• Missed opportunities: The other side of this coin is that the organi- zation fails to invest in leads that do have both interest and intent to purchase.
• Ineffective nurturing: If the organi- zation treats every lead as having high intent, they risk bombarding leads with sales messages prema- turely, which can alienate them.
• Loss of credibility: Sending ir- relevant and/or poorly timed messages can reflect poorly on the organization’s brand.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMBINING INTENT SIGNALS
Intent can take many forms, and mon- itoring just one intent signal can trans- late to missing many opportunities to engage with leads that have intent. Intent signals are behaviors and data points that indicate a lead’s level of interest or intent. It includes a range of digital footprints created by leads as they interact with websites, social media, and online content. These activities can include downloading content from reputable sites, engag- ing with specific topics and keywords, actively seeking vendor reviews, and revisiting your website.
Intent signals also vary by several factors, such as the industry in which the organization competes and the types of products it sells. Intent is represented in first-, second-, and third-party data, which, taken together, create a 360-degree view of the buyer’s journey: • First-party data: Data the orga- nization directly controls and has access to, such as its website con- tent and interactions with custom- ers and prospects
• Second-party data: Data an out- side organization collects, analyz- es, and resells, such as review sites
• Third-party data: Data from activities the organization is not involved in, such as keyword searches by leads, user reviews, and competitive mentions on external data sources.
Organizations should focus on ac-
cumulating intent signals from various sources rather than assigning more value to any single type of activity. For example, while downloading content may indicate a strong interest, it is not inherently more valuable than other signals, such as comprehensive website browsing or engaging with competitors. Instead, it’s the combina- tion of these behaviors that paints a complete picture of intent. By analyz- ing a variety of signals collectively, organizations can more accurately identify leads that are most likely to progress toward a purchase. Intent doesn’t typically occur in a
linear or continuous manner. It tends to occur in surges. Organizations that can identify an intent surge can make contact and close a deal faster than competitors. The intensity of these surges allows an organization to clas- sify the strength of intent into distinct categories, such as: • Initial stage: The buyer starts exploring general information and concepts related to their needs.
• Interest stage: The buyer’s focus narrows as they show growing curiosity about specific products or solutions.
• Active stage: The buyer is deeply engaged, comparing options, reading reviews, and evaluating vendors – triggering multiple in- tent signals across various sources.
• In-depth stage: The buyer is conducting detailed research, indicating they are a high-priority, in-market account. The more forensic understanding of
the lead’s journey enables the orga- nization to tailor its outreach strategy at every phase of the sale, ensuring messaging resonates at every step. An example illustrates the po-
tential of harnessing intent data to accelerate sales. A SaaS platform startup wanted to create a new model for its sales-and-marketing strategy built with data-driven insights. As a young company in a competitive industry, and without deep pockets, winning required them to outthink their competitors
rather than simply outspend them. Its goal was to build a lead-gen engine focused on intent-driven prospects. Management identified an intent-data solution that enabled the sales-and-marketing team to focus on prospects showing the highest propensity to purchase. The solution delivers ongoing data insights that provide constant value. Unlike static research, the solution is able to attribute leads to specific campaigns, contributing to long- term success.
An example highlights the power of leveraging intent data to drive business success. An IT services provider, focused on delivering innovative technology solutions, sought to transform its sales-and-marketing strategy with a data-driven, intent- focused approach. Operating in a highly competitive market, the company needed to streamline its processes and identify high-value prospects without exhausting resources. By implementing Lead Onion’s intent-data solution, the IT services provider empowered its teams to prioritize accounts exhibiting strong buying intent. This strategic shift, underpinned by real-time insights, resulted in a 140% increase in qualified opportunities, an improvement in win rates from 5.2% to 22%, and a 190% boost in annual contract value. Unlike traditional methods, this intent-driven approach provided actionable insights that enabled scalable growth and long-term success. The future of buyer intent is marked by an ongoing evolution of data sources, engagement channels, and buyer behaviors. There is a shift occurring toward even more personalized and data-driven strategies, where businesses tap into a wealth of intent signals to engage with precision and relevance. Organizations embracing new solutions will move to the head of the pack, while those that don’t will always be behind the curve.
Michael Carlin is CEO and founder of Lead Onion – the Intent-Driven Sales Engagement Platform.
SELLING POWER MAY/JUNE 2025 | 37 © 2025 SELLING POWER
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