skills/signal-outreach/references/signal-copy.md

# Signal outreach: copy that names the plan

The signal says why now. The email is about the plan the signal reveals and the problem that plan creates for the reader. Write it to the person who runs the plan.

## Why not "congrats on the raise"

From a study of 17 workspaces' campaigns, February to August 2026:

- People at funded companies looked like they replied half as often (0.46x). That gap was company size: funded companies are bigger, and bigger companies reply less.
- Compared with people at same-size companies in the same campaign, funded companies replied at 1.01x (95% interval 0.82x to 1.23x). Funding by itself did not change replies.
- 54% of contacts at funded companies worked at companies over 200 people. At that size the CEO is not buying the tool; the VP who inherited the hiring plan is.
- An announcement often comes weeks after the money arrived, and a round is meant to last about two years. The median round in one quarter's US filings was 5.5M USD: over 18 to 24 months that is roughly 230K to 310K USD a month. It turns into hires first, then purchases.

So: treat a raise as a reason to look closer, not a reason to send. Find the plan (hiring, a new market, a launch), then write about it.

## The shape

1. **Their plan, in their words.** Quote the source: the job post, the announcement's stated use of funds, the new leader's own post.
2. **The problem that plan creates.** One sentence, specific to the role or market.
3. **What you do about it.** One line, with one proof point the user gave you. If they gave none, ask them to paste one (a customer result, a number, a case study) before you write.
4. **A small ask.** A question they can answer in one line.

Keep it under 90 words. No "I noticed", no "I hope this finds you well", no flattery.

## Per signal

| Signal | Plan line | Write to |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles (job postings) | "Your careers page lists four SDR roles posted this month." | The hiring manager for that team (Head of Sales Development, VP Sales) |
| Hiring surge (net adds) | "Your sales team grew by six people since July." | The leader of the growing function |
| Funding round | "The round is going into an EMEA sales team, per your announcement." | The VP who owns that plan, not the CEO above 200 people |
| New leader in seat | "You started as VP Sales in September." | The new leader |
| Job change of a past champion | "You used us at Globex." | The champion, at the new company |
| Headcount growth | "Headcount is up 18% in six months." | The function feeling the growth |

## Examples

The bracket is where the user's own proof goes. Never write a proof point the user has not given you.

Hiring:

> Subject: your four SDR roles
>
> Hi Dana, your careers page lists four SDR roles posted this month. New SDRs usually spend their first weeks building lists instead of calling. We hand new reps a verified, researched list on day one. [One proof point the user gave you, with its source.] Worth a look before they start?

Funding (about the plan, not the raise):

> Subject: the EMEA team
>
> Hi Lee, your Series B announcement says the money goes into an EMEA sales team, and three AE roles in London are open. Reps in a new region tend to stall on who to call. We build those first lists and sequences for them. [One proof point the user gave you, with its source.] Want me to send what that looks like for the UK?

## What never goes in

- "Congrats on the raise" or any line that only shows you have a funding feed.
- A number the source does not state, or a rounded-up one.
- "Saw you're attending" or "I know you're looking for" when the source does not say so.
- An open rate or click as a reason to write.
- A data vendor's name.