I’ll never forget one of my first big sales meetings. I walked out feeling defeated, convinced I’d blown it. The prospect had bombarded me with tough questions and objections, and the whole time I thought they were poking holes in my pitch because they weren’t interested. Later on, a mentor would point out that those “grilling” questions were actually a buying signal in disguise. That prospect was deeply engaged, trying to gather justification to buy.
In this article, I’ll share what buying signals in sales really are, the different types of signals you should watch for, how to identify them in real time, and how to respond when you spot one. I’ll even throw in examples (including a few I learned the hard way) so you can recognize these cues in your own sales conversations.
By the end, you’ll be able to more effectively read your prospects and ensure you’re addressing the things that matter most to them — and hopefully, close more deals along the way.
Table of Contents
- How to Identify Buying Signals
- What are buying signals in sales?
- Types of Buying Signals
- How to Respond to Buying Signals
- Examples of Buying Signals
- How Buying Signals Made Me a Better Salesperson
What are buying signals in sales?
Buying signals are behaviors or statements that indicate a prospect is considering a purchase. Regardless of what sales methodology (or combination of methodologies) you adhere to, buying signals help salespeople understand where a buyer is in the decision process, what matters most in a purchase, and when the seller should take action.
According to data from , effective use of buying signals can create 10-20% more sales opportunities and reduce a company’s customer acquisition cost (CAC) by up to 30%. Why the stark improvements? Buying signals help you differentiate between casual interest and true intent, ensuring you spend time on the highest-quality deals with the best chance of closing.
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Types of Buying Signals
Buying signals come in a few different flavors. Here are some common types, each of which signals prospect interest from a slightly different angle. Under each type, I’ll give a quick “pro tip” or explain what scenario it’s best for, so you know how to leverage that signal in your sales efforts.
Verbal Buying Signals
Verbal buying signals are the spoken or written clues the prospect shares. These are often the easiest to catch — after all, you can literally hear or read them — but they can sometimes be hidden in plain sight. In my early days, I would often be too busy thinking about the next point in my presentation and miss cues from the prospect. Don’t let that happen to you! Here are a few examples of verbal signals:
- Questions about the product or service. If your prospect starts asking detailed questions (“How does your solution handle X?” or “Can it integrate with our current system?”), they’re picturing themselves as a user. They’re essentially saying “Convince me this works for me.” That’s a buying signal. In general, the more thoughtful the questions, the more engaged they are.
- Discussions of budget or pricing. When a prospect brings up money or budget without being prompted, it’s a huge signal. It means they’re seriously considering how to make this purchase work. They might ask, “What would the pricing look like for a team of 20?” or “Is there a discount if we sign a two-year contract?” That indicates they’re envisioning the deal. On the contrary, a prospect who clearly avoids any mention of price will need to be brought around to the idea.
- Questions about next steps or implementation. This signal is like a golden ticket. If a prospect asks something like, “What would the next steps be if we decided to move forward?” or “How soon could we get started after signing?” they’re essentially probing the path to closing. Similarly, asking about implementation details (“How long does onboarding take?”) shows they’re picturing the post-sale scenario. That’s a strong buying signal because they’re mentally moving beyond if they buy to how they’ll operate after they buy.
- Expressing dissatisfaction with a current vendor. This one doesn’t slip past most salespeople. Prospects that complain about their current service provider are generally begging to be put out of their misery. Even if it seems small or unimpactful, focus on the pain point they’re bringing up and emphasize how your organization can help them avoid it.
Pro tip: Practice active listening. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to slip up and find yourself planning for the next part of your pitch. Slow down and truly listen to what’s being said. I guarantee your prospect would rather you listen closely, even if it means you’ll need a short pause to collect your thoughts before responding to what they’ve said.
Non-Verbal Buying Signals
Have you ever sent an email that you thought couldn’t be any clearer only to have the recipient completely miss the point? People make mistakes, of course, but it’s also true that human beings communicate a lot without words — and sometimes more than we mean to. In sales, especially in face-to-face meetings or video calls, pay close attention to these signals.
- Body language. Think eye contact, nodding, leaning forward, smiling, or even the classic “slow-and-thoughtful-head-nod.” I once had a prospect in a demo who barely said a word (which freaked me out), but I noticed they kept leaning in to look closer at my screen share and nodding slightly whenever a feature seemed to resonate. That was a buying signal; they were engaged. Sure enough, they moved forward after the demo.
On the flip side, beware of closed-off body language. If the prospect is looking at their watch or phone or maybe responding to Slack messages during the demo, you might as well take a leap to re-engage them — because you’re either losing them fast or they’re already gone.
- Tone of voice and enthusiasm. If you’re on a call and can’t see the person, listen for tone. Excitement is hard to hide. Even a simple “uh-huh” or “mmm” in an affirming tone as you speak can indicate agreement and interest. Conversely, monotone “Okay… got it” responses might mean they’re not sold yet, and complete silence is usually a bad sign, too.
