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Imagine not contacting your prospects at the moment when they’re more likely to engage with your products or services. That could make you miss out on the opportunity to sell to them.
However, you can avoid this issue with sales triggers. They provide timely and relevant information about when your prospects are more likely to respond to your sales efforts.
In this article, you will learn about 53 sales triggers that can help you find clients and how to leverage them.
What are Sales Triggers?
Sales triggers are occurrences that create an opportunity to make a sale to an individual or a targeted company. These triggers often highlight your prospect’s pain points, needs, or priorities, making them more receptive to your solutions.
They present an ideal opportunity to initiate sales conversations and position your business offering as the perfect solution for your prospects.
53 Sales Triggers to Find Clients (and How to Track Them)
Here are 53 sales triggers you can look out for to find new clients for your business.
1. Expansion or Relocation
Ideal for: Applicant Tracking Software, Outside Recruiting Services, Payroll Processing, IT Equipment Providers, Catering Services
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Loopnets, and Visualping
Overview
Expansion occurs when a company grows, needs more personnel, and intends to diversify into new areas. It’s a classic trigger that presents sales opportunities for your specialized service.
The same case applies to relocation. Although companies relocate for different reasons, learning about the company, why it’s moving, and how you can cater to their needs presents a perfect opportunity to require your service.
Suppose a target company is expanding or relocating to your hometown and you offer business-related products such as office supplies, IT equipment, or facilities management.
You could use this moment to check in, share some local know-how, and explain what you offer. This creates a perfect opportunity to sell your products or services.
How to Track
- Set up search strings in Google Alerts for terms such as “company plans to expand,” “announces new building,” and more.
- Use search strings to track listing changes in real estate sites such as Loopnet. For example, you could set up terms like “site:loopnet.com/listing #Address# or upsell.com” or “site:loopnet.com/listing #new construction.”
- Use tools like Visualping to track changes in the contact section of websites (for example in images) if your business largely depends on relocation.
- Look out for opportunities such as hiring trends in a large company with many subsidiaries. This enables you to identify the regions they are currently investing in and tailor your solution to the right subsidiary. For instance, if they are hiring for 12 SDRs in Utah, you could apply for such offers as a sales rep.
2. Increase or Decrease in Customer Base
Ideal for: Recruiters, New Market Specialists, Product Developers, New Tech and IT Suppliers, Employee Benefit Specialist
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: TwitterTools, BuiltWith, LinkedIn Premium, Shopify, and Mattermark
Overview
A company’s customer base is a group of people who often buy their product or use their service. A robust, loyal customer base is a valuable asset that signals a company has a regular stream of income and a strong market presence. It’s a crucial factor that determines a company’s long-term success.
When a company has a significant customer base, they tend to make repeat sales, receive valuable feedback, and require scalable solutions that increase sales. This indicates a good time to pitch your offerings to the company.
Meanwhile, fewer customers could indicate challenges such as cash flow management or dealing with competition in the industry. In this case, you may want to evaluate or reconsider your options before pitching to them.
How to Track
- Follow the founders of the target companies on Twitter to check these signals. Search for keywords such as “crossed+mrr” on Twitter Search or Mention.com.
- Use BuiltWith’s limited free plan to understand MoM growth for web technologies. With a paid plan, you can identify websites or companies through specific software or technology and analyze the customer churn between competitors.
- Look out for reviews on sites like Shopify stores. An increase in reviews suggests an increased customer base.
- Mattermark’s algorithm can help you curate a list of fastest growing companies.
3. Increase in Hiring Velocity
Ideal for: Recruiters, IT Providers, Car Leasers, Office Furnishing and Equipment Providers, HR and Payroll Operatives, Employee Engagement Specialists
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn Premium, Glassdoor, and Mattermark
Overview
A company’s hiring intent data is another trigger you can’t overlook. The hiring spree shows whether it’s in good shape and buying mode — depending on what you sell. If they are hiring for many positions, it often indicates that they’re in a position to spend money.
In a moment like this, look closely at the specific job titles or categories that the company is investing in. Such information will give you valuable insights into what the company is looking for.
Suppose a company is hiring for expertise with keywords such as sales prospecting, social media, customer success, content marketing, or lead nurturing, that could show that they are open to new solutions.
How to Track
- Track a company’s headcount using LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator. You can also use Mattermark to track, let’s say, SaaS companies with headcount growth of 50% in the last 6 months.
- Use Glassdoor’s hiring surge explorer to discover hiring companies.
- Conduct a simple Google Search to discover public spreadsheets. Input site:docs.google.com/spreadsheets + “Keyword” to quicken the search process. For instance, if you’re looking for SaaS companies hiring remotely, input the term “site:docs.google.com/spreadsheets SaaS hiring remotely 2024” in Google’s search bar to reveal results.
