How to know which companies need what you make
The public signals that show a company is about to buy, where to see them and how to use them in the first message before they ask for a quote.
When a company asks you for a quote, it has usually spent weeks deciding and comparing several suppliers. The first to arrive has an advantage; the last competes on price. The good news is that the decision almost never comes out of nowhere: there are public signals you can see beforehand.
What buying signals are
A signal is a visible fact showing that a company may need what you make in the coming months. It is not a promise to buy; it is a reason to write now rather than a year from now.
The signals that help us most, and where to see them
- It hires a salesperson, a buyer or an export manager. Visible on LinkedIn and job boards. A company strengthening that area is usually opening up suppliers or markets.
- It exhibits at an upcoming fair. The exhibitor catalogue is public and says what it will show and with which product line.
- A new plant, expansion or new line. It appears in regional press and on the company's LinkedIn page.
- It enters a new country or market. A website in a new language or an opened branch are clear clues.
- A new certification. Published on the website and social channels, and it changes what the company can sell and to whom.
- An investment round or a grant. Usually announced in specialist press.
- A change of sales director or managing director. A new arrival tends to review suppliers.
How to use them in the first message
The rule we follow: the first sentence of the message comes from a real signal, with a source, less than three months old. An old signal sounds like a mass mailing and an invented one breaks trust.
An example structure:
- «I saw you have launched a German website…» (the signal).
- «…and that you make X; we work with companies that need it for Y» (the fit).
- «Would it make sense to talk?» (a yes-or-no question).
Common mistakes
- Signal without fit: a company hiring someone does not mean your product suits it. Check the fit first.
- Writing to everyone with the same signal: if a message works for a hundred companies, it works for none.
- Not noting the source: if you cannot show where the signal comes from, do not use it.
How this is done continuously
Checking these signals by hand once is easy. Checking them every week for dozens of companies is what makes it unworkable. That is why we run it for you: we follow the signals of the companies in your market, filter the ones that fit and write to the person who decides. See how we approach machinery, technical textiles or contract furniture.