If you’re running outbound sales and tired of cold emails that go straight to the trash, you’ve probably wondered if all this “intent data” hype is worth your time. This guide is for sales leaders and reps who want to actually use 6sense to find buyers who care—and skip the spray-and-pray nonsense.
Below, I’ll walk you through how to use 6sense intent data to make your outbound sales smarter, faster, and less painful. No fluffy talk. Just what works, what doesn’t, and what you can ignore.
What Is 6sense Intent Data (And What Isn’t It)?
Before we get tactical, let’s be clear: intent data isn’t magic. It’s just signals—mostly from web activity—suggesting a company might want something you sell. 6sense tracks things like:
- What companies are visiting your site (even if they don’t fill out a form)
- What topics/accounts are researching across the web
- How often, and from where, those actions happen
But 6sense can’t read minds. It’s not going to give you a perfect list of “ready to buy” leads. It’ll just surface accounts that are more likely to care. Used right, that’s a big deal. Used wrong, it’s just another noisy dashboard.
Step 1: Get Your Data House in Order
Don’t skip this. If your CRM is a mess, intent data just adds more noise.
What to do: - Make sure your target account list is current and real (not just a wish list from marketing). - Sync up your CRM and marketing automation with 6sense. If records are mismatched or missing, fix it now. - Decide what “good fit” means for your team—industry, company size, tech stack, whatever matters most.
What to ignore:
Don’t chase every account that lights up in 6sense. Focus on those that fit your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). Otherwise, you’ll be chasing ghosts.
Step 2: Define What “Intent” Actually Means for You
6sense lets you customize “intent” signals. Don’t just use the default settings.
How to set it up: - Work with marketing to pick the topics and keywords that actually matter. If you sell SaaS security, don’t track “cloud” as your main intent—it’s too broad. - Set up buying stages: Awareness, Consideration, Decision. Map out what activities (like visiting your pricing page) signal each stage.
Pro tip:
Too many signals = noise. Start with 3–5 intent topics. You can always add more, but it’s a pain to clean up later.
Step 3: Prioritize Accounts—Don’t Treat All “Hot” Accounts Equally
Every vendor will tell you they can “predict” your next customer. In reality, you’ll get a list of accounts scored from “ice cold” to “on fire.” Here’s how to focus:
- Filter out accounts that aren’t in your ICP, no matter how hot they look.
- Prioritize accounts that have spiked recently (in the past week or two), not those that have been “warm” for months.
- Use firmographic filters (size, location, tech stack) to trim the fat.
What works:
Combining intent triggers with a real reason to reach out (like a new office opening, or a competitor’s product outage).
What doesn’t:
Blasting everyone who visits your blog with the same pitch. You’ll get ignored.
Step 4: Personalize Your Outreach—But Don’t Overthink It
Intent data is a nudge, not a script. Use it to make your outreach relevant, but don’t get creepy or robotic.
How to do it: - Reference the actual topic or page they engaged with (“Saw your team researching X—thought you might be interested in how we solve Y”). - Tie their recent activity to a business challenge (“Noticed you’re looking into cloud cost optimization—happy to share what’s worked for others in your industry”). - Keep it short. Two sentences about their intent, max. The rest should be about how you can help.
What to ignore:
Don’t pretend to know their entire buying committee’s motives based on one signal. Use intent as a conversation starter, not a crystal ball.
Step 5: Time Your Outreach (And Don’t Be Annoying)
The real power of intent data is timing. If you reach out when someone’s actively researching, you stand a better shot.
Tips: - Reach out within days (not weeks) of an intent spike. The faster, the better. - If you see repeated high-intent signals (e.g., multiple visits, multiple people from the same company), that’s a green light. - Don’t spam them daily. If they don’t bite after a couple of well-timed touches, move them back to nurture.
What works:
Multi-threading—reach out to more than one contact at the account, referencing the same intent signal if possible.
What doesn’t:
Bombarding the same prospect with identical messages just because they clicked a blog post.
Step 6: Track What’s Actually Working
You’ll hear plenty of “intent data drove 30% more pipeline!” stats. The reality: you need to track it for yourself.
How to do it: - Tag deals in your CRM that started from an intent-driven outbound touch. - Review weekly: Which intent signals led to real conversations? Which didn’t? - Adjust your topics and outreach based on what actually gets replies, not what the dashboard says is “hot.”
What to ignore:
Don’t fall for vanity metrics—like “impressions” or “account visits”—without downstream results.
Step 7: Integrate With the Rest of Your Sales Process
Intent data isn’t a standalone play. Layer it into your existing sequences and account plans.
- Use intent to prioritize daily call and email lists for reps.
- Feed hot intent accounts to your SDRs or BDRs for quick follow-up.
- Sync up with marketing for coordinated plays (e.g., combine an outbound call with a targeted LinkedIn ad).
What works:
Regular standups between sales and marketing to review what’s actually converting.
What doesn’t:
Treating intent data as a one-off campaign or a “set it and forget it” tool. It needs ongoing tuning.
A Few Things to Watch Out For
- False positives: Sometimes an account spikes on a keyword, but it’s just an intern doing research for a school project. Validate before you chase.
- Overreliance: Intent data is one input, not the final answer. Use your judgment.
- Data gaps: Not every buyer leaves a digital trail. Don’t forget about accounts that aren’t lighting up but still fit your ICP.
Keep It Simple. Test, Tweak, Repeat.
Intent data like 6sense can help you cut through the noise and focus your outbound on real opportunities. But don’t overcomplicate it. Start small, track what works, and tune as you go. You’ll get more meetings with less guesswork—and fewer emails sent into the void.