4. Creation of New Job Title
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Glassdoor, Indeed, RSS Feed
Overview
Many companies create new job titles due to consistent work overload, regular use of contractors, or improvement in a country’s economy. This is a perfect time to offer your products or services for sale.
For instance, if the company is hiring a chief diversity officer and you provide recruitment services for minorities, you can use this opportunity to reach out to them. Since they are likely struggling with diversity, they would be interested in hearing from someone who can help with the service.
How to Track
- Subscribe to Indeed and Glassdoors’ job alerts to receive news from a prospect via email.
- Subscribe to many websites’ career pages and paste the page’s URL into your RSS reader or use Feedbin.com to create a feed.
- Use Google Alerts for terms such as “company name” + “job title,” “apply now” + company name, “send your CV to” + company name, and more.
5. Increase in Business Expenses
Ideal for: Rent or Mortgage Consultant and Employee Benefit Consultant
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: SEC Edgar, Distill.io
Overview
As businesses grow, their expenses increase. This substantial increase creates opportunities for vendors with equally or more effective and cheaper solutions.
For instance, if a company expands to a new industry, it will need resources to meet the growth target. They may need to budget for rent for a new space, office equipment, utility bills, telephone and internet services, and more. Any vendor that offers these services can leverage this opportunity to sell to the company.
How to Track
- If you want to track SEC filings, you need to visit the Edgar Search page. Install and set up the Distill.io Chrome extension on the company’s website or SEC filings page. This enables the site to send you a notification when something changes on the company’s website — a new report filed by the company, information about a merger, and more.
6. Competition Launched a New Product
Ideal for: Development Agencies, Marketers, and more
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts and Awario
Overview
When a company introduces a game-changing product into the market, enters a new industry, or makes a significant partnership, it sparks a reaction from other companies in the industry. Since this recent activity can disrupt the playing field, many companies re-evaluate their strategies.
If a target company belongs to this group, you can offer your solution to counter the competitive threat and enable them to maintain a strong market position. Some actions you can take include:
- Develop or validate their unique value proposition
- Prioritize their product development
- Improve their product by capitalizing on their competitor’s weaknesses
- Uncover market segments that the competitors aren’t covering.
How to Track
- Use Google Alerts to track your competitor’s activities. Use search terms such as “Your competitor” + product or “Your competitor.”
- Use Awario to set up alerts for competitor’s interviews and conference presentations. You can use the tool to create an alert for the names of the competitor’s CEOs or key figures. Then, select YouTube as the source for the search.
- You can also track third-party comparisons that feature your prospects and competitors with Google alerts. Use this search term — intext:"prospect" or intext:"competitor" - site:prospect.com- site:competitor.com – to avoid mentions from their own site.
- If you’re a development agency interested in analyzing your competitor’s activities and how to pitch solutions, you may want to check out this blog by Mike Rubini.
7. New Executive
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn Premium, Industry Publications, and more.
Overview
If a company appoints a new executive to a strategic or decision-making role, this is a huge signal to sell to them.
A new executive has the motivation to make an immediate impact on their new role. They would be discussing if your products or service could support their key objective. Hence, it’s worth researching them.
Take some time to check the appointee’s background and tailor your message to fit their immediate benefit. Let them know how your expertise can offer solutions that align with their goals.
How to Track
- Use LinkedIn Premium to see who has changed jobs in the last 90 days. Follow contacts on LinkedIn to see when they have switched to new roles.
- Subscribe to industry publications and alerts. For instance, if you offer services to ad agencies, you can keep a tab on websites such as Exchange4media to keep up with the latest appointments.
8. Merger/Acquisition
Ideal for: SEO Consultants
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: N/A
Overview
When companies merge or acquire businesses, it results in process changes or organizational restructuring. This means you can offer your solutions to the new part of the firm.
You can highlight how your solution’s benefits, whether it reduces costs, streamlines operations, or provides the company with a competitive advantage. This will flood new opportunities for your business.
How to Track
- Search Flippa.com for acquired deals.
- Use Google Alerts to search for terms such as “Your industry” + merger or “Your industry” + acquisition.
- You can also subscribe to the New York Times deal book to check which company was acquired.
9. Layoffs
Ideal for: Recruiters and Outsourcing Agencies.
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Layoffs.fyi, Layoffs.tech
Overview
Unfortunately, layoffs imply bad signs for a company. These cuts are made when a company needs to align its expenses to avoid more critical situations. Despite these layoffs, there are ways where you can provide value.
The company will need improved services to ensure it’s working efficiently. They could be interested in providing short-term career support for laid-off employees or outsourcing some roles. You can leverage this opportunity to sell to these companies.
