If you’re in B2B marketing or sales ops, you’ve probably heard about intent data. Maybe you’ve even bought some. But turning that firehose of signals into a lead scoring model that actually works? That’s where most folks get stuck. This guide is for anyone who wants to stop guessing and start building a scoring system that your reps can trust—using Intentsify data as your fuel.
Step 1: Get Clear on What "Intent" Data Actually Tells You
Let’s level-set. Intent data is basically digital body language—signals that a company (not always a person) is researching topics related to your solution. With Intentsify, this means you’re getting:
- Company-level signals (not named individuals)
- Topics and keywords being researched
- Frequency and recency of activity
What’s Not There:
You’re not getting “this person wants a demo.” You’re getting “this company’s employees are reading about X more than usual.” Treat it that way, and you won’t overpromise to your team.
Pro Tip:
Intent data is directional, not definitive. It’s a clue—not a hand-raise.
Step 2: Map Intentsify Signals to Your Actual Buying Process
Before you start scoring, figure out if and how intent fits your real-world sales cycle. Ask:
- Do your deals start with research-heavy buyers?
- Are there specific topics that always come up before a purchase?
- Where does intent usually spike in your funnel—top, middle, or bottom?
Don’t assume that more intent = ready to buy. Sometimes, it means they’re just kicking tires. Sometimes, it means competitive research.
What Works:
- Reviewing closed-won opportunities and seeing if intent spikes lined up.
- Talking to reps about the real signals they see.
What Doesn’t:
- Blindly mapping every intent signal to a high score.
- Treating all topics equally—some matter, most don’t.
Step 3: Pick the Right Data Points (and Ignore the Noise)
Intentsify offers a lot of data—too much, really. You’ll want to cherry-pick what matters. Focus on:
- Topic Relevance: Only track topics that align with your actual solution. Ignore the rest.
- Spike Intensity: Is this a minor blip, or a dramatic surge? Big spikes are more telling.
- Recency: Fresh signals matter more. Last week’s search isn’t as good as yesterday’s.
- Account Fit: If the company isn’t in your ICP (ideal customer profile), don’t bother.
Skip These:
- Vanity metrics (like total number of activities—volume isn’t always the same as intent)
- Signals from companies you’d never sell to
- “Cool” topics that don’t map to your value prop
Pro Tip:
Keep your scoring model tight. Fewer, higher-quality signals beat a kitchen-sink approach every time.
Step 4: Build Your First Scoring Model — Keep it Stupid Simple
You don’t need a PhD in data science to get started. In fact, most teams do best with a basic, points-based system at first. Here’s a straightforward way:
- Assign Points to Each Signal:
- +10: Company spikes on a core buying topic in the last 7 days
- +5: Company spikes on a relevant (but not core) topic in the last 14 days
- +3: Company shows sustained low-level activity over 3+ weeks
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+0: Activity outside your ICP or on irrelevant topics
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Add in Firmographic Basics:
- +10: Target industry
- +5: Company size in your sweet spot
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-10: Existing customer (unless upsell is your goal)
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Set a Threshold:
Find a “score” that consistently lines up with good leads in your CRM. Don’t overthink it—just pick a number, and be ready to adjust.
What Works:
- Starting with an easy-to-explain model
- Showing reps exactly what triggered a high score (build trust!)
What Doesn’t:
- Overweighting intent data—combine it with other signals like engagement, firmographics, and hand-raisers.
- Building a black-box model nobody understands
Step 5: Plug It Into Your CRM or Automation Tool
All the scoring in the world doesn’t matter if it lives in a spreadsheet nobody checks. You want your model to push “hot” accounts directly into your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, whatever you use), and ideally, alert the right reps or trigger workflows.
How to Do It:
- Most intent providers, including Intentsify, offer integrations or can send data via CSV or API.
- Sync daily or weekly—don’t stress about real-time unless you’ve got a high-volume, short sales cycle.
What Works: - Clear, simple fields (e.g., INTENT_SCORE, INTENT_TOPIC, INTENT_DATE) - Automated task creation or email alerts for high-scoring accounts
What Doesn’t: - Burying the score in a tab nobody looks at - Triggering too many alerts (intent fatigue is real)
Pro Tip:
Make sure sales knows where to find the score and what to do with it. Training is part of the rollout.
Step 6: Test, Tweak, and Trash What Doesn’t Work
No model is perfect out of the gate. You have to iterate. Here’s how to keep it real:
- Monthly Review: Look at new opportunities—did high scores turn into pipeline?
- Feedback Loop: Get reps to flag false positives and false negatives. This is gold.
- Adjust Weights: If everyone is “hot,” your bar is too low. If nobody is, loosen up.
- Drop Useless Signals: If a topic never leads to pipeline, kill it.
What Works: - Treating your model as a living thing, not a set-and-forget project - Keeping a changelog of tweaks so you know what’s working
What Doesn’t: - Chasing every new data point or scoring tweak just because it’s “available” - Ignoring rep feedback in favor of dashboards
Step 7: Go Beyond the Score—Give Context
A score by itself isn’t enough. Give reps context so they can have smarter conversations:
- Show which topics triggered the score (not just the number)
- Give a timeline of activity (e.g., “Spiked on X last Tuesday, then Y two days later”)
- Add quick notes on why this company fits your ICP
Why Bother?
Trust. If reps understand why something’s “hot,” they’ll actually act on it. If it’s a mystery, they’ll ignore it.
Pro Tip:
If you’re using account-based marketing, combine intent with engagement data (like web visits or email opens) for a fuller picture.
Honest Takes: Common Pitfalls and What to Ignore
- Don’t Chase Shiny Objects: Just because Intentsify offers 100+ intent topics doesn’t mean you need them all. Pick 5–10 that actually matter.
- Don’t Expect Miracles: Intent data is a clue, not a magic list of ready-to-buy leads. Treat it as one input, not the whole story.
- Don’t Overcomplicate: Fancy scoring models look cool on paper but rarely survive first contact with sales.
Summary: Keep it Simple, Keep it Useful
Lead scoring with Intentsify data isn’t rocket science unless you make it that way. Start simple, focus on the signals that matter, and don’t be afraid to tweak or toss what isn’t working. The goal is to make life easier for your reps and drive more real opportunities—not to win a data science prize. Iterate, listen to your team, and remember: clarity beats complexity every time.