Intent, DecodedEpisode 01
Why most GTM teams are misusing intent data
About this episode
In the debut episode of Intent, Decoded, host Brendan Hughes sits down with Nick Bennett and Niall O'Gorman to unpack why most GTM teams are still misusing intent data. They cover why category-level spikes rarely translate to closed revenue, why ABM programmes get bigger when they should get tighter, and how to combine intent with account fit and existing engagement to actually book meetings.
Topics covered
- Why an intent spike is not a starting gun
- Fit, engagement, and intent as the three inputs for account selection
- Why ABM programmes should get tighter, not bigger
- Using signals for field marketing and events
- Master data quality as the real foundation
- Why burnout drives teams into shortcuts
Chapters
- 02:14Welcome and introductions
- 04:19Why teams misuse intent data
- 05:59Cheap capital, burnout, and shortcuts
- 08:01What actually counts as an intent signal
- 11:52Fit, engagement, intent: the three inputs
- 13:07The underused play: intent for events and field marketing
- 17:40Using intent to narrow, not build lists
- 22:44From account-level to person-level signals
- 27:41AI in outbound - and where it breaks
- 32:32AI SDRs and the future of the buyer relationship
- 38:52Closing takeaways
Key takeaways
- Intent data on a cold account with no ICP validation and no prior engagement is a reason to send a bad email faster. Layer intent on top of context, don't lead with it.
- Fit, engagement, and intent all need to be high before you run a coordinated play. Not a sequence, a play - sales and marketing moving on the same account at the same time.
- Use intent to build tighter lists, not bigger ones. If you're running 2,000 accounts as 'ABM', you're doing targeted marketing with extra steps.
- Field marketing and events are the underused play. Invite lists should sort on who is showing pain or pressure right now, not on ICP alone.
- Intent data needs to move from account-level to person-level. With 13 stakeholders in the average B2B buying group, an account spike tells you nothing about who to talk to.
- Master data quality is the real foundation. AI's biggest opportunity is helping you revisit the thousands of accounts already sitting in your CRM, not generating new lists.
Moments worth quoting
“Intent data on a cold account with no groundwork laid is just a reason to send a bad cold email faster. The platform did not fail. The team skipped the foundation.”
“Hold on. You're not doing ABM. You're doing targeted marketing at this point.”
“The only thing that actually separates your outreach from everyone else is whether you know what the people inside that account are doing right now. Not the account, the people.”
“Bad data in means bad outcomes are going to happen as a result. The foundation is master data.”
“Stop using intent data to decide when to reach out. Start using it to decide what changed and whether you have something worth saying because of it.”
Mentioned in this episode
- Read the recap - Written recap of the conversation with the sharpest quotes and takeaways.
- Why Intent Data Made B2B Outreach Worse - The deeper critique of the 'intent as starting gun' pattern.
- How to Build a Signal-led GTM Motion - The corrective playbook once you stop sorting on intent alone.
- Beyond the 95/5 Rule - Why the 5 percent in-market at any moment is the only cohort that converts.
See it live
Find out who's evaluating in your market right now
before your competitors do.
30 minutes. No commitment. We'll show you the accounts actively evaluating in your market today.
No credit card · Tailored to your ICP · Live data, not a slide deck