How to Track
- Use free tools such as layoffs.fyi/tracker or layoffs.tech/tracker to monitor layoffs.
- Set up Google alerts with terms such as “layoffs + your industry.”
- Use Fetchrss.com to set up an RSS feed for individual tags of publications. For instance, “techcrunch.com/tag/layoffs” can provide you with layoff alerts.
10. Change in Management Strategy/Restructuring/Reorganization
Ideal for: Strategic Consultants, Marketing Analysts, Employee Engagement Specialists, and IT Experts
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: N/A
Overview
Many business organizations witness changes in strategic management due to internal and external factors. Some of these factors include competition, management functions, structural transformation, socio-economic factors, laws and regulations, and technology.
For instance, a change in the board of directors influences strategic changes within the organization. The incoming board members would want to review existing strategies and implement new ideas that take the business to a new level.
How to Track
- Track and analyze the details on this Box investor relation page. Check if the company is showing multiple buying intents in its database.
11. Increase or Decrease in Sales
Ideal for: Customer Support SaaS, Salespeople
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Junglescout
Overview
Concerning finances, suppose a target company witnesses an increase in sales. That’s a sign that they have a budget surplus and can spend on new products or services — which is a perfect trigger to get in touch.
On the flip side, if a company’s sales decrease and is losing money, that could be a bad sign. However, you can leverage the opportunity and turn the situation into a positive. Frame your pitch in a way that can offer a solution to the company’s financial situation.
How to Track
Many private companies don’t divulge their numbers, making it hard to track their sales. However, here are some tips that can help.
- Go through the interviews with the VP of sales as they often share some numbers.
- Use Baremetrics to track startups who post their revenue numbers to the public.
- Use Junglescout and Datahawk to track the sales rank of Amazon products.
To track the sales of products on Shopify, use this hack.
- Buy one of the cheapest items from the online shop on the first day of the month and get the order number. You can find the number on the last page of the checkout process and in the Shopify order confirmation email.
- Buy another cheap item on the last day of the month using an alias and get the order number.
- Calculate the difference between the order numbers. Shopify assigns sequential order numbers to every order. The difference will show you how many items were purchased throughout the month.
12. Shift in Sales Channel (Inbound vs. Outbound)
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn
Overview
Outbound sales occur when a seller initiates the sales process to generate qualified leads. On the other hand, inbound sales occur when prospective customers initiate the sales conversations. These potential customers are piqued by information from inbound marketing campaigns such as websites, ads, news, social media, and more.
The sales channel largely depends on the company’s strategies and the skillset of the existing team. A shift to one of these channels can be beneficial to relevant service providers.
For instance, if a company utilizes the outbound channel, a lead generation company’s sales team can pitch for this service. If it’s an inbound channel, a digital marketing agency could pitch to fill this space and create content that caters to the company’s target audience.
How to Track
- Watch out for signals such as a change in sales engagement platforms, adoption of sophisticated technologies, hiring more staff, creation of new processes, and more.
- Watch out if the company has added an inbound or outbound role to the team. You can also check if they use a new tool in their sales software stack.
- New agency partnerships can also signal a shift. Check the client section of agencies with tools like Visualping.io to find their latest clients.
- Hire a sales trainer who is an expert in a particular field to provide clues.
13. Increase or Decrease in the Marketing Budget
Ideal for: Marketing Agencies, Marketing Vendors, Event Organizers, and more
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Semrush and Adbeat
Overview
A firm’s marketing budget is another factor to look out for. An increase in the marketing budget implies increased marketing activities across various channels. If you specialize in one of these channels, you can pitch to the company to perform their marketing activities for that channel.
Likewise, a decrease in the marketing budget is a factor to look out for. Although companies may decrease their marketing budget, it doesn’t mean agencies or vendors aren’t welcome. While the company’s purchases will be more scrutinized, the onus is on you to deliver.
How to Track
- Watch out for annual letters with plans for the future, podcasts, or interviews with founders.
- An increase in the marketing budget could mean an increase in hiring across various marketing departments. Use http://linkedin.com/jobs/view + Keyword (in this case, marketing) to search for hiring roles.
- You can use Semrush’s advertising research tool to track the company’s paid traffic cost estimation. Adbeat also offers a similar feature.
14. Entrance into New Market
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Artesian.co
Overview
Entering a new market often results in regulatory or compliance needs, cultural differences, or language barriers. These pain points encourage the company to seek newly found expertise who can offer solutions, thus creating an atmosphere for sales opportunities.
For instance, many high-performing global businesses often have an ecosystem of channel relationships, partners, or resellers they can use to expand internationally.
How to Track
- Keep a tab on industry publications using a tool like Artesian.co to track useful accounts.
