If you’re in B2B sales or marketing, you’ve probably heard the promises: intent data will help you find your best-fit buyers before your competitors do. But most guides dance around the details, or assume you have hours to burn on setup. This walkthrough is for people who want to skip the fluff and actually use Lead411 intent data to identify high-value prospects—without wading through a bunch of hype.
Whether you’re running your own outreach or building a pipeline for a team, here’s how to get real value out of Lead411’s intent data, what to watch out for, and what you can ignore.
What Is “Intent Data” (And Why Should You Care)?
Intent data, in plain terms, is information that suggests someone is in the market for what you sell. With Lead411, this usually means tracking signals like:
- People searching for topics related to your product
- Companies researching vendors or solutions in your space
- Trigger events (like funding, leadership changes, or hiring sprees)
The goal: find prospects who aren’t just in your target market, but are actively looking—or at least showing buying signals.
Does it work? Sometimes. Used right, intent data can help you prioritize outreach, skip the tire-kickers, and avoid blasting the same stale lists. But it’s not magic. Let’s get into the nuts and bolts.
Step 1: Define “High Value” for Your Business
Before you log in and start pulling lists, get clear on what “high value” actually means for you. This is easy to skip, but it’ll save you hours later.
Ask yourself:
- What company sizes, industries, or geographies are most profitable?
- Are there products or services you want to push harder this quarter?
- What are your absolute deal-breakers (like company stage, tech stack, or budget)?
Pro tip: Write down your must-haves and deal-breakers. You’ll use these to filter intent data later, so you don’t waste time chasing bad fits.
Step 2: Get Set Up in Lead411
Once you know what you’re looking for, log into Lead411 and set up your filters. The platform’s interface is pretty straightforward, but here are the key areas to focus on:
a) Build Your Target List
- Company filters: Start broad—industry, company size, location, revenue, funding, etc.
- Persona filters: Drill down to job titles, departments, or seniority.
- Exclude: Use the “exclude” feature for industries or roles you don’t want.
b) Add Intent Data
Lead411 tracks various intent signals, often via third-party sources. Here’s what you’ll actually find useful:
- Topic searches: Companies showing interest in specific keywords or topics.
- Tech installs: New technologies or tools adopted (good for SaaS or tech sales).
- Hiring signals: Recent job postings in relevant departments (growth usually means budget).
- Trigger events: Funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes.
What to ignore: Don’t get sucked into every single intent “signal.” Some (like vague web traffic increases) are noisy and rarely lead to deals.
Step 3: Combine Filters and Intent for Smart Lists
Now for the fun part: mix your target filters with intent data to build a focused list. This is where most people mess up—they either go too broad and get overwhelmed, or too narrow and miss opportunities.
How to do it:
- Start with your high-value filters: Company size, industry, geography, etc.
- Layer on key intent triggers: For example, “Companies researching CRM tools” + “500-5000 employees” + “Located in Northeast US.”
- Adjust intent recency: Most recent signals are usually hotter, but not always. Sometimes, companies start researching long before they buy.
Reality check: If your filtered list is huge, tighten your criteria. If it’s tiny, loosen up—but always prioritize quality over quantity.
Step 4: Vet and Prioritize Your Leads
Lead411 will spit out a list based on your filters, but don’t take it at face value. Not every “intent signal” is created equal, and not every company on your list is worth your time.
How to separate signal from noise:
- Check the context: Did the company just raise money, or are they just poking around? Funding and hiring are stronger signals than generic searches.
- Look for multiple signals: Companies hitting several triggers (e.g., new funding and searching your keywords) are the best bets.
- Spot check a few leads: Google them, check LinkedIn, or visit their site. If something feels off, trust your gut and move on.
Pro tip: Use Lead411’s scoring or tagging features to rank your leads. If you don’t trust automated scores, make your own system—like “Hot,” “Warm,” and “Meh.”
Step 5: Plan Smart Outreach (Don’t Sound Like a Robot)
Intent data can give you a foot in the door, but if your outreach sounds canned, you’ll end up in spam folders.
- Personalize based on the trigger: If you know they’re hiring in sales, mention how your product helps new reps ramp faster.
- Reference recent news: “Congrats on your recent funding round—I noticed you’re also looking at CRM tools…”
- Keep it short and relevant: People smell generic templates a mile away.
What not to do: Don’t say “I saw you’re interested in CRM software”—it comes off creepy and signals you’re using intent data.
Step 6: Track What Actually Works (and Tweak)
Here’s where most people drop the ball: they build a list, blast emails, then move on. Instead:
- Track responses by intent type: Do leads who hit multiple triggers reply more? Does funding matter more than job postings?
- Refine your filters: If you’re getting crickets, your intent signals might be too weak or your targeting’s off.
- Test new triggers: Sometimes, a signal you thought was useless turns out to be gold (or vice versa).
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to cut what’s not working. Intent data isn’t a set-and-forget tool—it’s a starting point.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
Let’s cut through the hype:
- Works: Combining intent signals with your own best-fit filters. Using recent, relevant triggers. Personalizing your outreach.
- Doesn’t work: Blindly trusting every “intent” lead. Spamming everyone with the same pitch. Chasing weak signals (like vague web traffic spikes).
- Ignore: Vanity metrics (“You have 2,000 intent leads!” means nothing if they’re bad fits). Overly complicated scoring systems (keep it simple).
Intent data is a tool—not a silver bullet. Use it to work smarter, not to avoid the hard parts of sales.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
Intent data from Lead411 can help you spot high-value prospects faster, but only if you use it with a clear head and a healthy dose of skepticism. Define what matters for your business, focus on the signals that actually lead to conversations, and don’t be afraid to tweak your approach when reality doesn’t match the hype.
The best results come from keeping your system simple and improving as you go. Try, test, and adjust—just like any good sales process. Good luck.