An Intent Score Is Supposed to Predict Buyer Readiness—But Does It Actually Work?

Intent data is great, but not all signals are equally valuable. Someone who downloads an eBook is in a very different stage than someone who just requested a demo.

That’s where intent scoring comes in.

An intent score assigns a numerical value to a lead based on their level of buying interest. Done right, it helps sales and marketing teams prioritize the hottest prospects and ignore the ones that aren’t ready.

Let’s break down what an intent score actually is, how it works, and how to use it without screwing it up.

What Is an Intent Score?

An intent score is a numerical ranking that represents how likely a prospect is to be actively in-market for a solution like yours.

It’s based on multiple intent signals, such as:

✔ Website activity (visiting high-intent pages like pricing or case studies)
✔ Content engagement (downloading whitepapers, watching product videos)
✔ Competitor research (searching for comparisons between you and another company)
✔ Repeated interactions (multiple visits within a short timeframe)
✔ Firmographic & technographic data (company size, industry, tech stack relevance)

The higher the score, the hotter the lead.

How Intent Scores Are Calculated

Most intent scoring models use a weighted system, where different behaviors contribute different point values.

Here’s an example:

📌 +50 points – Requested a demo
📌 +30 points – Visited pricing page twice in a week
📌 +20 points – Downloaded a competitor comparison guide
📌 +10 points – Opened and clicked a sales email
📌 +5 points – Read a general blog post

If a lead racks up 100+ points, they might be ready for outreach. If they’re under 30 points, they’re still in research mode.

How to Actually Use an Intent Score

🔥 Prioritize high-intent accounts for sales outreach.
If a lead has a high intent score, don’t wait—reach out with a personalized, relevant message.

🔥 Segment leads into different nurture tracks.

• Low intent (0-30 points): Keep nurturing with educational content.
• Mid intent (31-70 points): Introduce case studies and light-touch outreach.
• High intent (71+ points): Direct sales engagement and demo offers.

🔥 Adjust ad targeting based on intent level.
Serve different ad creatives to high-intent vs. low-intent prospects.

🔥 Refine scoring over time.
Track which scores actually convert into deals and adjust the weight of different actions accordingly.

The Problem With Intent Scores (And How to Fix It)

🚩 Mistake: Treating every high score as an instant buyer.
✅ Fix: A high score means strong interest, not an automatic sale—outreach still needs to be relevant and well-timed.

🚩 Mistake: Relying only on third-party data.
✅ Fix: First-party engagement (your website, CRM data) is way more accurate than external signals alone.

🚩 Mistake: Using a generic scoring model.
✅ Fix: Adjust intent scoring based on what actually converts in your business.

Use Intent Scores to Close More Deals—Not Just Track Activity

Intent scores are only valuable if they help you prioritize the right leads, tailor your outreach, and close more deals.

Want to see how real, high-quality intent data works?

View the Intent Data Slide Deck to see intent scoring in action. If you’re ready to start using intent data the right way, you can purchase it here.