Intent Data Expectations Vs. Reality — What’s Working, And Where Are The Gaps?

Over the previous 12 months, a lot of my analysis centered on the largest challenges B2B advertising and gross sales groups are dealing with when utilizing intent information. In blogs, I’ve helped firms perceive learn how to select an intent supplier and lined the greatest errors we’ve seen when leveraging intent information. For Forrester Selections shoppers, my colleagues and I offered an introduction to the market, described the supplier panorama, and produced our first Forrester Wave™ analysis devoted to intent.

The newest report within the sequence approaches these questions from a distinct angle, asking finish customers how intent is definitely being deployed by their B2B advertising and gross sales groups — and how much outcomes practitioners are seeing. The report, out there to each Forrester Selections for Income Operations and Forrester Selections for Demand & ABM shoppers, breaks down the findings of Forrester’s Q1 2023 World B2B Intent Knowledge Survey and gives suggestions for learn how to enhance the influence of your intent spend.

The survey outcomes confirmed robust adoption of intent information throughout quite a lot of frequent use circumstances. In addition they confirmed constant advantages whereas exposing a couple of gaps between expectation and actuality. Highlights from the report embody the next:

Over 85% of firms utilizing intent information have achieved enterprise advantages. The commonest advantages reported amongst respondents embody elevated response charges from outbound advertising and extra profitable gross sales prospecting.
Over 70% of firms utilizing intent information at the moment are leveraging a number of suppliers. Most organizations leveraging intent information are pursuing a mix-and-match method, combining information from a number of suppliers with totally different assortment methodologies or protection areas. Nearly half are at present receiving information from three or extra sources.
30% of firms investing in intent information plan to extend their spend. On the flip aspect, solely 10% have plans to cut back their funding.
Most firms utilizing intent information have utilized it to solely a handful of use circumstances. One of many key alternatives for intent customers to seize some low-hanging fruit from their funding is to start leveraging the information they’re already buying to be used circumstances past account focusing on and demand technology, reminiscent of pipeline acceleration and buyer retention. Solely half of the businesses in our survey are leveraging their intent funding for pipeline acceleration and fewer than a 3rd for any buyer use case.
When requested about specifics, extra firms anticipated advantages than achieved them. Whereas we noticed spectacular information on firms reaching enterprise advantages, there have been additionally gaps between the variety of firms anticipating particular advantages and those who achieved these outcomes. This was true throughout all advantages surveyed and particularly in relation to gross sales use circumstances and total income development. Whereas the report discusses a number of causes for these gaps, one frequent subject I’ve seen amongst Forrester shoppers is an absence of reporting capabilities to trace the influence of intent information investments deeper into the B2B Income Waterfall™.
Most respondents report problem in figuring out acceptable decision-makers. Not surprisingly, figuring out particular contacts to focus on inside accounts demonstrating intent was cited as the highest execution problem dealing with intent customers, as few intent suppliers are capable of ship alerts from identified contacts.

For a extra in-depth breakdown of the survey outcomes and insights into finest practices for leveraging intent, Forrester shoppers can learn the total report right here or attain out to your account workforce to schedule a steering session with myself or one other analyst in your service.