You’re doing signal-based outreach wrong — How to Create your GTM Ikigai 🧘‍♀️

Hey there!

Last time, we exposed the three deadly sins of GTM tech stacks that make your revenue team contemplate career changes daily. (Missed it? Catch up here.)

Today, I want to tackle something hot in the world of Rev Ops and GTM Engineering: Signals—the digital breadcrumbs indicating your prospect might actually need what you're selling.

Signals are the holy grail of your GTM motion—they tell you exactly where to aim and when to act.

👉 Here's why:

• Data by itself has zero value

• Your brilliant copy has no impact if the timing is wrong

• You will not sell to someone who isn't in a position to buy

But how do we organize our thinking around signals to create a truly effective GTM system? This is where the concept of Ikigai comes in.

The GTM Ikigai: Finding Your Signal-Based Sweet Spot

When applied to GTM strategy, it becomes a powerful framework for building signal-based systems that actually drive revenue. I’ll explain in a second.

👀 Before we dive deeper, let's get crystal clear on something critical: 

Signals are what buyers do. Intent is why they do it.

I’ll say it one more time: Signals are what buyers do (action), intent is why they do it (psychological reason).

Why Most Outreach Fails: 📣 Signals ≠ 💘 Intent

Most outreach falls flat because it doesn’t align with what the buyer actually wants or needs — it’s just more noise in an already crowded space. Just because a company raises funding, hires a new leader, or launches a product doesn’t automatically mean they’re in the market for your solution. The key is understanding whether those changes signal real intent — clues that a prospect is relevant and ready to engage.

The problem? Most teams either miss these signals entirely or fail to act on them effectively.

The GTM Ikigai: Finding Your Signal-Based Sweet Spot

The “GTM Ikigai” is the intersection of four essential elements: what your prospects need, what your product uniquely solves, what your team can execute effectively, and what drives measurable value.

At the core of GTM Ikigai is timing. Even if everything else aligns, the motion falls flat if the timing is off. That’s why signal-based outreach is so powerful — it helps you prioritize not just who to engage, but when.

This is exactly why intent and signals matter. They surface the moments when all four elements are most likely to align, giving you the best chance to land a message that resonates and drives action.

The Four Pillars of Effective Signal-Based GTM

1. What Prospects Signal They Need (Intent + Timing)

• Buyers tell you what they need — if you know where to look

• Funding rounds, job changes, product launches, and hiring for key roles signal urgency and budget availability

• Effective outreach means recognizing these signals and acting fast with tailored messaging that meets the moment

2. What Your Product Actually Solves (Real Pain Relief)

• Outreach only works when it connects to a real, felt pain point

• Don't pitch features — speak to the problem your product has solved for similar companies

• Show proof: "Others in your industry faced this — here's how we helped them fix it"

3. What Your Team Can Execute Consistently (Scalable Plays)

• Outreach at scale fails when it's too complex

• Build signal-based plays your team can actually execute without heroic effort

• Make it easy: Pre-built workflows, targeted lists, and clear next steps

4. What Creates Measurable Value (Pipeline + Revenue Impact)

• High-intent signals should lead to higher conversion rates — if the play is right

• Track MQL to SQL, SQL to closed-won, and ACV to see where signals drive value

• Double down on signals and outreach styles that convert

Connect Signals to Intent: Why People Actually Buy

I hear the words signal and intent a lot. They are often used interchangeably, but that’s not how I view them. 

Here’s the difference from my POV: 

Signals are the observable actions prospects take. 

Intent is the underlying reason why they take those actions. 

Too many teams track signals without understanding the intent behind them. Understanding these core drivers lets you craft messages that speak to what truly moves buying decisions.

Pain-Focused Messaging That Actually Converts

The most effective GTM plays don’t just respond to buyer signals—they speak to the deeper psychological needs behind them. Your outreach copy should meet prospects where they are and reflect what’s truly driving their behavior.

If someone’s researching at 11 PM, they’re not hunting for a feature list—they’re looking for clarity, confidence, and a reliable path to succeed in their role.

Here's what this looks like in practice:

Notice the difference? The weaker copy just acknowledges the signal. The revenue-driving copy demonstrates that you understand the real pain behind the signal and offers a specific solution.

⚡️5 Ruthless Moves to Make This Week

Every newsletter I send is designed to move you from insight to action—because knowing the problem means nothing if you’re not fixing it. If I were in your shoes, here’s exactly what I’d do this week to level up your signal-based GTM:

1. Run a Signal-to-Noise Audit

Look back at your last 90 days of outreach and document:

• Response rates by signal type

• Time between signal detection and first touch

• Conversion rates from signal to opportunity

Kill any automation tied to signals with <10% response. If it’s not driving action, it’s just noise.

2. Do a Pain Point Alignment Test

Take your top 3 outreach templates, strip the branding, and hand them to your sales team. Ask one question:

“Does this speak directly to a real pain point?” If the answer isn’t a clear yes, rewrite it today.

3. Build a Signal Hierarchy

Not all signals are equal—treat them accordingly:

• Tier 1: Pricing pages, competitor comparisons, bottom-funnel intent

• Tier 2: Technical docs, multi-stakeholder engagement, product-specific searches

• Tier 3: Blog reads, social engagement, top-funnel content

Focus your team where the money is.

4. Shadow Your Buyers

Interview 5 recent customers. Ask:

• What first sparked their interest?

• What did they do before talking to sales?

• Which signals were intentional vs. accidental?

Their answers will reshape how you interpret buyer behavior.

5. Calculate the Real Value of a Signal

Use this formula to separate signal from noise:

• Signal Yield = (Signals detected) × (Conversion rate to opp)

• Revenue Potential = (Avg. deal size) × (Close rate)

• Signal Value = Signal Yield × Revenue Potential

📌 Prioritize by value, not volume. If a signal doesn’t tie to revenue, cut the automation. Top teams focus on fewer, higher-quality signals—not chasing every click.

What should I talk about next?

1. 🧩 The GTM Death Spiral: Are You Scaling Broken Systems? Why growing fast with the wrong foundations leads to chaos—and how to course-correct before it’s too late.

2. 📬 Stop Personalizing. Start Prioritizing: Why personalization at scale is overrated—and what to do instead to drive real pipeline.

3. 🎯 Outbound Is Not Dead—Yours Is Just Boring: How to build signal-led, story-driven outbound that actually earns attention.

4. 🚪 Why Your Buyers Ghost You (And What to Do About It): The psychology of disappearing deals and how to keep momentum alive after the first call.

5. 🧠 Running GTM Like a Product Manager: Adopt a product mindset for your go-to-market: feedback loops, testing velocity, and cross-functional wins.

6. 🎥 What GTM Can Learn from Great Storytelling Apply Hollywood principles to your sales motion: tension, timing, and emotional payoff.

7. 💡 Your Suggestion → What’s the GTM hill you’re dying on?

Wanna Chat About Your GTM Motion?

If you want to chat about implementing these signal-based plays without blowing up your tech stack (or your team's sanity), hit reply and let me know your biggest automation challenge.

Until next time,

Ashley