Pro tip: You’ll need to give prospects space to talk in order to pick up on tonal cues. Of course, you’re doing that anyway, right?
Digital Buying Signals
Buying signals aren’t just happening during conversations. They’re also happening online, often before a prospect ever talks to you or in the days or weeks between your live conversations. I like to call these digital buying signals, and they include a prospect’s interactions with your company’s website, content, emails, and more. Here are some common digital signals that someone is interested:
- Email engagement. Ever get a notification that a prospect opened your email or clicked a link you sent? If a prospect consistently opens your emails quickly or multiple times throughout the day, that’s a signal. I like to reach out and suggest a quick phone call — it’s less intrusive than a virtual meeting, and they can get a lot of their questions answered in just five minutes.
- Website activity. If you see that a lead has visited your pricing page, features page, or looked at case studies, take that as a solid buying signal. They’re doing their homework on you and essentially moving through stages of the funnel on their own. Reach out and see if you can help them with anything, and recommend content (if you have it) that they might be interested in.
- Free trial or demo sign-ups. If your company offers a free trial or a freemium version and a prospect signs up for it, that’s an obvious one — they’re interested enough to take your product for a test drive. Similarly, signing up for a live demo or webinar you’re hosting indicates active interest. They’re essentially raising their hand and requesting more information.
- Social media and community engagement. This signal is a bit softer, but still noteworthy in my book. If a prospect starts following your company on social media or they like or comment on your posts, there’s certainly some indication of curiosity and intent. These signals might not be as strong as an actual inquiry, but they paint an overall picture of an interested lead — particularly when combined with other signals.
Pro tip: Digital signals happen behind the scenes, but they’re important enough to be brought to your attention. I generally loathe browser notifications (we have enough notifications in our lives), but I have one exception — any time a prospect clicks a link in my email, I have 探花精选 alert me. It’s a much stronger signal than a mere email open, and worth interrupting my concentration just a little to know about it.
Situational Buying Signals (Trigger Events)
The last type of buying signal I’ll cover isn’t about the prospect’s behavior toward you, but rather external events or situational changes that signal a potential buying opportunity might arise. These are often called trigger events in sales. Savvy salespeople watch for these because they can open a window to reach out or advance a conversation that may have stalled out in the past. Here are a few examples:
- Company changes. If your prospect’s company announces a new round of funding, a merger, an expansion, or a new executive hire (like a new CTO or CMO), that’s a possible buying signal. New leadership often means new priorities and new budget allocations, and fresh funding means resources to invest in solutions.
- Public mentions of pain or goals. Sometimes companies will publicly hint at needs. For example, if a CEO says in an interview, “Customer experience is our top focus this year,” and you sell a customer success platform, that’s a signal. Or if a prospect posts on social media complaining about a problem that your product solves, it could be a great time to gently reach out with some insight.
- Industry or market changes. New regulations, market trends, or even competitor moves can trigger buying behavior. If a new law requires your prospect’s industry to report something and your solution helps with that reporting, their sudden compliance need is a buying signal. Or if one of their major competitors just implemented a solution similar to yours and is seeing success, your prospect might be feeling pressure to keep up even if they haven’t directly engaged with you yet.
Pro tip: Situational signals definitely require you to have a pulse on the prospect’s world beyond what you might be picking up in your direct interactions. Set up Google Alerts, follow their company on LinkedIn, use sales intelligence tools — whatever helps you catch wind of these trigger events. A little bit of research and news tracking goes a long way.
Now that we’ve covered the gamut of buying signal types, let’s talk about how to actually identify these signals in practice. It’s one thing to know the theory; it’s another to consistently spot the signals in the wild.
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- Target Market
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- Goals
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You're all set!
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How to Identify Buying Signals
- Be an active listener (and observer).
- Ask open-ended questions.
- Leverage your CRM and sales tools.
- Educate yourself and your team on common signals.
Identifying buying signals is a skill that you can develop with practice. Early in my career, I honestly didn’t know what I was looking for — it was like trying to tune a radio without knowing the station frequency. Over time, I picked up some habits that made catching signals easier.
Here’s how you can hone your senses to spot those crucial cues.
1. Be an active listener (and observer).
In my opinion, listening more than you talk is the most important part of any sales interaction. When the prospect is speaking, really hear them — not just the words, but the intent behind the words. Do they sound excited? Concerned? Confused? Those emotional tones might tell you something, but don’t assume your inference is correct. Paraphrase and confirm your interpretation: “It sounds like you’re really interested in that integration to increase your team’s efficiency, did I get that right?”
Also, observe the prospect’s demeanor. If you’re face-to-face, things like nodding or smiling while they say “That could be useful for us” amplify the signal. If you’re on a call, listen for subtle verbal cues like a change in tone or the pace of the conversation. Essentially, keep your antenna up for any change in the prospect’s engagement level.
