If sales is your job, timing is everything. Spotting a lead right when they're ready to talk—or even just curious—can make all the difference. But most sales teams are flying blind, buried in Slack channels, Discord servers, and endless Twitter threads. If you’re tired of missing out, this guide is for you. We'll walk through setting up custom alerts in Commonroom that actually surface real opportunities, not just more noise.
No fancy jargon, no over-engineered systems. Just actionable steps so you can catch the next deal before it slips away.
Why Custom Alerts Matter (and What to Ignore)
Let’s get this out of the way: out-of-the-box alerts in most community tools are way too broad. You’ll get pinged every time someone says “hello” or posts a meme. That’s not useful. The real value comes from setting up alerts for the right signals—like when someone mentions a competitor, asks about pricing, or drops a “we’re evaluating tools” in your user group.
Here’s what works:
- Alerts based on specific keywords or phrases (e.g., “RFP”, “pricing”, “alternative to [your product]”)
- Alerts for high-intent actions (like signing up, joining a webinar, or requesting a demo)
- Notifying the right people—fast (not just dumping another message in a channel nobody reads)
Here’s what you can skip:
- Generic “new message posted” alerts
- Overly broad keywords like “help” or “question”
- Alerts that go nowhere (if you don’t act on them, they’re just noise)
Ready to set this up? Let’s get into it.
Step 1: Get Your Connectors in Place
Before you can catch sales signals, Commonroom needs access to your community sources. This means connecting the places where your users talk—think Slack, Discord, Twitter, LinkedIn groups, forums, etc.
To connect a source:
- Go to the Settings or Integrations page in Commonroom.
- Pick the platforms where your customers hang out.
- Follow the prompts to authorize access. (You may need admin rights. If you hit a wall, loop in IT once, then never again.)
Pro Tip: Don’t connect everything “just because.” Stick to channels where real buying conversations happen. Otherwise, you’ll drown in alerts from the #random channel.
Step 2: Identify Your Real Sales Signals
This part takes some thinking, but it’s worth it. What actually signals a sales opportunity in your world? Don’t be vague.
Ask yourself:
- What questions do people ask right before they buy?
- What keywords pop up when someone’s comparing tools or making a shortlist?
- Who tends to start those conversations—existing customers, lurkers, people from certain companies?
Examples of high-intent triggers:
- “Looking for alternatives to [competitor]”
- “Anyone using [your product] for [use case]?”
- “How do you handle pricing?”
- “Can someone share their experience with [your product]?”
Write these down. (Seriously—open a doc and jot down 5-10 phrases. Don’t overthink it.)
Step 3: Create a New Custom Alert in Commonroom
With your signals in hand, jump back into Commonroom.
- Navigate to the Alerts or Workflows section (the name might change, but you’re looking for automation or notifications).
- Click Create Alert or New Workflow.
- Set your trigger:
- Choose the data source (e.g., Slack, Discord, etc.).
- Add your keywords or phrases. Use “contains,” “matches,” or whatever fits.
- (Optional but helpful) Layer in filters—like posts from certain roles, company domains, or activity types.
Pro Tips:
- Use exact phrases for more relevant alerts. “Anyone recommend” is better than just “recommend.”
- Avoid super-common words unless you love spam.
- Test with a single keyword first—see if it’s too noisy before adding more.
Step 4: Fine-Tune Who Gets Notified (and How)
Don’t just blast alerts to a giant team inbox. Think about who needs to know—fast—and how you’ll actually respond.
Options to consider:
- Send instant alerts to a dedicated Slack channel for sales.
- Assign specific alerts to reps based on territory or account ownership.
- Email the alert to a real person—don’t let it sit in a shared mailbox.
- For VIP keywords, ping someone directly (DM or SMS).
What not to do:
- Don’t set up alerts that nobody owns. If you’re the only one who acts on these, make that clear.
- Don’t send alerts to people who can’t or won’t follow up. That’s just alert fatigue.
Pro Tip: Start small. One or two people getting the alert is plenty at first. If it’s working, expand.
Step 5: Test Your Alert (Then Actually Use It)
Now the moment of truth. Trigger your alert on purpose—post in a connected channel with one of your chosen phrases. Did the alert fire? Did it go to the right place? Was it clear what action to take?
If not, tweak your setup:
- Too many false positives? Tighten your keywords.
- Not getting anything? Loosen the filters.
- Alert too vague? Add context to the notification (“User X from Company Y mentioned 'pricing' in #sales-discussions”).
Don’t skip this step. Most alert setups fail because nobody tests them, and then people ignore them when it matters.
Step 6: Build a Simple Response Playbook
A good alert is only half the job. What happens when someone gets it? You don’t need a 10-page SOP, but you do need something.
Barebones playbook:
- Who responds (by name, not just “the sales team”)
- How fast (e.g., “within 1 hour during business hours”)
- What to say (templates help—think friendly, not robotic)
- How to track outcomes (did the conversation move forward, or was it a dud?)
Share this in a Google Doc, Notion page, or even a pinned Slack message. Anything is better than “figure it out.”
Step 7: Review and Adjust—Don’t Set and Forget
Give it a week or two. Are you getting useful alerts? Too many, too few? Is your team actually responding, or is everyone silently ignoring them?
What to look for:
- Are alerts surfacing real opportunities, or just noise?
- Are you missing obvious signals you wish you’d caught?
- Is anyone complaining (or quietly unsubscribing)?
Be ruthless—if an alert isn’t adding value, kill it or tweak it. There’s no prize for having the most alerts.
What About AI, Sentiment, and All the Fancy Stuff?
You’ll see options in Commonroom to use AI for “sentiment analysis” or “intent detection.” Honestly? Sometimes these work, sometimes they’re just buzzwords. If you’re drowning in alerts and can’t find the real signals, experiment with them. But don’t count on AI to magically spot every opportunity.
Usually, your own list of phrases and a little human judgement beats the fanciest algorithm—at least until you know what works for your community.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Quickly
Custom alerts in Commonroom are powerful—if you focus on real signals and resist the urge to overcomplicate. Don’t build a Rube Goldberg machine. Start with a small set of keywords, route alerts to someone who’ll act fast, and tweak as you go.
The best systems are the ones you actually use. Don’t chase perfection. Set up your first alert, see what happens, and adjust. Sales is all about timing—so catch that next opportunity while everyone else is still sifting through the noise.