--- title: "Hot, warm and cold signals" description: "A way to grade signalled interest by how much time and money the person invested." canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/oversubscribed/hot-warm-and-cold-signals/ updated: 2026-11-03 --- # Hot, warm and cold signals > A way to grade signalled interest by how much time and money the person invested. Daniel Priestley's framework, from Oversubscribed, pp. 150 to 152. Framework 10 of 21 from [Oversubscribed](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/oversubscribed/index.md) by Daniel Priestley. Category: Money and finance. ## The steps 1. **Hot signals.** Target customers spend time and money, such as paying $500 for a full-day workshop. 2. **Warm signals.** People invest time or money but not both, such as attending a free two-hour seminar or paying a refundable deposit. 3. **Cold signals.** Soft measurable interactions online such as downloads, email opt-ins, videos watched, competition entries or free samples. ## Where it comes from From chapter: PHASE 3: OVERSUBSCRIBED RELEASE: COMMUNICATING DEMAND AND SUPPLY TENSION BEFORE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BUY, pp. 150–152 Phase 3 says not to release capacity until you are oversubscribed. You need to measure the quantity and quality of signalled interest in one central scoreboard. Quality depends on the time people invest, the money they spend and their suitability. Hot signals require time and money, warm signals one of the two, and cold signals are soft online interactions that are easy to send, so you need a hundred times capacity in them. ## The animation 24 seconds, 4:5, no sound. - MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/oversubscribed/hot-warm-and-cold-signals.mp4 - MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/oversubscribed/hot-warm-and-cold-signals-dark.mp4 - Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/oversubscribed/hot-warm-and-cold-signals.png - Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/oversubscribed/hot-warm-and-cold-signals-dark.png