The short answer
A sales trigger event is a change at a company — a new raise, a contract award, a new executive, a registration, a hiring spike — that makes it more likely to need, and buy, something now. Trigger-based selling uses those events to decide who to contact and when, instead of working through a static list.
At a glance
- Term
- Sales trigger event
- Also known as
- trigger event · buying trigger · trigger-based selling
- Category
- Sales & prospecting
- Where it matters
- Sales prospecting and lead generation
Sales trigger event in practice
Timing is the point: a company that just raised or just hired a new leader is reviewing suppliers, while the same company a year later may have locked them in.
The best triggers are dated, specific and verifiable — which is why public records make good trigger sources.
Why sales trigger event matters
- Outreach tied to a real event is more relevant to the recipient.
- Teams spend time on accounts in a buying window.
- A sourced event is a natural, honest reason to get in touch.
Sales trigger event in MarketPrior
MarketPrior’s lead feed is built on trigger events read from public filings, registers and the open web: Form D raises, federal awards, new companies, new establishments, officer changes, registry changes, business sales, charges, hiring spikes, tech adoption and website launches. Each event links to its public record.