- With Google Alerts, set up search strings for phrases such as “company plans to expand,” “new office announcement,” and more.
15. Change in Marketing Channel
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: N/A
Overview
A change in a company’s marketing channel affects its customer base and profits. Since they are on the run to find the most effective ones, it’s essential to position yourself as an expert in one of these channels. Whether it’s organic, paid, or partnership-based, you can leverage your expertise to generate sales opportunities.
For example, suppose you’re a social media marketing expert and notice that a company intends to add TikTok or Pinterest to its marketing channel. In that case, you can use your expertise to offer a solution that generates marketing qualified leads in that channel.
How to Track
- Track key new hires in the content or marketing departments. Study their backgrounds to get an idea about the company’s priorities. For instance, if a company hires its first video editors, that is a hint that there is an upcoming video marketing effort.
- Monitor a company’s backlinks to discover whether they’re building backlinks in new segments. Use tools such as SEMrush, Spyfu, or What Runs Where to show what the companies are up to.
16. Funding Rounds
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Crunchbase, WhoGotFunded, SEC
Overview
Another relevant buying signal you should look out for is the funding rounds. It clearly shows that the company has more money to spend. Whether it’s a new product development, an expansion plan, or an increased marketing budget, the company needs solutions to meet its key objectives.
In scenarios like this, reach out confidently to them and showcase how your solution can help them achieve their business goals. Highlight your unique value propositions and show how they can benefit them.
How to Track
- Use Crunchbase to figure out a company’s funding information
- Use Owler.com to discover funding news from the website
- Subscribe to Growthlist.co to receive funding news about different startups.
17. Major Customer Announcement
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Zoominfo, Google Alerts, Industry News Portals, and Press Release Pages
Overview
If a company has just landed a significant account or closed a major deal, that could be a good time to reach out to them. Tailor your solutions to help them attract other big fishes in the industry and make effective use of the incoming revenue.
How to Track
- Use Zoominfor to track the latest news and updates about a prospect. You can input keywords such as “prospect’s name” + “announces new customer,” or “won new account” to do the trick.
18. New Product or Service Announcement
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Industry News Portals, Social Media Platforms, and Press Release Pages
Overview
The launch of a new product or service indicates a complementary solution, support, or training services. In this case, you may want to reach out and showcase how your offering can bring additional value to their new product. You could share insights, develop a SaaS solution, or introduce an e-book to scale their operations.
How to Track
- Check out a company’s website for product announcements.
- Look into press releases and industry publications.
- Use Google Alerts to discover product announcements.
19. Major Industry Development
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Bombora, Industry News Publications
Overview
A major development within an industry often forces a company to adapt to new changes. Use the opportunities created by the development to showcase your solution and how they can stay ahead of the curve. Staying in touch with these developments enables you to establish a stronger relationship rather than cold pitching randomly to them.
How to Track
- Use Bombora to watch out for a major industry change
- Keep up with relevant industry publications to stay updated
20. New Legislation
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Industry Newsletter, Government’s website, Legal Publications
Overview
A new legislation implies that businesses will adapt their processes or services to remain compliant. An example is the issue of personal data which requires companies within the EU to comply with GDPR.
If you have solutions that can combat the challenges posed by the new legislation, you can step in. Showing them how to navigate the regulatory landscape or keeping them out of trouble could create sales opportunities for you.
How to Track
- Monitor government’s websites for new regulations.
- Track legal publications to see how the rules affect your company.
- Subscribe to relevant industry newsletters or podcasts that relate to your company.
- Use Google Alerts to check out new policies.
21. Awards or Recognitions
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts, Industry Publications, Awardsfinder.com, Press Release Pages
Overview
When your target company gets an award in their industry, they may want to capitalize on their success to increase visibility in the market. Congratulate them on their latest achievements and offer solutions that can further strengthen their position and boost their competitive advantage.
How to Track
- Use Awardsfinder.com to find businesses with prominent awards in your industry.
- Set up Google Alerts with search strings such as “Company’s name” + awards.
- Use Comaparably.com to discover companies’ ratings and awards.
- Follow industry publications to stay updated with relevant news.
22. Analyst Reports
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Lead411, Analyst’s websites, Google Alerts, Industry News, and more
Overview
Every industry has analysts who periodically research and create reports about companies. These reports highlight trends, challenges, or opportunities that companies are facing within the industry.
In regards to this, identify and follow a notable analyst firm and keep an eye on their new research releases. Then, use the insights from this report to devise a solution that can solve the companies’ pain points or improve their offerings. After all, organizations with high rankings will want to capitalize on their status, and organizations with lower rankings will strive to become better.
How to Track
- Use Lead411.com to track analyst reports.
