Seven Ways that B2B Intent Data Can Optimize Prospect Databases and Improve Sales Performance (Updated)
Spiceworks Ziff Davis
The trusted global marketplace for connecting technology buyers and sellers.
B2B intent data offers sales and marketing professionals a dynamic, data-driven method for managing complex B2B customer journeys. High-quality intent data not only offers visibility into what buyers from target companies are researching but also provides credible, actionable insights into their purchase intent.
Today, best-in-class intent data combines authentic first- and third-party signals to create highly relevant engagement opportunities throughout the buyer’s journey. For sales and marketing teams, this data supports every stage of the demand funnel, from top-of-funnel prospecting, segmentation, and targeting to conversion, retention, and customer success.
Technological advances in AI, machine learning, and automation have revolutionized and scaled data collection, enrichment, and activation, making intent data a growing contributor to revenue growth.
Let’s explore seven proven and emerging ways the most successful B2B brands leverage intent data for measurable business impact.
1. Expand: Find new accounts that are in-market to buy
How it fuels growth:
Use technographic, firmographic, and intent data to uncover new in-market accounts and fill whitespace in prospecting efforts. AI-powered tools help sales teams find high-fit, high-intent prospects, expand their total addressable market (TAM), and identify lookalike accounts.
Why it matters:
In 2025, companies using AI for lead identification report a 35% productivity and pipeline acceleration boost. Nearly 75% of sales teams now supplement their outreach with AI-guided prospecting tools. (Gitnux)
Data in action:
An enterprise leverages intent data to identify accounts using competitor technologies and adds them to its CRM's high-priority list. The result? Accelerated outreach, better-qualified leads, and higher conversion potential.
2. Enrich: Complete existing data by filling in missing information
How it fuels growth:
Enrich stale or incomplete datasets with real-time technographic, firmographic, demographic, and behavioral intent signals to ensure a 360-degree view of your accounts.
Why it matters:
In 2025, 84% of organizations using intent data report success, with 37% experiencing great success, and 63% of marketers can now measure the ROI of intent data (Salesgenie)
Data in action:
A technology firm enriches its database with refreshed install, budget, and tech stack data, enabling accurate segmentation, deeper insights, and more relevant marketing and sales outreach.
3. Prioritize: Use data to rank, prioritize, and target accounts
How it fuels growth:
Instead of guessing who’s ready to buy, let data reveal it. The old tried and true 80/20 rule still applies, and prioritizing those 20% based on best-in-class data insights helps accomplish this goal.
Why it matters:
47% of B2B organizations use intent data to streamline pipeline prioritization. Sales teams using this data close deals faster by focusing on hot accounts. (MyShortlister)
Data in action:
A revenue team boosts opportunity conversion rates by aligning sales activity with real-time account intent data. They shift from broad outreach to a laser focus on buyers with high purchase probability.
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1moThis was really easy to understand and super helpful! I liked how you showed real ways to use intent data, like finding new accounts and knowing who to talk to first. We’re seeing the same thing when our data is clean and we know who’s ready to buy, everything works better. Using AI to find the right people is a big help too. Great job on this blog! 👍