3 Pieces of Data You Need to Have Before Making Any Sales Call

Introduction

Imagine this: a sales representative makes a call, ready to wow. Inside the first two minutes, it is excruciatingly apparent they have no idea about the prospect: no relevance, no context, and no credibility. The call flops before it can get started.

In the buyer's market today, "winging it" just isn't possible. Prospects want you to know who they are, why you're contacting them, and what interests them before you even begin a conversation. Blind outreach or generic pitches not only waste time but can also erode trust before it's even established.

The answer? Information. More precisely, three key pieces of information every sales representative needs before they even lift the phone: ICP fit, trigger events, and behavioral signals. With those in your pocket, you enter a call informed, credible, and significantly more likely to close.

Section 1: ICP Fit: Know If They're the Right Prospect

Why it matters

Not all leads are worth following up on. One of the biggest drains on a rep’s time is chasing prospects who will never convert. By defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), you can focus on the proper accounts and avoid wasting time on misaligned leads.

What to consider

Company size, revenue, and stage of growth: Do they fit the profile of companies that derive the most value from your solution?

Industry and geography: Are they in a vertical or region where you've had proven success?

Job title and influence: Are you reaching out to someone with real decision-making authority?

Practical tips

• Pre-qualify with CRM filters or LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

• Match your outreach to typical pain points common to companies in their segment.

Mini-example: Calling a 10-employee startup with an enterprise solution is a waste of time. ICP clarity prevents that mistake from happening.

Section 2: Trigger Events: Acting at the Perfect Moment

Why it matters

Timing is everything in sales. Trigger events highlight moments when a prospect is more likely to consider your solution, adding both urgency and relevance to your outreach. Without them, even a great pitch can fall flat because it's delivered at the wrong moment.

What to track

Funding announcements, mergers, or leadership hires: These often mean new budgets, new strategies, or fresh priorities.

Product launches or geographic expansion: Obvious indicators that the company is scaling and will require additional assistance.

Shared publicly known pain points: Job postings can identify future requirements, such as scaling teams, infrastructure development, or dealing with churn.

Practical tips

• Create Google Alerts for your priority accounts.

• Utilize intent data platforms or monitor LinkedIn updates to identify changes instantly.

• Refer directly to the event in your call opener to establish instantaneous relevance.

Mini-example: "Congratulations on your Series B funding. Many companies struggle to scale their customer success teams at this stage. Here's how we help…"

Section 3: Behavioral Signals: Understand Their Buying Intent

Why it matters

Behavioral indicators are flashing lights that the prospect is interested in what you have. Foregoing them is equivalent to passing a buyer who is signaling for you with their hand. They indicate what the prospect already knows and the stage they are at in the buying process.

What to monitor

Visits to your site: Particularly prices or product pages.

Engagement with content: Downloads, registrations for webinars, or repeated opening of emails.

Frequency and recency: How recently and how often they've engaged with your brand.

Practical tips

• Tap into marketing automation and CRM capabilities to bring these signals up to the surface.

• Frame your conversation according to the interest they've already expressed.

Mini-example: If a prospect has been on your pricing page three times this week, your opening line needs to be ROI and value-centric, not plain old product awareness.

Bringing It All Together

ICP fit, trigger events, and behavioral signals each stand strong on their own. Together, however, they comprise the base of a high-value, high-readiness prospect profile.

Consider the analogy of a three-legged stool. Remove one leg, and the stool can’t stand. Likewise, if you lose one of these data points, your call becomes unbalanced and lacks credibility.

Scenario: A rep is getting ready for a call with a scaling SaaS business (ICP fit). The company recently raised Series A funding (trigger event). They've also downloaded a whitepaper on reducing churn (behavioral signal). With that combination, the rep isn't guessing, they're coming in with a winning approach.

Conclusion

Cold, uninformed sales calls belong in the past. Success in today's market is contingent upon preparation, and preparation is contingent upon data. To establish credibility and boost win rates, each salesperson should ensure they understand three things before dialing the phone:

ICP fit: Are they the right prospect?

Trigger events: Is it the right time?

Behavioral signals: Are they indicating intent?

For sales leaders, integrating these data points into pre-call checklists and training programs is a game-changer. It ensures reps aren't just making calls, they're making calls that count.

When your team stops guessing and starts knowing, every sales conversation becomes an opportunity to move the deal forward. That's how modern sales teams win.