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A signal starts with a definition: what a customer says when this is happening, in their words. Tempo uses that definition to find observations in each category. Give it a clear subject, then tune what counts.

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Write the definition

  • Write what people say, not what you want to know. “We cannot sign until legal finishes the security questionnaire” works better than “security review signal”.
  • One subject per signal. If your description reads as several subjects, Tempo creates a signal for the first one and tells you which parts were not created. Send those on their own.
  • Use a full sentence. The definition must be at least 20 characters and five words. Tempo asks for a fuller sentence if it is too short.
  • Name the situation, not the speaker. The signal cannot filter by who said something. Describe the moment, and use the category picker to see whether a type is usually said by the customer or by your team.
  • Start from a theme when one fits. The suggestions under the composer are recurring subjects Tempo already found. Picking one gives you wording that matches how your buyers actually talk.

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Check the categories

Tempo suggests the observation categories to listen in. Each category chip shows what share of observations in the preview window are that type.
  • Remove a category whose matches are off-subject.
  • Add a category with + when a type you expect is missing. The picker shows three example observations so you can judge the fit.

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Refine the definition

The words in your definition shape what every selected category finds. If the preview is off-subject, revise the definition and click the send button next to it. Review the suggested categories and their observations again. A sentence that says what does not count does not exclude matches. To cut off-subject matches, tighten the cutoff or remove the category.

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Tune the cutoff

Every observation gets a Match distance from the signal. Lower is closer. The cutoff decides how far an observation can be and still count.
1

Pick a preview window

Choose Last 3 months, Last 6 months, or Last 12 months. The preview shows the closest observations in that window, per category.
2

Read the list around the cutoff

Observations above the line count. Observations just below it are the near-misses. Read both.
3

Move the line

Drag the cutoff down to exclude loose matches, or up to include near-misses. The list re-ranks immediately.
4

Repeat per category

Each category has its own cutoff. Check every tab.
The library summarizes your cutoffs as Strict, Balanced, or Broad. Advanced means the categories use different cutoffs. Two questions to ask of every preview:
  1. What counted that should not have? Tighten the cutoff or make the definition more specific.
  2. What is just below the line that should count? Loosen the cutoff or include that phrasing in the definition.

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Narrow the sources

Sources decide where the signal listens: Call, Email, Slack thread, Document, CRM note. Removing a source is the cheapest way to cut noise. A signal about formal requirements may not need Slack threads; a signal about internal commitments may not need calls.

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Limits