- Other tools you can use to track these reports include Google alerts, industry news, analyst websites, and more.
23. Event Announcements
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts and Images
Overview
If your prospects announce an upcoming event, chances are they will need a new or different kind of support. The question is, “Can your organization’s products or services provide this support or help them to achieve their goal?” If the answer is yes, use the announcement as the company’s buying signal.
Understand what these events entail, the topics they are covering, and which potential customer is involved. Some events you can consider include conferences, new product launches, conventions, celebrations of a new client, and more. They may need your service to actualize these events.
How to Track
- Set up Google Alerts with search strings like “Call for speakers” + Your industry. This will enable you to find events in the planning stage.
- Input the company’s name in Google Images to discover the trade shows they attend.
- Include an additional filter in the pre-loaded search bar with terms like “+ exhibitors,” “+ conferences,” and more. Review the search results to see the events they would be attending, hosting, or sponsoring.
24. Change in Marketing Agency
Ideal for: SaaS agencies and Tech Companies
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts and Visualping.io
Overview
A change in a marketing agency implies changing the marketing strategy. There is a huge chance the marketing efforts have failed or things aren’t working well.
In that case, this could be a good time to sell your marketing expertise to your prospects. Propose an effective marketing solution that can help them achieve their business objectives.
How to Track
- Use tools like Visualping.io to track updates on agency-client pages in your industry.
- Set up keywords such as “Agency + won accounts” in Google Alerts.
- Visit marketing news sites such as Marketingweek and Socialsamosa to stay updated with the latest updates.
25. New Tool Adoption
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Twitter, LinkedIn, Bombora.com
Overview
When your prospects intend to adopt a new product to streamline their workflow, that’s another sales trigger.
Be on the forefront to let them know how your service can help. If your service offers native integrations with one of the newly purchased tools, leverage the situation to your advantage.
How to Track
- Use LinkedIn or Twitter and input terms such as “Looking for” + keyword to search for companies seeking product recommendations.
- Use Bombora.com to search for target accounts researching topics that are relevant to your business.
- Stay available on social channels such as Reddit and Quora to unveil prospects seeking answers to specific product-related topics. They could be looking for an alternative product, an idea, tips, or other useful recommendations.
26. New Job or Position for a Current Contact
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn, Jobtitle.io
Overview
If your satisfied prospects take on a new role in their company or move to a new organization, seize the opportunity to check if they’d still like to use your solutions. This can motivate them to make an instant impact in their new role.
As Emma Brudner puts it: “If your offering made them look good in their last role, they’ll be eager to spread the gospel in their new one. ”
How to Track
- Follow your target audience on LinkedIn and click the “Notifications” icon to see their activity, especially when they start a new job.
- Use Jobtitle.io to get real-time notifications when your contact starts a new role.
27. Dissatisfaction with the Current Vendor
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Publicwww.com, Brandwatch, G2, Capterra, Mention.com, Talkwalker.com, Google Alerts
Overview
If your prospect announces their relationship with the current vendor isn’t working out, you should jump on the opportunity. Although there may be more to the issue than a straightforward social media post, look for new articles or legal actions that speak to their needs and provide solutions to the sour relationship.
Also, watch out for people’s opinions when a prospect asks for recommendations on a certain product. Their honest opinion could indicate the type of solution your prospect is looking for. Leverage this information to offer them your service if it’s related to it.
How to Track
- Use sites such as G2 and Capterra to identify your prospect’s dissatisfaction with the current vendor.
- Use tools like Publicwww.com to find the vendor they are using.
- Use social listening tools such as Brandwatch, Brandmentions, and Mention.com to track the social accounts of your employees.
- Use talkwalker.com to track forums to reveal your prospect's opinion about a particular product.
- You can also use Google Alerts using terms such as “Looking for suggestions+product.”
28. Positive Press Coverage
Ideal for: Traffic Optimization Agencies
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Muck Rack, Google Alerts, Mention
Overview
Every company benefits from positive press coverage. It boosts the brand’s credibility, provides more exposure to the public eye, and drives more sales.
With this positive news, position your business to help them double down on this favorable perception. Align your business offerings to further improve the company’s products or services and create a positive experience for users.
How to Track
- Use tools such as Muck Rack or Mention to monitor press coverage across different channels whether broadcast, print, or social media.
- Utilize tools like Startup Tracker to the company’s updates to track companies’ updates.
- Set up Google Alerts with terms such as “brand name” + intitle: review.
29. Negative Press Coverage
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Brandmention, Talkwalker, Brandwatch
Overview
Negative PR is also PR. If your prospecting company receives negative online reports, they would want to manage the crisis and look for ways to minimize the damage. Moments like this often require them to find a great PR agency that can implement solutions to help them get out of trouble.
