Intent data is supposed to help sales and marketing teams find in-market buyers faster and close more deals. But when the data is bad? It does the exact opposite.
Bad intent data wastes time, burns budget, and sends your team chasing leads that will never convert.
Here’s how to recognize the hidden costs of bad intent data—and how to make sure you’re only using data that actually leads to revenue.
🔥 The Problem: When intent data is inaccurate, sales teams spend time on accounts that aren’t actually in-market.
🚩 Common Signs of Bad Data:
❌ Leads marked as “high intent” that never engage.
❌ Accounts that don’t fit your ICP but still show up in intent reports.
❌ Leads that ghost your reps after the first touch.
🔥 The Fix:
✔ Validate intent signals before outreach. Just because an account clicked on a blog post doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy.
✔ Prioritize strong intent signals like pricing page visits and competitor comparisons.
✔ Align sales & marketing on what a real high-intent lead looks like.
🚀 Action Tip: Track how many intent-based leads actually move to pipeline—if the conversion rate is low, your data is failing you.
🔥 The Problem: If you’re using bad intent data for ad targeting, you’re paying to reach the wrong people.
🚩 Common Signs of Bad Data:
❌ Retargeting ads getting high impressions but low conversions.
❌ High CPC (cost per click) but no increase in demo requests.
❌ Accounts seeing ads but never engaging beyond the first click.
🔥 The Fix:
✔ Only target high-intent accounts. If an account hasn’t visited a pricing page or engaged with comparison content, don’t waste ad dollars on them.
✔ Test different intent data providers. Not all third-party intent data is accurate—some providers recycle outdated lists.
✔ Track intent-driven ad performance. Are intent-based audiences converting better than standard retargeting lists?
🚀 Action Tip: If intent-driven ads aren’t outperforming regular campaigns, your intent data provider isn’t delivering.
🔥 The Problem: Reaching out to the wrong people with the wrong message at the wrong time kills trust.
🚩 Common Signs of Bad Data:
❌ Prospects responding with “I never requested this.”
❌ High unsubscribe and spam complaint rates.
❌ SDRs struggling with low response rates from intent-based outreach.
🔥 The Fix:
✔ Use intent data to personalize outreach, not just send more emails.
✔ Segment based on real intent signals. An account visiting one blog post is not the same as an account comparing vendors.
✔ Give prospects an easy opt-out. If they’re not interested, don’t force engagement.
🚀 Action Tip: Monitor reply rates on intent-based outreach. If emails are getting ignored or marked as spam, your data is leading you astray.
🔥 The Problem: Bad intent data slows down your sales process instead of speeding it up.
🚩 Common Signs of Bad Data:
❌ SDRs chasing leads that aren’t actually in-market.
❌ High-intent leads stalling mid-funnel because they weren’t ready in the first place.
❌ More time spent on “educating” instead of closing.
🔥 The Fix:
✔ Only pass high-intent leads to sales. SDRs shouldn’t waste time on “intent” leads that aren’t ready for a real conversation.
✔ Use a lead scoring system that combines intent signals + real engagement.
✔ Shorten response time for truly high-intent accounts. If an account is actively researching pricing, your team should reach out immediately.
🚀 Action Tip: Compare the sales cycle length of intent-based leads vs. non-intent leads. If intent data isn’t helping close deals faster, it’s not working.
Bad intent data isn’t just annoying—it’s expensive. If you’re investing in intent data, make sure it actually helps your business grow.
✔ Vet your intent data provider. Ask where the data comes from, how fresh it is, and whether they validate intent signals.
✔ Test before committing. Start small and track results before rolling out intent data across all sales and marketing campaigns.
✔ Use intent data as a guide, not a silver bullet. Intent signals should enhance your strategy, not replace good sales and marketing fundamentals.
Not all intent data is created equal. If your data is leading to longer sales cycles, wasted ad spend, and low conversion rates, it’s time to switch.
Want to see how high-quality intent data drives real revenue?
View the Intent Data Slide Deck to see it in action. If you’re ready to start using intent data that actually works, you can purchase it here.
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