Triggers
In short
Triggers are conditions that, once met, set something in motion. In go-to-market work the word has two closely linked meanings: a real-world event that creates a reason to reach out, and a rule in your tools that fires an action when data matches a condition.
A funding announcement is a trigger in the first sense. A CRM workflow that creates a task when that announcement is detected is a trigger in the second. Good teams define both on purpose.
The two meanings of trigger
- Business trigger: An outside event that changes a buyer's situation, such as a new executive or an acquisition. These are covered in more depth under trigger events.
- System trigger: A rule in a CRM, sales engagement, or marketing automation tool that runs an action when a condition is met, such as a field change or a page visit.
Anatomy of a trigger rule
Condition
What must happen, for example a contact visits the pricing page or an account hits a score threshold.
Filters
Extra checks that keep the trigger precise, such as ICP match, region, or no open opportunity.
Action
What happens next: notify a rep, create a task, enroll in a sequence, change a status, or update a record.
Example
Say a RevOps team wants reps to react to hiring news. They set a trigger: when a target account posts three or more roles in a function they sell into, and the account has no open deal, create a task for the account owner within one day. The filters prevent duplicate work and the task makes the action visible.
Common mistakes
- Too many triggers: Reps start ignoring alerts when most are low value.
- No owner: A trigger with no assigned person or queue produces no action.
- No review: Triggers drift as the market changes. Check conversion by trigger every quarter.
- Missing stop conditions: Without suppression, prospects can be hit by overlapping triggered messages.
Triggers FAQs
What are triggers in sales and marketing?
Triggers are events or conditions that prompt an action. A business trigger is a real-world change, such as funding or a new executive. A system trigger is an automation rule that creates a task, alert, or message when a condition is met.
What is the difference between a trigger and a signal?
A signal is any piece of data that hints at buyer interest or fit. A trigger is a signal or event that is specific enough to start an action. Many signals are only context, while a trigger has a defined response attached.
How do you create triggers in a CRM workflow?
Define the condition, such as a field change or a score threshold, add filters like ICP match and no open deal, choose an action such as a rep task or sequence enrollment, assign an owner, and test with a small set of records first.
How many triggers should a sales team use?
Start with a handful tied to clear buying interest and add more only when reps act on the existing ones. Too many triggers create alert fatigue. Measure the meeting and pipeline rate for each trigger and remove weak ones.
