I recently did a webinar with Jat Hayer, SVP of Sales from Informa TechTarget on how sales teams can break through the noise using intent data — and more importantly, how to turn that data into real, high-quality conversations.
What do we mean by “intent data?”
Intent data refers to signals that suggest a buyer or account is actively researching a topic, problem, or solution. This could be someone reading an article, comparing vendors, attending a webinar, or engaging with content across the web.
It’s not a lead. It’s a signal — a breadcrumb that shows you who might be in-market and what they care about.
It’s also worth remembering: intent data usually flags activity at the account level, not always tied to a named individual. Your job is to investigate, validate and find the right path into the organization. Take the signal and apply an account-based selling approach to identify the buying center and engage key personas. In short: intent data requires a targeted outbound strategy.
We’re drowning in noise
There’s too much content, too many emails, too much AI-generated fluff — and not enough meaningful outreach. Sales teams fall into the trap of chasing volume instead of value. That’s why buyers are tuning out.
When you engage, your job is to help prospects get the information they’re looking for, validate their options and bring them clarity. Help them cut through the noise — and become someone worth listening to.
Intent isn’t a lead — it’s a clue
Intent data should guide you — not do the job for you. If someone is researching a competitor or downloading content, it’s not a hot lead. It’s an opportunity to start a relevant, helpful conversation. Your job is to show up and add value — not push for a close.
One common mistake? Trying to qualify a prospect too early. Teams rush to drop a buyer into a sales process instead of listening to and understanding their research journey.
SDRs need to know the “why”
Too often, SDRs are handed leads with no context. But when they know what the buyer has read, what they’re interested in and where they are in the journey — they show up more prepared, more confident and much more effective.
Show your SDRs the platform the prospect used, the content they consumed and the broader patterns of interest across the account.
Personalization ≠ relevance
“Hey, I saw you’re in France — I love rosé too!” isn’t helpful. That’s shallow personalization.
Relevance means aligning your outreach with what someone’s actually researching — and offering insight that helps them move forward.
And avoid phrases like “I know you’ve been researching X.” Intent data often doesn’t identify a specific person. If you get that wrong, it can be an instant disqualifier.
Your phone still works — use it
One of the biggest unlocks? Pick up the phone. In a world of inbox overload, a well-timed call stands out. 85% of what our SDRs at memoryBlue do is phone-based. And execs tell us all the time: “No one calls anymore. This is refreshing.”
The phone is a superpower. It creates a real-time opportunity to ask questions, hear objections and guide the conversation — things that rarely show up in email responses.
Nurture is underrated
Not everyone’s ready to buy right now — and that’s okay. Intent data often shows when someone comes back into the funnel weeks or months later. If you’ve built trust, that’s when it pays off.
Be useful during that journey. Provide insight to the personas you’re engaging. If you do it right, you can become their go-to resource — someone they want to talk to. That positioning is incredibly powerful when influencing the RFP process.
Use intent long after the first call, too
Intent isn’t just for top-of-funnel. It can support your entire sales cycle — spotting competitor interest, re-engaging inactive accounts, or picking up signals from other buying team members. That’s how you keep deals alive and moving.
Don’t overlook post-sale signals, either. If a customer starts consuming competitor content, that could be a churn risk — or an upsell opportunity. Intent can surface moments that would otherwise be missed.
Can you actually trust it?
Intent data isn’t a crystal ball — it’s a compass. Use it alongside your CRM, event activity and outbound ABM strategy to prioritize smartly and show up more informed.
But here’s something that often gets overlooked: you need a strong outbound strategy to make intent work.
One of the biggest mistakes is treating intent leads like inbound leads — dropping them into nurture sequences and hoping they’ll convert. SDRs quickly realize these aren’t inbound leads, grow frustrated with the lack of engagement and start ignoring them.
That’s why we incentivize our SDRs differently when working intent leads. These leads require more investigation, more persistence and more creativity. They’re not transactional — they’re clues that fuel a smart outbound motion.
When managed well, intent leads become catalysts for outbound. But it only works when sales and marketing treat them for what they are — signals, not shortcuts.
A few questions I get asked about using intent data:
Is intent data compliant? Yes — when sourced responsibly. Good providers collect it through opt-in, consent-based interactions. Ask your vendor how it’s collected and whether it aligns with GDPR or CCPA.
Can you actually trust it? (See above — it’s a compass, not a crystal ball. You’ve got to train it and treat it as a shared practice.)
Is it just for top-of-funnel? Not at all. Mid-funnel signals are some of the most valuable — especially when you’re trying to re-engage, influence buying teams, or accelerate in-flight deals.
How is this different from ABM? ABM is the strategy. Intent is the fuel. Used together, they enable smarter targeting, better timing and more relevant outreach. Intent powers ABM when integrated properly.
The bottom line
If you are just getting started with intent data, start small. Pick one use case (e.g., prioritizing outbound outreach) and one team (e.g., SDRs).
Create a short playbook:
- When do we act on intent?
- What do we say when we reach out?
- How do we track success? Then build from there. The best programs evolve through learning — not perfection.
Watch the full webinar here— it really was a great conversation with a lot of interesting takeaways — including a great story about how one customer used intent data to outmaneuver competitors and triple their SDR output.
I would also love to hear your experience using intent data to help you find and connect with customers and prospects.
