to say about it.
3. Delayed Response
Signals decay. A funding announcement is hot for 2 weeks, warm for 60 days, cold after that. Build systems for fast response.
4. Generic Outreach
If you detect a custom signal but send generic outreach, you've wasted the intelligence. Personalize based on the signal.
The Bottom Line
Generic prospecting is a numbers game. Custom signal prospecting is a precision game.
The teams that win in 2026 aren't the ones sending the most emails. They're the ones reaching the right people at the right time with the right message.
Build your custom signals. Automate detection. Respond fast. Measure everything.
That's the playbook.
Ready to detect buying signals automatically?