Re-Engage Existing Contacts Using Signals
Your existing contacts are an underused asset. This workflow shows you how to use Signals to find the ones that are worth reaching out to again right now.
📑 Contents in this article - click to jump to section:
- Overview
- Video Demonstration
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- FAQ & Troubleshooting Tips
- Guidance from Mission Control
Overview
The Workflow: My Contacts (or Person Search) → Filter by Tags (and/or Signals) → Add to Sequence
Why it works: Most outreach strategies are focused on finding new contacts. But don't overlook the contacts you've already looked up! Situations are always changing, and a lead who ignored you previously might say yes today.
Signals filters make it easy to sift your contacts for actionable events (a job change, a promotion, their company showing intent), that's your cue to reach back out. This workflow makes it easy to find those moments and act on them.
A quick note on Person Search views: On Person Search, you'll notice these controls above the search filters:
'My Contacts' shows contacts you've already looked up and revealed their contact info. 'Net New' shows contacts you that you have not yet looked up. 'All Results' shows both 'Net New' and 'My Contacts' combined in one view.
👉 Viewing 'My Contacts' and applying Signals filters is a fast way to find re-engagement opportunities in your existing pipeline.
Best for: Anyone who has built up a contact list in RocketReach and wants to get more mileage out of it.
Before you start:
- Have at least one Sequence set up and active. (Learn More about Sequences)
- If you plan to filter by Tags, make sure your target accounts have been tagged. (Learn More about Tags)
Video Demonstration
⏱️ Time: 4 min
Coming Soon! Check back in 2-3 days
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Go to Person Search
Navigate to Search from the left-side menu, and make sure you're the in the 'People' mode.
Step 2: Filter by Tag and My Contacts
In the filters, find the 'Tags' section. Select your desired Tags or Team Tags in the 'Include' area. This will filter the search results to contacts or companies that you previously tagged, providing a solid starting point.
Alternatively, above the filters click the 'My Contacts' view to see all of your previously accessed contacts. This is the best option if you have not been using Tags.
Step 3: Add a Signals filter to find the best re-engagement targets
Now layer on a Signal to find the contacts with the most timely reason to hear from you. Good options:
- Job Changes → Company Change or Promotion (past 1–3 months): They're in a new situation and may be open to a fresh conversation.
- Job Changes → Promotion (past 3 months): They may have new authority or budget.
- Company Intent (if available on your plan): Their company is actively researching a relevant topic right now.
You don't need to use all of these — pick the one that fits your goal for this outreach batch.
Step 4: Review the results and select your contacts
Look through the filtered list. Use the checkboxes to select the contacts you want to re-engage. A focused batch of 25–100 is a good target.
Step 5: Add to Sequence
Click the Actions menu at the top of the list and select Add to Sequence. Choose a Sequence with messaging appropriate for re-engagement — this should feel different from a cold intro. You can reference the previous interaction or the signal directly.
✅ Done! Your re-engagement emails will go out on schedule, automatically.
FAQ & Troubleshooting Tips
❓ What if a contact is already in a Sequence?
A contact can only go through any given Sequence once. If they're already active in the Sequence you select, they won't be added again. If you want to reach out to them via a different Sequence, that's fine — they can be in more than one Sequence at a time.
❓ What if I don't have Team Tags applied to my contacts yet?
You can still use this workflow — just skip the Team Tag filter and use other criteria (like Job Title, Industry, or personal Tags) to narrow your list. Team Tags are most useful when you want to focus on a specific set of accounts shared across your team.
❓ Do Signals work on My Contacts the same way they work on Person Search?
Yes. Any Signal filter available on Person Search (Job Changes, Company Intent, Job Postings, News) can also be applied when viewing My Contacts. The difference is that My Contacts only shows people you've already accessed.
❓ What should my re-engagement email say?
Keep it short and reference something current — their new role, their company's recent news, or simply that it's been a while. The goal is to restart a conversation, not to re-pitch from scratch. A genuine, brief message almost always outperforms a long one.
Guidance from Mission Control
✨ Your existing contacts are your warmest list. They've already been identified as relevant. When a signal fires on them, act on it quickly — that window of relevance is short.
✨ Create a recurring habit. Set a reminder to run this workflow once a month. Filter My Contacts by Job Changes in the past 30 days, pick the best matches, and add them to a re-engagement Sequence. 30 minutes of work can generate a meaningful number of new conversations.
✨ Use a different Sequence for re-engagement. A person who has heard from you before deserves a different message than a cold contact. A short, casual re-intro that references the previous touchpoint will almost always get a better response than starting over from scratch.
✨ Combine with Promotion signals for deal revival. If a contact who previously went cold just got promoted, that's often worth a direct, personal email — not just a Sequence. Use the signal as your reason to reach out and keep the message short and specific.