How to Track
- Use a sentiment analysis tool like Talkwalker to find spikes in negative PR.
- Positive PR tools such as Brandmention and Brandwatch can also track negative news. You may also consider Buzzsumo to identify the most shared content on your social media channels. This helps you to spot specific topics associated with a negative limelight.
- Set up Google alerts with terms like “Brand’s name” + hate, “Brand’s name” + broken, “Brand’s name” + too expensive, or “Brand’s name” + terrible.
30. Increase in Positive Employee Review
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Glassdoor, Vault, Ambitionbox
Overview
When your prospecting company witnesses an increase in positive employee reviews, that shows it understands the people that make the business successful. Such organizations motivate employees to perform better and increase their overall productivity. Plus, it suggests that the firm is open to ideas that further contribute to its success.
How to Track
- Track reviews on specific sites such as Glassdoor, Vault, and more.
- Keep a tab on sites such as Indeed, Ambitionbox, and more.
- Use Glassdoor’s Rating Trends graph to identify fake reviews. The graphs will show a spike in non-genuine reviews. Watch out for the long-term trend.
31. Increase in Negative Employee Review
Ideal for: HR SaaS
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Glassdoor, Google Alerts
Overview
Negative employee feedback reveals the hidden truth about companies. However, these negative reviews create growth opportunities for the company.
So, if you observe that the employees within an organization often comment about a persisting issue, that could be a buying signal for you. Tailor your services to solve this problem to improve the company’s growth.
How to Track
- Use Glassdoor to monitor the negative employee reviews.
- Set up Google alerts for terms like “brand name” + intitle:employee review.
32. New Website/Website Major Changes
Ideal for: Marketing Agencies
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Visualping
Overview
A change in the overall company’s website or some elements (messaging, product, pricing) could indicate a buying signal. For instance, if the website gets a complete makeover, that could indicate they are targeting new business customers.
Also, if they’re expanding, they may want to get a website that fits their new image. A change in their product page could also indicate a change in business strategy. If your products or services can help the company in any of these scenarios, consider pitching to them.
How to Track
- Use Visualping to track changes in the website.
- Set up Google alerts for terms like “Brand’s name” + Announces New Website.
33. Law Suits
Ideal for: Compliance SaaS, Law Firms
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Law360
Overview
When a company gets penalized for legal or compliance issues, they would require a product or service that can help them out of trouble. If this is your service, this is the right time to swing into action, save them from the issue, and prevent future recurrence.
How to Track
- Run a company search on sites such as Justia, Lexis Academic, Audit Analytics, and Google Scholar Court. This will show you whether the company is facing any legal issues at the federal or state level.
34. Website Security Issues
Ideal for: Internet Security Experts, PR agencies
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Haveibeenpwned.com
Overview
When a prospect’s website has security issues or it’s been hacked, that signals a sales opportunity for any cybersecurity expert.
You can leverage your expertise to offer a solution that makes the company’s website function again. This situation can also be useful to PR agencies who can handle these issues effectively.
How to Track
- Use Haveibeenpwned.com to send alerts when there is a mishap on your site.
- Use Google’s Advanced Search Operator to track the trigger.
35. Increase in Demand for Prospect’s Product Category
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Explodingtopics.com, Trends.vc, Treendly
Overview
Some specific circumstances lead to an increase in demand for certain products. An example is the high demand for FMCG, home care, and personal mobility products during the post-Covid era.
If your service falls into this category, you can leverage it as a sales opportunity for your prospects. You can also use some tools on the Internet to search for trending product topics and check whether your service can be helpful to your prospects.
How to Track
- Use Explodingtopics.com and Treendly to find topics gaining traction. They will show the data behind the searches for a particular keyword.
- Trends.vc is a freemium newsletter that curates and analyzes upcoming trends in depth.
- Use Google Trends to input and track keywords relating to a specific category. For instance, you can use the term “Where can I buy” + product name to track its search volume.
36. Selling Assets or Cutting Losses
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Craigslist
Overview
Many companies sell their assets or cut losses for various reasons. While some companies sell their assets to improve liquidity, especially during cashflow challenges or debt settlement, others can sell their assets due to a change in corporate strategy.
For instance, they may want to exit a particular market and focus on another opportunity elsewhere. If this is where your expertise lies, this is a good time to pitch to your prospect.
How to Track
- Scan the daily or weekly ad pages found on Craigslist or similar sites. Set up notifications for bankruptcy or liquidation sales ads.
37. Company Facing Piracy Issues
Ideal for: Internet security businesses
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts
Overview
This sales trigger is beneficial for service providers in security niches. If a company is facing piracy issues, they are either aware and keen to act or they’re not aware at all. Whatever the situation, you can highlight these issues and find their corresponding solution to begin a sales conversation with the prospects.
