Saimaa ringed seal, Rantasalmi, Finland. Photo: Jan Ebr and Ivana Ebrová, CC BY 4.0
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Buying intent signals in B2B. What they are and how to read them.
Buying intent is rarely announced. It shows up as a pattern of facts: a company that was just founded, started hiring, won a public contract or changed its industry. This guide explains the main families of signals, how to read them together and how to act before others do.
What a buying intent signal is
A signal is an observable fact about a company that makes a purchase in the near future more likely. It is evidence, not certainty. A company that just hired its first salesperson has not promised to buy anything, but it is more likely to be in the market than one that has been quiet for ten years. Signals help you decide whom to contact first, instead of working through an alphabetical list.
Four families of signals
Company and growth
- A new company. It is building everything from scratch: bank, accounting, insurance, tools.
- Hiring, especially for sales, marketing or operations.
- Expansion: a new location, market or product.
- New leadership. A new managing director often reviews suppliers.
- A change in the register: new industry, new address, change of status.
Public money
- A won public tender. In the EU, awards are published in TED. A company that just won a contract often needs staff, equipment and subcontractors.
- Municipal purchases. Many Finnish municipalities publish their purchase invoices as open data. They show who already sells to the public sector and what.
Technology and web presence
- Missing tools: no analytics, no booking system, no online shop.
- An outdated website or no website at all.
- A newly registered domain, a sign of a young company.
Behaviour
- Visits to your website, downloads, event attendance.
- Research on the problem your product solves.
- Comparisons with competitors.
Behavioural signals are mostly visible only to the company that owns the website or the content. The first three families come from public sources and are available to anyone who looks.
Combinations beat single signals
One signal alone is weak. A company can hire without buying what you sell. Intent becomes believable when several independent facts point the same way:
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| They visited the pricing page once. | Founded this year and hiring for sales. |
| They are hiring, for an unrelated role. | No booking system yet, and a new domain. |
| They won a tender two years ago. | Won a tender last week and the decision-maker is reachable. |
How to act on a signal
Start the conversation from the change, not from your product. A company that just won a public contract is thinking about delivering it. Refer to that, and offer the help that fits. Timing matters: the same event can mean "now" in one industry and "wait" in another.
Where Atlas fits
Atlas starts from the official company register and places public signals on the same row as the company: new registrations, register changes, won public tenders from TED and Finnish municipal purchase invoices. Every signal shows its source. The signals feed into two separate scores that show the reasons behind them.
Questions
What are B2B buying intent signals?
Observable facts that make a purchase more likely: a new company, hiring, expansion, a won public tender, a register change or a missing tool. Each one is evidence, not certainty.
Is intent data the same as a lead score?
No. Signals are the evidence. A score summarises them. A useful score shows which signals produced it.
Can a signal tell me when not to get in touch?
Yes. A company in liquidation or bankruptcy is a clear stop, and a sector under pressure may mean the timing is wrong.