Glossary

Buying signal

A public event that suggests a company may be ready to buy, such as a funding round or a relevant job post. It is a reason to get in touch, not a promise of a sale.

Companies House filing

A document a UK company must file with Companies House, the UK company registry, such as a confirmation statement, a change of directors or a share allotment. Filings are public, so anyone can read them as signals.

Digest

One message that bundles several items instead of sending each on its own. In sales, a daily digest lists the day's leads in one email or chat message.

Firmographics

Facts that describe a company the way demographics describe a person: industry, size, location, age and funding stage. They are the usual building blocks of an ICP.

Form D

A notice a company files with the US Securities and Exchange Commission when it raises money under certain private-placement exemptions. It is public on the SEC's EDGAR database, so it can be one way a private raise shows up.

Founder-led sales

Selling done by a company's founders themselves, usually before a dedicated sales team exists. The founder handles prospecting, conversations and closing alongside everything else.

ICP (ideal customer profile)

A description of the kind of company, and often the person, that gets the most value from your product. It is set by traits such as industry, size, location and the problem you solve, and it decides who you contact and who you skip.

Intent data

Information about online behaviour that suggests a company or person is researching a purchase, such as which topics they read or search for. It is usually collected by third-party providers and is different from public events such as filings.

Job-post signal

A company's job ad read as a clue to what it is about to spend on. A new head of data role, for example, can suggest investment in data tooling.

Lead

A company, or a person at one, that may be worth contacting about a sale. In Outrun, a lead is a company plus its named contact or contacts.

Lead enrichment

Adding missing details to a lead record, such as a work email, job title or company size, from other sources.

SH01 (return of allotment of shares)

The form a UK company files with Companies House when it issues new shares. Because a funding round usually involves new shares, an SH01 can be a sign that one has happened.

Signal-based prospecting

Choosing who to contact by looking for events that give you a reason to write now, instead of working down a static list.

Trigger event

A change at a company, such as a funding round, a new hire or a move into a new market, that gives you a reason to contact it. Often used interchangeably with buying signal.

Why-now line

The sentence in a message that says why you are writing today, usually naming the event that prompted it.

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