The Future of Prospecting: How Agencies and Consultancies Can Leverage Intent Signals to Win Clients

Winning new clients has become increasingly challenging for agencies and consulting firms. According to the “Benchmarks for Consulting Businesses 2024,” 35% of consulting firms report stagnant or declining revenue. Meanwhile, Agency Hackers and Wix Studio Agency research indicates that 65% of agencies are experiencing extended sales cycles.

Traditional outreach methods such as cold emails, cold calls, LinkedIn InMails, and direct mail have become less effective. Spam filters, crowded inboxes, ignored phone calls, and the rise of remote work have made it difficult to connect with prospects using these traditional techniques. As a result, many face frustration rather than securing new business.

But despite these challenges, the future of prospecting is bright—if you’re relevant. Advances in technology now allow firms to uncover digital intent signals that reveal interest from potential clients. Leveraging these signals transforms cold outreach into targeted, hyper-personalized conversations.

Intent signals come from four key areas:

• Website Visits: Anonymous visitors to your website leave digital clues about their interests. Tools now exist to identify these companies and even the individuals viewing specific pages, highlighting clear interest.
• Email Analytics: Analyzing your newsletter engagement—opens, clicks, and content interactions—pinpoints prospects actively interested in your message and expertise.
• Social Media Engagement: Prospects who engage with your company’s LinkedIn posts, follow your executives, or interact with their content signal readiness for deeper conversations.
• Event Participation: Individuals who register for your webinars, virtual or live events, demonstrate interest in your thought leadership and services.

Leveraging intent signals through an account-based marketing approach achieves higher response rates and dramatic increases in pipeline. Since you focus on prospects actively engaging with content related to the problems you solve, these accounts are often in market for services.

By aligning your prospecting strategy around these signals, you position your agency or consultancy ahead of competitors—focusing your efforts precisely where interest already exists.