How to Track
- This often requires advanced tools. But starters can use [brand] + "product name" + (download|torrent) -site:yourdomain.com.
38. Bad Quarter
Ideal for: Outsourcing Suppliers, IT Providers, Management and Process Consultants, Redundancy Specialists, and Employee Assistance Schemes
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Edgar, Symbolsurfing.com, Distill
Overview
When a company’s financial performance is negative, it re-evaluates its decision-making process. In this scenario, pitching a solution that can reverse the negative trend can be helpful to them.
How to Track
- Symbolsurfing.com has a freemium plan that you can use to track the company’s earnings date.
- Install and set up Distill.io on the company’s website or SEC filings page. This will automatically send you notifications about the changes on the website. For instance, you could receive notification when the company files a new report, has a merger, and other relevant information.
39. Good Quarter
Ideal for: Recruiters, New Tech and IT Suppliers, Product Developers, Employee Benefit Specialists, New Market Specialists
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Edgar, Owler, Distill
Overview
If a company’s financial performance is positive, they will be more receptive to projects that accelerate their growth. Capitalize on this opportunity to create solutions that amplify their growth or success.
How to Track
- Set up Distill.io on the company’s website or SEC filing page to receive notifications about changes on their website. For instance, when they merge with another company, file a new report, or engage in other relevant activity.
- Watch out for analysts’ coverage of insights about a target company’s financial performance.
40. Increase in Software Expenses
Ideal for: SaaS, Automation Agencies
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Stackshare.io, Datanyze, Uplead.com
Overview
An increase in software expenses creates opportunities for vendors with effective and cheaper solutions. This works for automation agencies that can build simple automation tools that improve efficiency while serving as a cheaper alternative.
Another scenario is when a company uses two different software that offers similar services but with a rather hefty price tag. If you have a tool with a similar value proposition that can complement one of the tools while eliminating the other, this is an opportunity to seize the moment and sell your service.
How to Track
- Use Stackshare.io to discover software technologies that your prospects are using.
- Install and set up the free Chrome extension, Datanyze Insider. Click on the Insider icon to reveal information about a particular company including its current technology providers.
- Use uplead.com to provide technographic data about a target company.
41. Change in Web Traffic
Ideal for: CRO agencies, SEO Experts, Content Marketers
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Semrush
Overview
A prospect that is witnessing an increase in its web traffic may be seeking new employees or tools that can maintain and improve such traffic while converting its web visitors to paying customers.
They would need to add to their sales and marketing teams, create valuable content, and scale their marketing efforts to generate potential clients for the company.
Some solutions they may need include UX/UI designers, content marketers, speed optimization tools, landing page optimization tools, chatbots, and more. If you offer any of these solutions, you should consider leveraging the sales opportunity.
How to Track
Use Semrush’s traffic analytics tool to track multiple websites’ traffic and how they are ranking for a particular keyword.
42. Increase in Positive or Negative Customer Reviews
Ideal for: Marketing Agencies, Sentiment Analysts
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Capterra, G2 Crowd, Mention, Google Alerts
Overview
The customer feedback provides valuable insights about the prospecting company and the customer’s overall experience. If there is a consistent theme among customer reviews that your product or service can address, you should leverage the social proof to pitch to the company.
For instance, if most people comment about delays in customer service or subscription issues, you can suggest a customer service or marketing automation tool that can enhance user experience and encourage more sales.
How to Track
- Track customer reviews on sites such as Capterra, G2 Crowd, and more. Also, tools like Reveiwpush compile your online reviews from various websites into a central database.
- Set up an alert with Google alerts using terms such as “brand name” + intitle: review.
- Use a brand monitoring tool like Mention.com to track negative customer feedback. Use terms such as “brand name + hate,” “brand name + broken,” “brand name + expensive,” or “brand name + terrible.”
43. Q&A Thread Related to Your Content
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Ahrefs Site Explorer, Google Alerts
Overview
If you provide comprehensive answers to a potential client’s questions in Q&A sites or forums such as Quora, Warriorforum, and more, you can become noticed by the prospect. This can open up a sales opportunity.
How to Track
- Use search operators to search forum threads and uncover more insights.
Set up alerts for terms like:
- [topic] + site:[forumname.com] + intitle:(who|what|when|where|how)
- site:quora.com intitle:(Main Topic |" subtopic topic1" |" sub topic2")
- site:reddit.com intitle:(Main Topic |" subtopic topic1" |" sub topic2")
44. New Technology Trend
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Treendly
Overview
When a new technology trend comes up, you should keep an eye on it, especially when it’s beneficial to your prospects. Research various information about the technology and leverage its benefits as a sales opportunity.
