Relationship signals: buyer intent, engagement and past deals

A relationship signal is evidence that an account is paying attention to your topic or to you. Unlike the other nine groups, these signals are not found by researching the company on the open web. They come from third-party intent data or from your own website, email and CRM.

That difference matters. A trigger event such as a new executive is a public fact with a date and a source anyone can check. Intent data is an aggregate, account-level estimate from a provider, and engagement data is yours. Both are useful, but they decay within weeks.

3 events count as relationship signals in SalesOne’s library. Each one counts only when you can date it, point to the evidence and place it inside its window.

Third-party intent data shows rising research on a topic you solve. It is an aggregate, account-level hint and fades fast.

• Why it predicts buying: Rising research on a topic you solve suggests the account is learning about the problem, sometimes before it talks to vendors.
• Where to find it: Not on the open web. It comes from third-party intent data sold by data providers, usually as an account-level topic score.
• Counts as a signal for: 0–30 days after the event.
• Evidence type: Paid data: data providers.
• Example: Rising research on supplier risk.
• Does not count: A single spike with no other signal, or a topic that is only loosely related to what you sell.

People from the account visit your site or engage with your email. It is first-party evidence of interest and goes stale within weeks.

• Why it predicts buying: Visits to high-intent pages, such as pricing, or repeated email engagement are direct evidence of interest in you specifically.
• Where to find it: Your own website analytics and email engagement. Respect your privacy notice and applicable law when you use it.
• Counts as a signal for: 0–30 days after the event.
• Evidence type: Your own data.
• Example: Visited the pricing page twice.
• Does not count: A single visit to a blog post, or opens that may be caused by email privacy features rather than people.

A lost deal or former customer shows activity again. They already know you, so the conversation starts further along.

• Why it predicts buying: A lost deal or former customer that becomes active again already knows you. The conversation starts further along, and the reason it stopped is on record.
• Where to find it: Your CRM: closed-lost deals and former customers, combined with new engagement or a fresh public signal at the account.
• Counts as a signal for: 0–90 days after the event.
• Evidence type: Your own data.
• Example: Former customer asking questions again.
• Does not count: An account that asked not to be contacted.

Relationship signals have the shortest windows in the library: 0 to 30 days for topic research and for visits or engagement, and 0 to 90 days for a past deal or former customer. Act on them quickly, and use them to decide timing and topic rather than quoting them back to the prospect.

• Researching the topic: 0–30 days after the event.
• Visits or engagement: 0–30 days after the event.
• Past deal or customer active again: 0–90 days after the event.

Outreach lands best early in the window.

1. Confirm the account with a public signal before you prioritize it on intent alone.
2. Never tell a prospect you saw them on your pricing page. Use the signal to decide timing and topic.
3. For a past deal, read why it was lost before you write.

• Treating intent data as fact. It is a model-based estimate at account level.
• Mentioning tracking in outreach, which damages trust.
• Reopening a past deal that ended with a request not to be contacted.
• Letting relationship signals replace research. They say who is looking, not why.