Making Sense of Intent Data for Sales and Marketing Teams
Intent data can offer varying benefits depending on how it’s sourced, analyzed, and applied. Companies are increasingly adopting it for different reasons, with solution providers promoting its potential. Some forms of intent data mainly improve advertising efficiency, while others can signal when a potential customer is considering a purchase—due to factors like contract renewals, staffing changes, or other indirect indicators. The most valuable intent data sources can uncover hidden demand, revealing real sales opportunities. However, many organizations still haven’t fully realized the major differences in intent data types that could impact their ability to maximize ROI.
This guide is designed to help you better understand intent data, regardless of where you are in your journey. We’ll explore how it can support different areas of your business—from Sales to ABM and Marketing—and provide practical insights on how to make the most of it.
What Is Real Intent Data?
Originally, “purchase intent data” referred to behavioral data that strongly indicated an impending purchase. Over time, the term “intent” has broadened to include any signal, even if it doesn’t directly suggest an immediate purchase.
For us, purchase intent data refers specifically to signals that can help your go-to-market (GTM) teams identify active demand and target individuals whose behaviors suggest they’re ready to buy. The goal is to enhance visibility into current market demand and then focus efforts on the right prospects. This is where quality intent data makes a difference: it’s not just about collecting signals but using them effectively to identify potential buyers and optimize your approach.
Intent Data for Sales Development
Sales Development teams are often under pressure to qualify leads quickly and efficiently. While the role has grown in importance, many teams are still struggling with inefficiencies due to a lack of solid data. Intent data has the potential to help by revealing which accounts are showing signals of buying interest, enabling teams to prioritize outreach more effectively.
In fact, research shows that fewer than 25% of tech Sales Development teams are using intent data to its full potential. When used correctly, intent data helps reps engage more meaningfully with prospects, improving the chances of scheduling meetings and advancing deals through the pipeline.
Intent Data for Sales
Account Executives (AEs) often rely on a mix of qualified leads and cold prospecting, but these approaches can be inefficient. They spend too much time on accounts that don’t have immediate opportunities and not enough time on high-potential accounts.
Intent data can solve this by helping AEs prioritize their outreach based on real-time signals of buyer interest. By integrating intent data into their daily activities, sales teams gain better “peripheral vision” on the accounts showing intent, allowing for smarter outreach, increased meetings, and faster progress through the sales funnel.
Intent Data for Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
In ABM, both Sales and Marketing need to collaborate closely. Marketing’s role is to engage target accounts and create conditions where Sales can uncover new opportunities. Intent data helps Marketing identify both current opportunities and latent demand within key accounts.
For example, by using intent data, marketers can tailor content and engagement strategies to deepen relationships with buying teams, even if the account hasn’t yet entered an active buying phase. With the right data, ABM teams can optimize outreach, increase engagement, and better support Sales in originating new opportunities.
Intent Data for Marketing
Marketing teams, especially those using a hybrid ABM or demand generation strategy, can leverage intent data to improve lead generation and pipeline performance. Traditionally, B2B demand gen focused on lead volume, but recent trends show that using intent data can boost the quality of leads and improve conversion rates.
By analyzing intent signals, Marketing teams can move beyond treating leads as isolated individuals and instead assess the collective behavior of multiple decision-makers within an account. This approach leads to more thoughtful outreach, better targeting, and improved lead qualification.
Mapping Your Purchase Intent Data Journey
When integrated across your GTM teams, intent data can have a multiplying effect on revenue growth. However, to fully unlock its potential, it’s crucial to select the right intent data provider based on your goals and the specific steps needed to implement it effectively within your organization.
How We Can Help
At Marketing Vogue, we specialize in helping teams navigate the world of intent data. With years of experience optimizing revenue engines, we provide the tools, guidance, and support needed to get the most out of intent data.
Ready to get started or enhance your existing approach? Our team can help you integrate intent data into your sales and marketing strategies to drive more targeted outreach and better results. Speak to a Marketing Vogue representative today to learn how we can support your intent data journey.
