Email Reply Patterns That Signal High-Intent Prospects

"Oh wow… you saw I follow [competitor] You must be the only rep using that as intent, right?" Wrong. I get that same email every week. It’s not creative. It’s not relevant. And it’s definitely not intent. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most intent signals used in outbound today aren’t signals. They’re just triggers that are easy to scrape. Examples? → “Saw you follow our page” → “Congrats on the funding” → “Noticed you’re hiring SDRs” → “Saw your job change” All of these have two things in common: They’re available in every sales tool They get saturated in weeks And once they do, they lose all effectiveness. Because everyone sends the same message at the same time. If you want replies, you have to dig deeper. Here’s what I believe actually works in 2025: 1. Intent = psychology, not data Real buying signals come from pressure, frustration, or urgency. But those don’t live in Sales Navigator. They show up in behavior. Ask yourself: → What do your buyers complain about? → What makes them feel exposed or behind? → What’s the task they keep putting off? That’s intent. Because emotion drives action. 2. Non-scalable always beats obvious Most reps try to find signals that scale. But by the time you found it, so did 300 others. The best campaigns I’ve run are the ones that can’t be automated: → I looked up their stack manually and noticed a missing piece → I saw their outbound team scaling with no RevOps → I found their SEO traffic dropped 40% in 3 months Those signals don’t show up in your CRM. You have to go get them. Which is why they work. 3. Niche intent > generic plays Intent only works when it maps to your exact ICP. In SaaS, I look for: → Tool removals = something broke → Multiple outbound hires = process chaos → VP of Sales change = new playbook window In ecom, you might watch: → New shipping provider = ops transition → Bad product reviews = CS friction → Ad spend spike = budget shift The more specific the signal, the more relevant the message. And relevance is the only thing that works now. Most cold emails today are based on the same 5 signals. The ones that convert? Built on insight, emotion, and real research. Yes, it’s slower. Yes, it’s unscalable. But that’s why it works. What’s one signal you’ve used that actually led to meetings?

Here is how to get more replies from cold emails. We analyzed 100s of outbound campaigns at our agency. To find what really makes prospects answer. It’s all about intent signals. What are intent signals? They’re clues that a prospect might be ready to talk or buy. - Maybe they visited your site or changed jobs. - They could be in the news for a product launch. - Each “signal” boosts your chance of getting a reply. Here are 4 intent signals we had great success with: 1. Re-Engaging Website Visitors - People who visit your website are curious. - Tools like Common Room, Instantly.ai, or RB2B help identify them. - Personalize your email around what pages they saw and why they might need you. 2. Job Changes - Someone left their old job and just started somewhere new. - Tools like Common Room, LoneScale, or Clay track this. - They might want to bring your solution to their new company. 3. Job Openings - If they’re hiring for roles that relate to your product, they have a budget and a need. - Tools like Clay or Unify show these openings. - Bonus: Mention the job description’s priorities in your outreach. 4. News Announcements - Could be funding, mergers, or product launches. - Tools like Clay or Common Room’s AI can spot relevant headlines. - Congratulate them on the news, then connect it to your offer. What’s the best intent signal you’ve used for outbound? Let me know in the comments.

The 4 best intent triggers for cold outbound (Examples & breakdown included) Everyone talks about intent / triggers, but very few people show real examples. Then more importantly how they actually link to the pains of your prospects. So here is a breakdown of some you can use today & how it links. Signal 1: Resource Downloads Prospects don’t download resources for fun, they do it because they’re looking into solutions. They’re likely shopping around, so it’s your job to get in front of them ASAP. This could be a umber of things like: - Webinar attendees - Downloaded free white papers - Requested info from the website Always start with the people who are actively looking into solutions. Example: “Hey name, noticed you downloaded our {insert resource}, curious how you’re going about {solving key issue} today?” Signal 2: Follows & Engagement You don’t have to have a personal brand for this, leverage your companies. - People who follow your company - People who like your companies content - People who are connected with your CEO This is all intent, ask yourself why would they be following us? Then use this to craft a message on how you make their lives easier. Example: “Saw you followed us on LinkedIn Name, how are you going about {solving key issue} today?” Signal 3: Closed-Lost Accounts Nearly all reps have these, so use them! People didn’t reply, have a discovery or book a demo for the sake of it. They were likely in the market for solutions but couldn’t find something. That doesn’t mean all their desire has completely gone. So look to re-engage these accounts referencing your conversations. Rehash the cost of inaction and show why staying the same is costing them. Example: “Hi Name, looks like we spoke a few months back about {topic}, curious how you’re going about {solving topic} today?” Signal 4: Job Changes This is one of the most tried and tested outbound triggers, it works for a reaosn. When people are brought in they want to have an impact. Most of their budget is spent in the first 90 days. So reach out and show what you do and why they should be spending it on your slution. Call out 3 simple things: - What is the current issue? - What does that issue lead to? - What do you do differently to fix it Always make the desired outcome as specific as possible, case studies add to this. “Saw on LinkedIn you joined {Company} last month Name, curious how you’re planning to go about {solving issue} in your first 90 days?” Triggers aren’t magic, but they do give you a clear reason to be in someones inbox. Always lead with why now? Relevancy is how you stand out in 2025 and cut through the noise. Let me know your favourite trigger out of this list below! Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Outbound OS & Aaron Reeves for more