3
Stage 3 of 8
Hand-Raiser
"I Am Ready to Talk"
What's Happening
They've done their research and decided they want to talk to a human. This is a significant moment — they're inviting you into their decision process.
- • Submitting contact forms or consultation requests
- • Replying to emails with specific questions
- • Booking discovery calls or demos
- • Asking for recommendations or references
What You Should Do
- ✓ Respond quickly — they chose to engage now
- ✓ Reference their prior engagement (Signals)
- ✓ Listen more than pitch — understand their situation
- ✓ Qualify fit honestly — not everyone should buy
- ✗ Don't assume they're ready to buy today
- ✗ Don't ignore context from their research phase
Signals That Indicate This Stage
Direct request
Contact form submitted
Calendar booking
Demo or call scheduled
Email response
Reply with questions
Social outreach
DM asking for help
Transition to Buyer
When they actively evaluate a proposal — requesting a quote, negotiating terms, involving others in the decision — they've become a Buyer. The commercial discussion is real.
Quick Facts
- Typical Duration
- Days to weeks
- Engagement Style
- Direct, conversational
- Your Role
- Guide, advisor
- Success Metric
- Quality of fit conversation
Examples
- SaaS: Books demo, asks about enterprise features
- Services: Requests scoping call, shares current challenges
- Mfg: Asks for custom quote, invites to site visit
Ready to move beyond Hand-Raiser?
Track your journey from Hand-Raiser to Champion. Your Value Path makes progress visible.