How to Use Clay for Signal-Based Prospecting: A Startup's Guide

Stop sending generic cold emails. Learn how to use Clay to identify high-intent prospects at the exact moment they're ready to buy.

Introduction: The Problem with Traditional Prospecting

Most startups approach outbound sales the same way: build a list of companies that fit your ICP, find the decision-makers, and blast them with cold emails. The problem? You're reaching out at random times, with generic messaging, hoping something sticks.

This "spray and pray" approach leads to low response rates, wasted time, and burned lists. Even if you're using Apollo or Sales Navigator to find the right people, you're still missing the most critical piece of the puzzle: timing.

The best sales reps know that timing is everything. A prospect who just raised funding, hired a new VP of Sales, or posted about a specific pain point on LinkedIn is 10x more likely to respond than someone you contacted at random.

This is where signal-based prospecting comes in. And the tool that has revolutionized this approach for startups is Clay.

At Partner UP, we've helped dozens of seed- and Series A-stage companies integrate Clay into their GTM stacks. As a HubSpot Solution Provider and Clay-certified expert (CRM Enrichment, AI Skills, and Automated Outbound), we've seen firsthand how signal-based prospecting transforms outbound performance. In this guide, we'll show you exactly how to use Clay to build a prospecting engine that targets the right people at the right time.

What is Clay?

Clay is a data enrichment and automation platform that allows you to build highly customized prospecting workflows. Think of it as a "spreadsheet on steroids" that can pull data from dozens of sources, enrich it with AI, and push it directly to your CRM or outbound tools.

Unlike traditional prospecting tools that simply give you a list of contacts, Clay allows you to:

• Layer 150+ data sources (LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Apollo, company websites, etc.) into a single workflow.

• Identify buying signals (funding events, job changes, tech stack changes, social media activity, website intent, etc.).

• Personalize at scale with AI to generate custom messaging tailored to each prospect's unique context.

Clay is not a replacement for Apollo or Sales Navigator. Instead, it sits in the middle of your tech stack as a GTM engine. 

What Are "Signals" and Why Do They Matter?

A signal is any event or data point that indicates a prospect might be ready to buy. Signals can be explicit (like a funding announcement) or implicit (like a spike in website traffic).

Common High-Intent Signals for Startups:

1. Funding Events: A company just raised a Seed or Series A round.

2. Job Changes: A new VP of Sales, CRO, or CMO just joined the company.

3. Tech Stack Changes: They just started using a tool that integrates with your product.

4. Social Activity: The founder posted about a pain point your product solves.

5. Website Changes: They just launched a new product or updated their pricing page.

6. Hiring Signals: They're hiring for roles that indicate growth (e.g., multiple SDR openings).

The key insight: A prospect experiencing one of these signals is 5-10x more likely to respond to outreach than a "cold" prospect.

How Clay Works: The Core Workflow

Clay operates on a simple but powerful concept: tables. Each Clay table is a workflow that:

1. Finds prospects based on specific criteria.

2. Enriches them with additional data from multiple sources.

3. Filters them based on signals or qualification criteria.

4. Personalizes messaging using AI.

5. Exports the final list to HubSpot, Slack, HeyReach, Lemlist, or another tool.

Example Workflow: Finding Startups That Just Raised Funding

Step 1: Start a table

• Use Clay's account finder, your own csv or CRM integration to kick off a table

Step 2: Enrich the Company

• Use the Enrich Company feature to get as much info about the account as possible

Step 3: Add Context

• Pull the company's recent LinkedIn posts, tech stack (using BuiltWith or similar), and funding level using Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, and Clay’s web scraper Claygent. 

Step 4: Find Decision Makers

• Find leads (select title, seniority, etc) working at these companies

Step 5: Personalize

• Use Clay's AI to generate a custom first line for each email based on the funding announcement and the company's mission.

Step 5: Export

• Push the enriched list to a sequencer like lemlist, HeyReach, or Instantly. 

• Export these contacts to HubSpot or Salesforce, as new contacts. .

This entire workflow can run automatically, delivering a fresh list of high-intent prospects to your CRM every day.

Real-World Use Cases for Startups

Use Case 1: Job Change Alerts

Goal: Reach out to new VPs of Sales within their first 30 days.

Why it works: New executives are evaluating their tech stack and are open to new solutions.

Clay Workflow:

1. Monitor job changes for "VP of Sales" titles.

2. Enrich with company data (size, funding stage, tech stack).

3. Filter for companies that match your ICP.

4. Generate personalized messages to congratulate them on their new role.

5. Export to Apollo for outreach.

Use Case 2: Funding-Based Outreach

Goal: Target startups that just raised a Seed or Series A round.

