You know the drill: sales is a time suck if you’re chasing the wrong people. No one wants to blast out emails to folks who don’t care. If you’re here, you’re probably wondering if intent data can make lead scoring less of a guessing game—and if Flashintel can actually help you find prospects who are ready to talk, not just “doing research.”
Here’s how to make sense of Flashintel’s intent data, cut through the noise, and actually put it to use for prioritizing your leads. This isn’t some magic bullet, but you can definitely save yourself a ton of frustration if you go in with the right expectations.
What is Flashintel Intent Data—And What Isn’t It?
First off, in case you need a refresher: Flashintel pulls in “intent signals” from various sources—think web activity, content consumption, and sometimes even job postings or tech installs. In theory, this helps you figure out which companies are poking around topics that relate to what you sell.
A few quick reality checks:
- Intent data shows company-level interest, not individual desire. That means you know someone at Acme Corp is reading about your niche, not that Sally in Procurement is dying to buy from you.
- It’s directional, not absolute. Someone might just be browsing. Don’t expect a list of buyers waving credit cards.
- Quality varies. Not all intent signals are worth your time. Some are just noise.
If you’re tired of sorting through thousands of “leads” that never pick up, intent data can help you stack the deck, but it’s only as good as your process.
Step 1: Set Your Real Criteria for a Good Lead
Before you even log in to Flashintel, get clear on what a “good lead” actually means for you. Intent data won’t fix a bad ideal customer profile (ICP).
Ask yourself: - What company sizes, industries, or geographies do you actually want? - What pain points or use cases are your best customers dealing with? - Is there a budget range or tech stack that matters?
Pro tip: Write this down. It’s easy to chase “hot” signals that don’t fit your ICP, just because they’re lighting up the dashboard.
Step 2: Connect Flashintel to Your Existing Workflow
Flashintel spits out data, but if it doesn’t land where you work—CRM, sales engagement, even a spreadsheet—it’ll go stale.
- Integrate with your CRM. Most people use Salesforce, HubSpot, or something similar. Set up the sync so intent signals show up as fields or tags on accounts.
- Set up alerts or reports. Create saved searches or dashboards for new high-intent accounts.
- Don’t forget the team. Make sure everyone knows where to look for intent data. If it’s buried, no one will use it.
What works: Pushing intent data to where reps already live.
What doesn’t: Expecting people to log into yet another dashboard every day.
Step 3: Filter for Real Buying Signals—Not Just Activity
Out of the box, Flashintel will show you a ton of companies doing something related to your market. Most of it is background noise.
Here’s what to look for: - Spike signals: Has their activity jumped compared to their baseline? A sudden burst is better than a slow trickle. - Topic match: Are they researching things you actually solve, or just vaguely related stuff? - Multiple signals: Is the company showing intent on several topics, or from different sources? The more overlap, the better.
Skip these: - Accounts with only one weak signal (e.g., a single web visit last month). - Companies researching competitor hiring—could be job seekers, not buyers. - Anything outside your ICP, even if the signal is “hot.”
Pro tip: Build a lead view that combines intent signals with your ICP filters. This narrows it down fast.
Step 4: Score and Prioritize—But Stay Skeptical
Now you’ve got a filtered list. Don’t just call everyone at the top of the pile. Combine intent with other context to create a simple priority score.
You can use:
- Intent score: The stronger (and more recent) the signal, the higher the score.
- Fit score: How closely does the company match your ICP?
- Engagement history: Are they already in your system? Have they responded before?
Example:
Score = (Intent strength) + (ICP match: 1-5) + (Recent engagement: 1-3)
It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just enough to sort your day.
What works: Ranking leads so reps don’t waste time on “maybe” accounts.
What doesn’t: Blindly trusting intent data—sometimes it’s just noise.
Step 5: Personalize Outreach Based on Signals
Intent data tells you what they’re interested in, not why. Your job is to use those clues to craft a decent first touch—not to send yet another generic pitch.
Do: - Reference the exact topic or pain point you saw in the intent data. - Mention recent activity (“Noticed your team’s been diving into X lately…”). - Tie it back to your value prop in plain English.
Don’t: - Act like you’re spying (“I saw you downloaded a whitepaper at 11:43pm…”). - Assume they’re ready to buy—open with curiosity, not a hard sell.
What works: Specific, relevant messages that show you’re paying attention.
What doesn’t: “Saw you’re interested in cloud security—want a demo?” (Yawn.)
Step 6: Track What Actually Converts
Intent data is only helpful if it leads to real deals, not just meetings. Track which signals and accounts actually move through your pipeline.
- Build feedback loops: Mark deals as “intent-driven” in your CRM, or tag them by signal type.
- Adjust filters: After a few cycles, you’ll see which intent types are garbage and which are gold.
- Share what works: If one rep cracks the code for converting a certain signal, let the team know.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to kill off sources or topics that never convert, even if they look “hot” in the dashboard.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
- Overly vague signals: “Interest in digital transformation” is so broad it’s almost meaningless.
- Overpromising dashboards: Ignore “95% chance to buy” scores—no one’s that good.
- Intent without fit: A company outside your ICP is still a bad lead, no matter how much intent they show.
A Few Gotchas and Honest Takeaways
- Intent data is not a silver bullet. It’s a clue, not a crystal ball.
- You’ll get false positives. Expect accounts that look great on paper but go nowhere.
- It works best as a filter, not a replacement. Use it to cut through the haystack, not as your only source of truth.
If your team is just starting out, keep it simple: pull in the strongest intent signals, filter by your ICP, run a few experiments, and see what works. Skip the urge to over-engineer it.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Intent data is like seasoning—it can make a good sales process better, but it won’t fix a broken one. Start small, ignore the hype, and use Flashintel as a tool to save time, not as a magic wand.
The best process is the one your team actually uses. Get your filters right, keep an eye on what converts, and don’t be afraid to toss what doesn’t work. That’s how you get real value out of intent data—no guesswork, no wasted effort, just a smarter way to spend your day.