How to Track
- Use Chrome extensions like Treendly to search for technology trends.
45. New in Role
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn
Overview
A transition to a new role, whether promotion or a move to a new organization is another buying signal you can leverage. You can interpret this opportunity in two ways.
First, the prospect in the new role may look forward to contributing impact and making a good impression on the company. As a result, they would be open to exploring new solutions that strengthen his position within the company.
Similarly, when a new person is hired, especially a new executive, it implies that the company intends to implement new changes. Consequently, they would allocate a new budget to ensure the changes take place. In this scenario, your goal is to reach out to them with the right compelling message so that they evaluate your pitch more than others.
How to Track
- Use LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator to determine people who changed roles within the last 90 days.
46. SEO Spend
Ideal for: Content Marketers, SEO Experts
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Semrush, Ahrefs
Overview
A company that intends to establish its online presence on search engines will invest in SEO. It could be a new company that is starting out or one having difficulties ranking on search engines like Google or Bing. If you have the expertise that can drive website traffic, reaching out to them can be a great sales opportunity.
How to Track
- Use Semrush or Ahrefs to identify websites with low traffic.
47. Cybersecurity Issue
Ideal for: Internet Security Experts
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: Google Alerts
Overview
In the event of a cyberattack posed by a breach in the company’s security, they could suffer many consequences. One of them involves losing the trust of their trusted customer, resulting in a decrease in sales.
Due to this issue, the company intends to implement strong security measures that can mitigate the damages, eliminate the issues, and reassure its clients. A data breach scanner is an essential tool in this process, helping companies detect vulnerabilities early and prevent sensitive information from being exposed. If your service falls under this category, now is the best time to speak up and reap the benefits of the sales trigger.
How to Track
- Use Google Alerts to track cybersecurity events within the industry.
48. Event Attendees
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Static
Tools to Use: LinkedIn
Overview
Live events present opportunities to learn and interact with your potential buyers. The activities these attendees express at an event indicate whether they are interested in your products or services.
When they attend sessions, visit your product solution areas or schedule meetings, you can gain insights into their challenges, buying preferences, or aspirations. Capitalizing on these buying signals can enable you to build customer relationships and encourage more sales.
How to Track
- Use LinkedIn to track upcoming live events relevant to your industry.
49. Followers of LinkedIn Page
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Static
Tools to Use: LinkedIn, Phantombuster
Overview
Your followers on LinkedIn make up your potential customers. With great inbound marketing strategies, you can grow your followers and generate qualified leads to improve your sales efforts.
How to Track
- Use LinkedIn to check your number of followers and connect with new audiences.
50. LinkedIn Post
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn
Overview
A LinkedIn post is another sales trigger you can’t overlook. Your prospect’s post could indicate they are looking for someone to take on a new role. Oftentimes, these roles are descriptive and let you know whether they align with your services.
How to Track
- Stay consistent on LinkedIn to see posts that align with your business offering.
51. Birthdays
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn
Overview
Everyone loves being celebrated. Keeping track of your prospect’s birthday information and getting in touch with them. This is not to hard sell your service but to strengthen your relationships.
When your prospects know that you genuinely care about them, they will likely listen to your pitch, particularly if it solves their problem and helps them stay ahead of the competition.
How to Track
- Use LinkedIn to reveal your prospect’s birthdays.
52. Companies Offering Free Trials
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn
Overview
Signing up for a free trial is an incredible buying signal that shows your potential customers are interested in your product or service. This provides an ample opportunity for your marketing and sales teams to show your offerings and convert the users into paying customers. Let them provide tutorials and tips that can grant them a seamless experience with your products.
53. An Increase in Negative Reviews
Ideal for: Any business
Trigger Speed: Dynamic
Tools to Use: LinkedIn, G2 Crowd, Capterra
Overview
Our final trigger on the list is an increase in negative reviews. This feedback reveals that your prospects are dissatisfied with the current situation and require a new solution to solve the problem.
For instance, if you sell a sales prospecting tool and there are lots of negative comments about poor prospecting tools on G2 Crowd, you can leverage this information to showcase your solution.
How to Track
- Use sites like LinkedIn, G2 Crowd, or Capterra to reveal customer’s negative reviews.
Partner with ColdIQ to Identify Sales Triggers for Your Business
The success of your sales efforts largely depends on targeting the right account with the right sales messages at the right time. This is why you should partner with ColdIQ to stay far ahead of your competitors.
As a sales prospecting company, ColdIQ utilizes various AI sales tools to leverage the right sales triggers and capitalize on those golden opportunities for your business. Our sales team recognizes every sales opportunity that comes your way and maximizes its potential to propel your business to a new level of success. Get in touch with us today!
