Intent Data
Quick definition
Signals indicating that a company or person is actively looking for a solution in your category.
Detailed explanation
Intent data shows buying signals from prospects before they contact you. It's collected by tracking which content they consume (whitepapers, comparison sites), which search terms they use, which competitors they look at, and which events they attend. There are two types: first-party intent (behavior on your site - which pages, how often) and third-party intent (behavior on the broader web via platforms like Bombora or 6sense). Intent data helps you with timing - you approach accounts when they're actively in-market, not when they randomly end up in your cadence. This can increase your conversion by 3-5x vs blind outbound. It's especially powerful for ABM - you can see which of your target accounts show buying behavior.
Synonyms
Examples
Bombora shows that 15 companies in your ICP have intensively consumed content about "sales automation" and "CRM implementation" in the past week. Your SDRs call them with highest priority → 40% conversation rate vs 8% with random outbound.
First-party intent: a prospect has visited your pricing page 3x and read 2 case studies in 48 hours. Your CRM tags this as "high intent" and an SDR calls within 2 hours → books demo immediately.
When to use this?
Use intent data for timing - to know when to reach out. It's especially valuable in longer sales cycles where timing is crucial, and in ABM where you target specific accounts. Invest in third-party intent as soon as your budget allows.
Match-day approach
Match-day helps you implement intent data and take action on it. We integrate intent signals into your CRM, build alerting that warns sales about high-intent accounts, and create playbooks for how to do intent-based outreach. We also combine first and third-party intent for maximum insight - for example: third-party shows category interest, first-party behavior shows they're considering you.
Related terms
Sales Intelligence
Data and insights about prospects and accounts that help you better target, personalize, and sell.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM)(ABM)
A strategic approach where marketing and sales collaborate to target specific high-value accounts with personalized campaigns.
Lead Generation
The process of attracting and identifying potential customers who have interest in your product or service.
Learn more
Wil je weten hoe je intent data effectief inzet in jouw organisatie? Neem contact op met Match-day.
Neem Contact Op