Key takeaways
- A list of the events that say an account might be worth a call now: funding, clinical and regulatory milestones, hiring, deals, facilities.
- Fit is which companies are worth your time. Readiness is when something changes that makes now the moment.
These are the events that say an account might be worth a call now, defined in plain language and grouped by what each one tells you. For the framework that ties them together, see which buying signals actually matter in biotech and pharma and timing outreach with readiness signals.
Core concepts
- ICP (ideal customer profile)
- A definition of the companies and buyers a business is best positioned to sell to and win. In life science this typically needs two layers: a company profile (therapeutic area, modality, development stage, size) and a buyer profile (function and seniority). See building an ICP as a CRO or CDMO.
- Fit score
- How closely an account or contact matches an ICP. Company fit scores the account; buyer fit (or contact fit) scores whether a specific person matches the target buyer profile. Fit is which companies are worth your time.
- Readiness (buying intent)
- Whether something recent at an account makes now the moment to reach out. Readiness is when something changes at a good-fit company that makes this month a better time than last.
- Buying signal
- A specific, observable event used as evidence for readiness: a funding round, a hire, a clinical trial milestone, a conference booking. Different signals reveal different things, some point to new budget or work forming, others add the detail that sharpens a message; see buying signals for biotech and pharma sales.
- Signal decay
- The idea that a signal’s relevance fades over time, at a rate that depends on the type of signal. A demo request loses urgency fast; a major funding round stays relevant for much longer.
- Account prioritization
- The process of ranking accounts to work, typically by gating on fit first and then sequencing within the fit-qualified list by readiness. See how to prioritize accounts.
- Fit-then-readiness gating
- A prioritization approach where readiness signals are only evaluated for accounts that already pass fit checks, so a strong signal at a poor-fit company never promotes it onto the working list.
Capital and funding
- Funding round
- A private capital raise (seed through late-stage). Creates new, real spending capacity you can reason from directly, and a dated, public event you can build outreach around.
- Grant award
- Non-dilutive funding, common in life science research and translational work, that can support a purchase decision similarly to a funding round.
- IPO or follow-on offering
- A public listing or a public company raising additional capital. More directly relevant for public companies than early-stage private biotechs.
- Milestone payment
- A payment triggered by hitting a contractual milestone, usually from a partnership or licensing deal. Signals both new cash and program progress.
Clinical and regulatory
The most life science specific category, and often the category CROs, CDMOs, and services vendors tied to the development pipeline watch most closely.
- IND (Investigational New Drug) application
- The application a company files with the FDA before it can begin testing a drug in humans. Clearing this stage is what allows a first-in-human clinical trial to start. Related signals: clinical trial registration, phase transition.
- Clinical trial registration
- A newly registered clinical trial for the company, generally the earliest public evidence a new program or indication is moving into human testing.
- Phase transition
- A trial or program advancing from one clinical phase to the next (for example, Phase 2 to Phase 3). Reveals a step change in operational complexity and budget, exactly the kind of shift that opens a new vendor conversation.
- Trial site expansion
- A clinical trial adding new sites, implying immediate operational scale-up needs around site management and monitoring.
- Indication expansion
- A company pursuing an additional disease indication for an existing program, signaling both new clinical need and a broader strategic push.
- Fast Track designation
- An FDA designation intended to speed the development and review of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet need. A near-term program-acceleration signal.
- Breakthrough Therapy designation
- An FDA designation for drugs that show substantial improvement over available therapies on a preliminary clinical basis, with more intensive FDA guidance attached. A strong signal of both scientific and regulatory momentum.
- Priority Review
- An FDA designation that shortens the standard review timeline for a drug application, which can pull forward a company’s launch and commercial-readiness timeline.
- PDUFA date
- The statutory deadline by which the FDA must complete its review of a drug application under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Often used informally as a proxy for how close a company is to a commercialization decision. Related tracked signal: FDA approval.
- Complete response letter (CRL)
- An FDA letter that an application cannot be approved as filed. It usually means near-term commercialization is delayed, not that the company is no longer viable.
- FDA approval
- Formal approval of a drug, device, or biologic. Can imply new commercialization needs across manufacturing, quality, and commercial operations.
People and hiring
- CMC hiring
- Hiring into chemistry, manufacturing, and controls roles. A high-value, life science specific signal for manufacturing and quality vendors.
- Clinical operations hiring
- Hiring into clinical trial execution roles, often tied to program growth and a near-term need for operational support.
- Regulatory hiring
- Hiring into regulatory affairs, often paired with an approaching clinical or regulatory milestone.
- Executive hiring
- A new VP, SVP, or C-suite hire into a relevant function. Usually signals a new mandate and an active window for re-evaluating existing vendor relationships.
- New to role / recently promoted / recently changed company
- Contact-level movement signals. A contact newly in a role is more likely to be actively forming opinions about vendors and re-examining existing relationships.
Deals and strategic direction
- Partnership deal
- A collaboration agreement between two companies, with or without disclosed economics.
- Licensing deal
- An agreement granting rights to a therapy or technology, often with disclosed upfront and milestone economics.
- Co-development deal
- A joint development agreement between two companies, often implying new operational complexity for both parties.
- Commercialization move
- A company visibly moving toward commercial launch (building commercial infrastructure, hiring commercial roles). Especially relevant for late-stage and newly approved products.
- M&A event
- A merger or acquisition. Brings fresh capital and strategic change, but often also integration-related distraction that can slow near-term buying decisions.
Facilities and manufacturing
- New facility
- A company standing up a new manufacturing or lab facility. A strong signal for CDMO and manufacturing-adjacent vendors specifically.
- Facility expansion
- An existing facility scaling up. Similar to a new facility signal, generally implying near-term operational and vendor needs.
Conference and visibility
A conference is a chance to meet people and stay in front of your market, not a buying signal on its own.
- Exhibiting at a conference
- A company has booked a booth at an industry show: a company-level investment in visibility and new relationships, decided months ahead. See selling around life science conferences.
- Presenting at a conference
- A tracked contact is a named speaker on a conference agenda. A specific, personal reason to reach out to that individual while the show is close.
- Attending a conference
- A tracked contact has said they plan to attend a show, usually self-declared. A more general form of visibility than exhibiting or presenting, and still a reason they are reachable while the show is close.