2. Ask open-ended questions.
One of the best ways to draw out buying signals is to ask questions that encourage the prospect to talk. Questions like “What are your thoughts so far on what we’ve shown?” or “How does this compare to what you’re doing today?” invite them to reveal their feelings and intentions.
Their answers can be a treasure trove of signals. If they respond with enthusiasm and start explaining how they’d implement your solution, you’ve got a positive signal. If they hesitate or bring up a concern, that’s useful too — it might be an objection you need to address.
3. Leverage your CRM and sales tools.
I touched on this in the digital signals section, but use technology to help you. Set up notifications for key prospect activities like email opens, link clicks, and content downloads. If your sales process doesn’t already have it, I would strongly recommend incorporating a lead scoring system that assigns a value to these activities and more, helping you prioritize the most engaged prospects. Did a potential buyer just visit your pricing page? Reach out asap.
4. Educate yourself and your team on common signals.
Make buying signals a part of your sales training and team conversations. If you’re new, ask veteran reps what signals they look for that indicate a deal will close. It might be their language, when they start using phrases like “when we implement” — or it might be when they invite a technical lead to the next call. The more familiar you are with the most important signals, the more they’ll pop out at you in real life. I keep a list in my notebook of top buying signals as a reminder before I go into a meeting, because it mentally primes me to watch for them.
In short, identifying buying signals comes down to being attentive, curious, and prepared. When you make a habit of actively listening and observing, asking good questions, and using the tools at your disposal to bring signals to the forefront, you gain valuable insights that help you close deals, provided you respond to them correctly.
How to Respond to Buying Signals
So you’ve spotted a buying signal. Now what? The whole point of recognizing these cues is to respond in a way that moves the sale forward and supports the buyer’s journey.
Handled well, your response to a signal can propel a deal to a rapid close. Handled poorly, you could set things back or even squander a deal entirely.
1. Act quickly.
Timing is everything, and you should jump on signals when you see them. For example, say a prospect has posted about an issue they’re having on social media. That means they’re likely in the awareness phase, and they’ll soon be gathering information on possible solutions. Wait too long and you’ll be compared against the entire market of possible solutions, or worse, they will have made a decision without even considering you as an option.
2. Dig deeper.
Some signals are opportunities to learn more about a prospect’s needs. For example, whenever I was asked if my company’s software integrated with another vendor, I’d take advantage of that glimpse into the prospect’s broader tech stack and use it to infer what high-level problems they were hoping to solve. Do they want better results? Increased efficiency? More agility? Use the clues you’re given and ask for more information.
3. Reiterate value.
Buying signals often reveal a prospect’s top priorities. For example, when asked how quickly they could complete onboarding and implementation, I’d safely assume they were looking to move fast. Knowing this, I would reiterate that yes, they could get onboarded quickly, and also explain that I would accelerate things where possible.
For example, marking their contract redlines with high priority for the legal team might shave an additional 3-5 days off the implementation timeline. Show prospects you know what they value, and that you’ll make it a top priority as well.
Examples of Buying Signals
So what are real buying signals I’ve come across out in the wild? This list is far from exhaustive, but here are several of what I would consider the “Greatest Hits.”
- Asking about pricing. A soft signal, but it shows they’re envisioning the purchase.
- Inquiries about contract details. If they’re digging into the contract, they’ve probably narrowed their search down to your solution and a few others.
- Bringing in other stakeholders. One of my favorite signals to see — no one wants to waste the time of someone else on their team, so you’re in a good spot when they include other decision-makers.
- Expressing pain your product solves. If they’re venting about their current situation, they’re inviting you to show them how your solution will change it.
- Requesting references. They’re looking for validation.
- High degree of responsiveness. Your solution is a priority for them.
- Direct comparisons to competitors. They consider you viable, but want to make the right choice. Highlight your strengths for their specific needs.
- Engaging with content. Another soft signal — they might still be gathering information, but if they’re leaning on your content for insights, your solution will probably be a consideration at least.
Remember, a single in isolation certainly doesn’t guarantee a sale — but I’ve had the best results closing deals when I see several of these buying signals throughout the sales process and respond to them.
How Buying Signals Made Me a Better Salesperson
Looking back on my sales journey, I see that learning to spot and respond to buying signals has been critical. You can never truly separate sales from numbers (more at-bats means more opportunities), but you also can’t ignore the fact that not all opportunities are created equal. A strong grasp of buying signals taught me to invest my time into the deals that offered the most value and the best chance of closing.
Using buying signals isn’t about some high-pressure tactic or sleazy manipulation. It’s about being in sync with the buyer and understanding what they need and value out of a solution. When they’re enthusiastic about something, you’re sharing that excitement and helping them move toward their end goal. When they’re hesitant, you’re slowing down to address an important need.
It’s a dance, not a shove, and it’s one I recommend that you learn to master.
Free Sales Plan Template
Outline your company's sales strategy in one simple, coherent sales plan.
- Target Market
- Prospecting Strategy
- Budget
- Goals
Download Free
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You're all set!
Click this link to access this resource at any time.
