What is a “Signal” and how do you create one?

What it is

A signal is a real clue that something is happening at a company right now.

A signal answers:“Why am I messaging you today?”

Signals make your outreach feel smart and timely, not random.

Without a signal, your message sounds like: 

“Hi, I want a job.”

With a signal, it sounds like:

“I noticed something important. This may matter to you.”

How to create one (easy steps)

A signal usually comes from:

• A job posting (they’re hiring)
• News or press release (new product, expansion, funding)
• LinkedIn post by a leader (new priorities)
• Company website changes (new services, new markets)

Step-by-step:

1. Pick a target company.
2. Look for any change in the last 6–12 months:
   • hiring growth
   • new leader
   • product launch
   • new location
   • expansion
   • funding
   • re-org
3. Write the signal as one simple sentence, like a headline.
4. Add what it might mean (a “so what”).

Example signals

Signal:

“I saw you’re hiring three customer success roles.”

So what it might mean:

“That usually means you’re growing accounts fast — and churn prevention becomes urgent.”

Another signal:

“I noticed your CEO posted about speeding up delivery times.”

So what:

“That often means systems and handoffs are slowing you down — and you’re trying to fix it quickly.”