Sales teams today don't have a pipeline problem—they have a prioritization problem. There are always more accounts than time, and guessing who's actually in-market is expensive.
That's where intent data comes in. When used correctly, it becomes the closest thing we have to legal mind-reading in B2B.
Below is a breakdown of what you need to know:
Data you capture directly from your owned channels.
This is the highest-fidelity data you have. It tells you exactly what a known user or account is doing.
Data sourced from someone else's audience, usually from a partnership.
These signals often indicate solution research, such as comparing platforms, reading alternatives, or downloading category reports.
Large networks that monitor content consumption across the web.
This helps you spot companies that are starting to research topics before they come to your website.
Not all intent is equal. Below is a simple ranking from highest to lowest predictive value, based on thousands of GTM teams.
The buyer is actively evaluating or shortlisting solutions
These often correlate to bottom-of-funnel buying behavior.
The buyer is researching the category or problem, not yet comparing vendors
These indicate interest but may require nurturing or education.
Useful for prioritization, but doesn't confirm readiness to buy
These help you detect future pipeline, not immediate opportunities.
Best for: Full revenue intelligence + predictive scoring
Best for: ABM and advertising-driven teams
Best for: Industry-level third-party intent
Best for: SDR and sales-forward teams
Best for: Software companies in competitive categories
This is some of the strongest second-party intent available.
Best for: Buyers in industries where analyst credibility matters
Best for: Anything you already track
This is your first-party intent engine.
Here are the most common (and effective) sales motions:
Sales no longer blindly picks accounts. They start with:
This triples outbound efficiency in many orgs.
Instead of cold messaging:
"I saw your team is researching telematics integrations…"
"Your organization viewed our EMR modernization case studies…"
"Your peers in healthcare are trending on this Gartner topic…"
Intent → personalization → reply rates go up.
Intent shows when interest spikes. Sales uses this to avoid:
Too Early
Wasted cycles
Too Late
Already talking to competitors
If multiple people from the same company are engaging, reps can:
ABM tools reveal which companies are on your website. Sales gets alerted instantly.
If a customer starts comparing alternative vendors, CS gets notified immediately.
Sales teams that adopt it early win more deals, with less effort, because they're no longer guessing who's ready to buy.
Those who ignore it? They're flying blind.
Intent data transforms sales from a numbers game into a precision operation. When you know who's in-market, what they're researching, and when they're ready to buy—you stop wasting time on cold prospects and start closing warm deals.
Let's discuss how to implement intent data strategies that actually drive pipeline for your sales team.
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