Ever feel like you’re wasting time chasing leads who’ll never buy? You’re not alone. Most sales and marketing teams have more data than they know what to do with, but not much clarity on who actually wants to talk. Segmenting prospects by intent data—using tools like Oppwiser—cuts through that noise. This guide is for salespeople, SDRs, and marketers who want to stop guessing and start running smarter outreach.
Below, I’ll walk you through how to segment your prospects by intent using Oppwiser’s filters. I’ll point out what’s genuinely useful, what’s just fluff, and how to avoid falling into the “more data = better” trap.
Why Intent Data Matters (and When It Doesn’t)
Let’s get something straight: not all intent data is created equal. Some platforms pitch “intent” as any click or vague web visit. That’s not really intent; that’s just activity. True intent data is about spotting real buying signals—like when a company is actively researching your solution, hiring in relevant roles, or has budget changes.
When you actually segment prospects by the right intent signals, you:
- Waste less time on uninterested leads
- Personalize your outreach (without being creepy)
- Spot deals early, not after your competitors already called
But if you just chase every “intent” flag, you’ll burn out fast and annoy a lot of people. The trick is filtering for signs that matter to your business—not just what the tool spits out by default.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Real Buying Signals
Before you dive into Oppwiser filters, do a quick gut check: What actually counts as intent for your product? Here are some examples of real buying signals (and a few fakes):
Real Signals - Company is researching your category (e.g., downloading whitepapers, comparing vendors) - Job postings for roles that would use or champion your product - Recent funding (they have money to spend) - Tech stack changes (swapping out or adding a tool you integrate with)
Fake Signals - Random visits to a blog post - People following your company on social (nice, but not intent) - Huge lists of “engaged” companies with no details
Pro tip: Talk to your best customers. What were they doing right before they bought? That’s the intent you want to filter for.
Step 2: Mapping Your Intent to Oppwiser Filters
Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to see how Oppwiser actually lets you filter for it. Oppwiser pulls in a mix of firmographic, technographic, and (theoretically) intent data. Here’s how to translate your intent triggers into something actionable:
Common Oppwiser Filters for Intent
- Intent Topics: Look for companies researching specific topics or solutions. Use this with caution—the quality depends on Oppwiser’s data sources.
- Recent Funding: Filter for companies that just raised money. These folks are more open to new solutions.
- Hiring Trends: Target companies hiring in roles relevant to your product (e.g., hiring sales reps if you sell sales tools).
- Tech Stack Changes: Companies adding/removing certain technologies.
- Website Activity: Some Oppwiser plans show web visits or content engagement. Focus on prospects who hit high-intent pages (e.g., pricing, product comparisons).
Filters to Skip (Most of the Time)
- “Engaged” Accounts with No Details: If you can’t see what they did, ignore it.
- Generic Industry Filters: Good for narrowing down, but don’t treat as intent.
- Old Activity: If the data is older than 30 days, it’s cold.
Pro tip: Don’t use every filter at once. Start with 1–2 intent signals that match your best customers.
Step 3: Build Segments That Are Actually Reachable
It’s tempting to create the perfect segment with a dozen filters. Resist the urge. The more filters you stack, the fewer (and weirder) companies you’ll get. Instead:
- Pick 1–2 intent filters: For example, “researched CRM software” AND “raised Series A in last 3 months.”
- Add firmographics: Industry, company size, geography—whatever fits your ICP.
- Set recency: Only include activity in the last 30 days for best results.
- Check the list size: If you’ve got fewer than 25 accounts, loosen up. More than 200? Consider narrowing further.
Pro tip: Save your segment in Oppwiser so you can revisit it as new data comes in.
Step 4: Prioritize (Don’t Spray and Pray)
Now you’ve got a segment. Don’t just blast everyone with the same message. Oppwiser often gives you some signal strength or “intent score.” Use it, but don’t treat it as gospel—these scores are rough estimates, not absolute truths.
- Start with the hottest leads: Highest intent, most recent activity.
- Personalize outreach: Mention the trigger (e.g., “Saw you’re hiring a RevOps lead—curious if you’re evaluating new tools?”)
- Monitor engagement: Track replies and meetings booked. If your “high intent” list isn’t converting, revisit your filters.
Honest take: The best filter in the world won’t fix bad messaging. Segmenting helps, but you still need to sound human.
Step 5: Ignore the Hype—Test, Iterate, and Trust Your Gut
Here’s the reality: Oppwiser’s intent data is only as good as its sources. Sometimes it’ll nail a hot lead. Sometimes, you’ll get a “high intent” company that’s never heard of you. That’s not a knock on Oppwiser—it’s just how all these tools work.
What actually moves the needle:
- Talk to real prospects: Ask them what triggered their search.
- Keep segments simple: Don’t chase every shiny signal.
- Iterate: Tweak your filters every month. Drop what’s not working.
Ignore: Any promise that “intent data will fill your pipeline overnight.” It won’t. It’s a tool, not a silver bullet.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Watch Out For
What Works
- Combining intent and firmographics: Intent alone is noisy; add basic company fit.
- Recency: The fresher the activity, the higher the chance of a response.
- Saving and reusing segments: Let you spot patterns over time.
What Doesn’t
- Chasing “intent” from companies that are a bad fit (wrong size, industry, etc.)
- Over-personalizing based on weak signals (“Saw you visited our blog…”—nobody cares)
- Getting lost in the data and never actually reaching out
What to Watch Out For
- False positives: Not all “intent” is real interest—sometimes it’s just a bot or a curious intern.
- Lagging data: Oppwiser’s data isn’t always real-time. Double-check recency.
- “Intent” that’s just noise: If a filter seems too broad, it probably is.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Stay Skeptical, Repeat
Intent data isn’t magic. But if you use Oppwiser filters thoughtfully—and ignore the fluff—you’ll spend less time guessing and more time talking to the right leads. Start with clear, simple segments, keep checking what actually works, and don’t be afraid to trust your own judgment over the dashboard. Simple beats complex every time.
Now, go build a segment that actually matters and start some real conversations. The rest is just noise.