Ever feel like your sales outreach is just shouting into the void? You’re not alone. Chasing cold leads is a time sink—most folks simply aren’t looking to buy. If you want to stop guessing and start talking to people who actually care, intent data is your friend. This guide is for sales reps, SDRs, and anyone tired of “spray and pray” tactics. We’ll walk through, step by step, how to use Salesintel intent data to prioritize real buyers, avoid time-wasters, and send outreach that actually gets replies.
If you’re sick of fluff and want a straight answer to “How do I actually use this tool?”—keep reading.
What is Salesintel intent data, really?
Before we jump into the how-to, let’s get clear on what intent data is (and isn’t).
Intent data tracks signals that a company might be in the market for your solution. This could be researching certain topics, reading competitor blogs, or searching for specific software. Salesintel bundles up these signals and tells you, “Hey, Company X is poking around your space.”
A few things to know:
- It’s not mind-reading. Just because someone’s researching doesn’t mean they’re buying tomorrow—but it’s way better than guessing.
- Not all signals are created equal. Some are just noise; others are gold. We’ll get into how to separate them.
- It’s only as good as what you do with it. Intent data won’t close deals for you—it’ll just help you fish where the fish are.
Step 1: Define your ideal customer and “real” intent signals
Don’t just plug in generic filters and call it a day. The first step is to get specific about who you actually want to talk to, and what actions really matter.
- Start with your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile).
- What industries, company sizes, geographies, and job titles do you actually close?
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Be strict—more filters usually means less noise.
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Decide what intent signals mean “in-market” for you.
- Salesintel tracks hundreds of topics. Not all of them are relevant.
- Pick signals that make sense for your solution. For example:
- Are they researching your competitors?
- Reading product comparisons?
- Downloading whitepapers on problems you solve?
- Ignore signals like “general business news” or any topic that’s too broad. If you’d never want to cold call off it, don’t use it.
Pro tip: Talk to your best reps. What signals did they see before a deal closed? Build your filters around those.
Step 2: Set up your filters and alerts in Salesintel
Now the rubber meets the road. Login to Salesintel and get hands-on:
- Go to the Intent Data section.
- Apply your ICP filters.
- Limit by industry, company size, geography, and more. Be as specific as you can stand.
- Select relevant intent topics.
- Stick to 5-10 laser-focused topics. More isn’t better—irrelevant topics just add noise.
- Set up alert frequency.
- Daily or weekly emails are usually enough. You don’t need to pounce within minutes; quality beats speed here.
- Test your filters.
- Check the companies showing up. Do they look like good fits, or is it a random mess?
- If it’s messy, tighten your filters or swap out topics.
What to ignore: Fancy dashboards showing “spikes” in random topics. If you wouldn’t call based on the signal, don’t let it clutter your alerts.
Step 3: Research your hot accounts—don’t skip this
Tempted to blast out a generic email? Resist. Even with intent data, outreach feels cold if it’s not at least a little tailored.
- Check what they’re actually researching.
- Salesintel shows which topics the company is “spiking” on. Use this as your hook.
- Look for recent news, hiring, or funding.
- A quick Google or LinkedIn scan goes a long way. Did they just raise money? Launch a new product?
- Find the right contact.
- Don’t just email info@ addresses. Use Salesintel’s contact database to find decision makers (and double-check on LinkedIn).
Pro tip: Save your best, personalized outreach for the top accounts. For others, a lighter touch is fine—but still tie your message to the intent signal.
Step 4: Craft outreach that actually references the intent
Most sales emails are ignored because they sound like form letters. If you want replies, show you did your homework.
- Reference the actual intent signal.
- “I noticed your team is digging into [topic]—curious if you’re exploring solutions in this space?”
- Tie your message to their pain.
- Instead of pitching features, talk about how you solve the specific problem they’re researching.
- Keep it short and human.
- No one reads essays from strangers. Three sentences is often enough.
Example template:
Hi [Name],
Saw [Company] has been exploring [specific topic]—curious what’s behind that. I help teams like yours solve [related pain]. If you’re looking for ideas or want to compare notes, let me know.
Cheers,
[You]
If you can’t mention the intent signal naturally, don’t force it. Awkward outreach is worse than generic outreach.
Step 5: Track replies, adjust, and don’t get sucked into vanity metrics
Here’s where most people drop the ball: they set it and forget it. Don’t do that.
- Track which signals actually lead to replies and meetings.
- If “X topic” never converts, consider dropping it.
- Ignore open and click rates.
- Focus on real replies and conversations, not just curiosity clicks.
- Tweak your filters monthly.
- Go back to your Salesintel settings and refine. Cut what doesn’t work, double down on what does.
Pro tip: Share feedback with your team. If someone finds a killer signal or template, get it in front of everyone else.
What to watch out for (and what not to bother with)
Intent data is powerful, but not magic. Here are some honest truths:
- You’ll still get some duds. Companies “spiking” on intent might just be tire-kicking, or a competitor doing research.
- Don’t chase every signal. If you wouldn’t cold call on it, don’t email on it.
- Don’t pay extra for “AI” intent add-ons until you see real results. The basics work just fine for most teams.
- Keep your expectations realistic. Intent won’t double your pipeline overnight. It will help you waste less time.
TL;DR: Keep it simple, iterate, and stick with what works
Intent data is supposed to make your life easier, not more complicated. Start with a tight ICP, pick a handful of strong intent signals, and focus on quality over quantity. Personalize your outreach just enough to show you care, and always be ready to adjust when something doesn’t work.
Don’t get lost in dashboards or “insights” that don’t actually help you close deals. Stay focused, experiment, and you’ll see real results—no hype required.