How to Combine Intentsify Intent Data with Existing CRM Records for Enhanced Personalization

If you’re tired of “personalization” that just means swapping in a first name, this guide’s for you. Here’s how to combine real intent data from Intentsify with what you already know in your CRM—so your sales or marketing team can actually do something useful with it. No fluff, just practical steps (and a few pitfalls to avoid).

Why Bother? (And When Not To)

Let’s be honest: most CRM records are a mess. Outdated fields, spotty notes, and half-baked lead scores. Adding intent data can help you spot who’s actually in-market—but only if you do it right. If your CRM is a landfill or you’re only sending generic email blasts, stop here and clean up first. But if you’re ready to go from “Hi $FNAME” to “Hey, saw you’re looking at X, let’s talk,” read on.

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Want to Achieve

First, don’t just pile data on top of data. Figure out:

  • What’s the actual goal? More meetings? Higher close rates? Better targeting for ads?
  • Who’s going to use this? Sales, marketing, both?
  • What’s “personalization” mean for you? Is it custom email copy, tailored ads, product recommendations, or smarter lead routing?

If you can’t answer these, you’ll end up with reports no one reads and a CRM even messier than before.

Pro tip: Talk to the people who’ll use the data before you start. No one likes surprise “improvements.”

Step 2: Get Your CRM House in Order

Don’t skip this. If your CRM is full of duplicates, bad emails, or missing company info, intent data won’t magically fix that. Spend a day (or more) on:

  • De-duplicating records.
  • Standardizing company names and domains.
  • Making sure you’re tracking the right fields (e.g., industry, company size, buying stage).

If your CRM’s a dumpster fire, consider a cleanup tool or just delete junk records. Really.

Step 3: Understand What Intentsify (and Intent Data) Actually Gives You

Not all intent data is created equal. With Intentsify, you typically get:

  • Company-level signals: Who’s researching topics related to your product.
  • Topic or keyword interest: What subjects are hot for them right now.
  • Recency/frequency: How recently and how often they’ve shown interest.
  • Sometimes, contact-level data (but usually it’s at the company level).

What you don’t get: a list of people who want a demo tomorrow. Don’t expect miracles—this is a nudge, not a crystal ball.

Step 4: Map Intent Data to CRM Accounts

Here’s the nitty-gritty. Most intent data, including from Intentsify, is at the account (company) level. Here’s how to match that up:

  1. Use company domains as your main key. (Company names are often messy.)
  2. If possible, match by firmographics (industry, size, region) to avoid mismatches.
  3. Flag accounts in your CRM with new intent fields:
  4. Intent topic(s)
  5. Last intent activity date
  6. Intent score (if available)

Don’t: Just dump all the raw intent data into a notes field—no one will use it.

Do: Work with your CRM admin or ops person to set up these fields cleanly.

Step 5: Blend and Enrich—But Don’t Overdo It

Now you’ve got intent signals in your CRM. Here’s what to do next:

  • Enrich account profiles: Add intent topics and scores.
  • Update lead or contact records: If you have contact-level intent, great—otherwise, tag leads at companies showing intent.
  • Flag high-intent accounts: Use workflows or reports to segment accounts showing strong buying signals.

A word of caution: Don’t try to personalize everything. Pick a few key fields that matter. Too much noise and reps will tune it out.

Step 6: Build Workflows That Actually Help Sales and Marketing

Here’s where most projects flop—intent data goes in, but no one uses it. Instead:

  • Set up alerts: Notify reps when their accounts show new intent.
  • Build smart lists: Create views of “hot accounts” for sales or marketing to focus on.
  • Personalize outreach: Give sales templates or snippets that reference the specific topics a company’s interested in.
  • Prioritize campaigns: Target high-intent accounts with ads or outbound.

Real talk: If you don’t make it easy and obvious, people will ignore it.

Step 7: Test, Get Feedback, and Tweak

Roll it out with a small group. Ask:

  • Is this data helpful?
  • What’s confusing?
  • Are there false positives (accounts flagged as “in-market” that aren’t)?
  • What would make this easier to use?

Then fix what’s broken. Don’t just set it and forget it.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

Works well:

  • Spotting accounts that are warming up (so you don’t waste time on the coldest leads).
  • Giving sales a reason to reach out beyond “just checking in.”
  • Prioritizing who gets your best marketing efforts.

Doesn’t work so well:

  • If you expect intent data to tell you which person to call. Most of it’s not that granular.
  • If your team ignores the alerts or doesn’t change their process.
  • If you use overly broad topics—stick to signals that actually relate to your product.

Ignore:

  • Fancy dashboards no one uses.
  • “AI-powered” intent that promises magic but delivers noise.
  • Buying more data than your team can act on.

Real-World Pro Tips

  • Keep it simple: Fewer fields, clearer signals.
  • Automate what you can: No one wants to manually update records.
  • Train your team: A 15-minute walkthrough beats a 30-page playbook.
  • Stay skeptical: Always check if new intent signals actually help, or just add clutter.
  • Iterate: This isn’t “set it and forget it.” Tweak as you go.

Keep It Simple, Then Iterate

Combining Intentsify intent data with your CRM won’t make your sales and marketing instantly brilliant—but if you keep it clean, focused, and actionable, it can help you reach the right people with the right message (finally). Start small, see what actually changes, and don’t be afraid to strip out what doesn’t move the needle. The best systems are the ones people actually use.