Why it works: Newly funded companies have a budget and are actively building their teams and processes.

Clay Workflow:

1. Pull recent funding announcements from Crunchbase.

2. Enrich with the founder and leadership contact info.

3. Add context (e.g., how they plan to use the funding, based on press releases).

4. Personalize messaging around their growth plans.

5. Export to HubSpot and trigger a sequence.

Use Case 3: Tech Stack Triggers

Goal: Find companies using a complementary tool (e.g., if you sell a HubSpot add-on, find companies that just started using HubSpot).

Why it works: They've already invested in the category and are looking to optimize.

Clay Workflow:

1. Use BuiltWith or similar to identify companies using a specific tool.

2. Enrich with decision-maker contact info.

3. Filter for companies in your target market.

4. Personalize messaging around how your product enhances their existing tool.

5. Export to your outbound tool.

Clay + HubSpot Integration: The Power Combo

One of Clay's biggest strengths is its seamless integration with HubSpot. Here's how we recommend setting it up:

Step 1: Connect Clay to HubSpot

• In Clay, navigate to Integrations and authenticate your HubSpot account.

• Choose whether you want to create new contacts, update existing ones, or both.

Step 2: Map Your Fields

• Map Clay columns (e.g., "Funding Amount," "Tech Stack," "Recent LinkedIn Post") to custom properties in HubSpot.

• This allows you to segment and personalize at scale within HubSpot.

Step 3: Automate the Flow

• Set up a Clay table to run daily or weekly.

• Configure it to automatically push new prospects to HubSpot.

• Use HubSpot workflows to trigger email sequences, task assignments, or Slack notifications.

Step 4: Track Performance

• Use HubSpot's reporting to measure response rates, meeting bookings, and closed deals by signal type.

• Iterate on your Clay workflows based on what's working.

Pro Tip: Create separate HubSpot lists for each signal type (e.g., "Funded in Last 30 Days," "New VP of Sales"). This allows you to tailor your messaging and measure which signals drive the best results.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Over-Complicating Your First Workflow

Clay is incredibly powerful, but it's easy to get overwhelmed. Start with one simple signal (e.g., funding announcements) and master that workflow before adding complexity.

2. Ignoring Data Quality

Clay can pull data from dozens of sources, but not all data is created equal. Always validate email addresses and phone numbers before pushing to your CRM.

3. Forgetting to Personalize

The whole point of signal-based prospecting is to be timely and relevant. Don't waste a great signal with a generic email. Use Clay's AI features to craft custom first lines.

4. Not Measuring Results

Track which signals drive the best response rates. You might find that job changes outperform funding announcements for your ICP, allowing you to focus your efforts.

Getting Started with Clay: A 7-Day Plan

Day 1-2: Set Up Your Account

• Sign up for Clay and connect your data sources (LinkedIn, Apollo, Crunchbase, HubSpot).

• Explore the template library to see pre-built workflows.

Day 3-4: Build Your First Table

• Choose one high-intent signal (we recommend funding announcements).

• Build a simple workflow: Import → Enrich → Filter → Export.

Day 5: Test and Validate

• Run your workflow on a small sample (10-20 prospects).

• Validate the data quality and personalization.

Day 6: Connect to HubSpot (requires Clay Pro)

• Map your Clay fields to HubSpot properties.

• Push your first batch of prospects.

Day 7: Launch Your First Campaign (requires Clay Explorer)

• Trigger an email sequence in outbound tool. .

• Monitor response rates and iterate.

Conclusion: Prospecting is About Strategy and Signals, Not Volume

The days of "spray and pray" cold outreach are over. Modern buyers expect relevance, and the only way to deliver that at scale is through signal-based prospecting.

Clay gives startups a superpower: the ability to identify high-intent prospects at the exact moment they're ready to buy, and to reach out with messaging that feels personal and timely.

At Partner UP, we help startups move beyond basic prospecting tools to build integrated GTM engines that leverage Clay, HubSpot, and Apollo in harmony. If you're ready to stop guessing and start prospecting with precision, we're here to help.

Ready to build your signal-based prospecting engine?

• Book a Free GTM Audit: Let's look at your current prospecting workflow and identify the highest-impact signals for your ICP.

• Read our HubSpot for Startups Guide: Learn how to build the CRM foundation for your Clay workflows.

• Apollo vs Sales Navigator: Which Tool is Right?: Understand how Clay fits into your broader prospecting stack.

Written by Leila Ergul Demir, Founder of Partner UP. Leila has 20+ years of experience building and scaling revenue organizations for early-stage startups. She specializes in helping seed to Series A and B companies transition from founder-led sales to scalable revenue engines.