If you’re in sales ops, a revenue leader, or anyone who actually has to own the forecast, you know how much noise and wishful thinking gets baked into the process. “Signals” sound great, but they’re only as useful as the real-world problems they solve. This guide is for people who want to actually use Revenuegrid’s signals—not just check off a box in a rollout plan.
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts: how to create, manage, and wrangle revenue signals in Revenuegrid so your forecasting isn’t just another exercise in spreadsheet fiction.
What Are Revenue Signals, Really?
Revenue signals are basically automated alerts or cues based on real CRM activity, behaviors, or data changes—like “no contact with the customer in 14 days” or “deal pushed back twice.” The idea: catch risk or opportunity early, nudge reps to act, and (hopefully) get a clearer forecast.
But be honest: signals can get noisy fast. Too many, and people ignore them. Too few, and you miss stuff. The trick is to set up signals that are actionable, not just “interesting.”
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Need to Track
Before you touch settings, talk to your team or look at your pipeline. Ask:
- Where do deals really fall apart? (Not what the vendor case study says, but your actual deals.)
- What behaviors actually move the forecast?
- What’s driving rep and manager headaches today?
A few common signals that work in the real world:
- Stalled deals: No activity logged for X days.
- Close date push: Close date moved more than once.
- Deal size change: Amount decreases by more than 20%.
- Multi-threading: Only one contact on the deal.
- Skipped stages: Deal jumps two or more stages in one change.
Don’t try to boil the ocean. Start with 2–3 signals tied to things you can actually fix or influence.
Pro tip: Don’t copy someone else’s signal library. Your team and pipeline quirks matter more than “best practices.”
Step 2: Map Your Signals to Revenuegrid
Revenuegrid’s signal system is pretty flexible, but it also lets you overcomplicate things if you’re not careful. Here’s how to get started:
- Log in and go to Signals Management.
- You’ll find this in the admin panel. Only folks with admin or signal management rights can set new global signals.
- Choose “Create Signal.”
- You’ll be prompted to select the trigger event (e.g., field change, lack of activity, certain emails sent).
- Define your trigger.
- Example: “No activity for 14 days” → Trigger: Last activity date is more than 14 days ago.
- Example: “Amount dropped by >20%” → Trigger: Amount field decreases by 20%+ compared to previous value.
- Set up the conditions.
- Keep these tight. If you’re vague (“Any change in deal”), you’ll get spammed.
- Use filters: Maybe you only care about deals over $20k, or late-stage deals.
- Decide who gets notified.
- Don’t blast the whole team. Usually, it’s the deal owner and their manager.
- Pick your notification method.
- Revenuegrid does email, in-app, and sometimes Slack (if integrated). Don’t overthink it—pick what people actually read.
- Test your signal.
- Use sample data if you can. Otherwise, “shadow” the signal for a week—see what it would have flagged before turning it on for everyone.
What to ignore: Fancy signals that depend on “AI prediction” unless you know exactly what data it’s using. You want transparency, not magic.
Step 3: Roll Out Signals Without Creating Alarm Fatigue
The fastest way to get ignored is to create 20+ signals that fire constantly. Here’s how to avoid “crying wolf”:
- Limit signals to what’s critical. Start with 2–3. You can always add later.
- Explain why each signal matters. If reps don’t get the point, they’ll just dismiss notifications.
- Set review meetings. First month, meet every week or two to see which signals are actually helpful.
- Be ruthless about pruning. If a signal isn’t changing behavior or helping forecasting, kill it.
Pro tip: A good signal should lead to a clear action. “Stalled deal” means, “Reach out or update the deal.” If the action’s fuzzy, the signal’s probably not worth it.
Step 4: Tweak Signal Settings as You Go
Nobody gets this perfect out of the gate. Watch how signals behave:
- Are you getting too many false positives? Tighten the filters.
- Are important deals slipping through? Loosen conditions or add a new signal.
- Is notification timing right? If people ignore morning emails, try mid-afternoon or in-app.
- Are actions actually happening? If not, your signals are just noise.
Regularly check the Signal Performance dashboard in Revenuegrid. Look for:
- Which signals get the most engagement?
- Which ones are ignored?
- How often do signals lead to updated forecasts or actions?
Adjust based on what actually helps, not what looks good in a slide deck.
Step 5: Use Signals to Drive Forecast Reviews
Signals aren’t just fire alarms—they’re conversation starters. Use them in forecast calls and pipeline reviews:
- Review flagged deals as part of the weekly forecast call.
- Ask reps what’s going on—don’t just assume the signal tells the whole story.
- Update forecasts on the spot if a signal surfaces real risk or upside.
Over time, your forecast accuracy should improve—not because you have more data, but because you’re acting on the right data.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Watch Out For
Works: - Simple, actionable signals tied to real-world actions. - Regular review and pruning of signals. - Tight filters—less is more.
Doesn’t: - “Set and forget” mentality. Signals need maintenance. - Relying on “AI” signals without understanding the logic. - Dumping every possible alert on reps.
Watch Out For: - Alert fatigue. If people start ignoring signals, you’ve got too many. - Signals that are too vague (“Deal changed”) or too broad. - Signals that nobody can act on (“Customer sentiment score dropped by 0.2”—and then what?).
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Chase Hype
Setting up revenue signals in Revenuegrid isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to make it useless if you overdo it. Start small. Focus on signals you can take action on. Review, prune, and tweak as you go.
Forecasting is always part art, part science. Good signals help you make better calls, but they won’t replace real conversations or judgment. Use them as a tool—not a crutch—and you’ll actually see your forecast get more reliable, not just more complicated.