What is intent data?
Intent data is information that suggests a company or person is actively researching a topic, problem or type of product.
Why it matters for sales teams
Timing is a big part of sales. A prospect researching solutions right now is easier to engage than one with no current interest. Intent data helps teams spot those accounts and contact them earlier, with messages tied to what they appear to be looking for.
It comes in two broad kinds:
- First-party intent: signals from your own channels, such as visits to your pricing page, repeat site visits, email clicks and webinar sign-ups
- Third-party intent: signals collected across other websites and sources, such as a rise in reading about a topic, usually reported at the company level
Example
A team's intent data shows that a mid-sized insurance company has been reading a lot about call center software for two weeks, and someone from that company visited the team's pricing page twice. The account moves to the top of an SDR's list, and the first call refers to the problem the company seems to be researching.
Limits
Research activity does not always mean buying intent, and company-level signals do not tell you which person is interested. Teams treat intent as a reason to prioritize, then confirm interest in conversation.