Strategy, B2B Business Best Practices Jennifer Betz Strategy, B2B Business Best Practices Jennifer Betz

Change Your Workforce Systems and Prepare Your Business for the Future

The business landscape is evolving faster than ever, and it takes an attitude of continuous growth in order to stay competitive as we adopt new technology, new processes, and new workforce systems. Sam Falletta, our CEO, keeps Incept at the forefront of workplace progress in Ohio. In his 2023 talk with The City Club of Cleveland, he highlighted how rapid workforce transformations are influencing businesses and employees alike. He delivered a powerful reminder of the responsibility of business leaders to build a dynamic workplace prepared to respond to future disruptions, and he shared insights about how Incept is adapting.

Watch Sam’s full presentation:

Incept’s CEO, Sam Falletta, delivers a presentation to The City Club of Cleveland highlighting the importance of flexibility while adapting to rapid workforce transformations in the modern business landscape.


Is Your Business Prepared for the Future?

Are you struggling to manage your remote workers or finding it difficult to hire enough employees to keep your business running smoothly? Does rapidly changing technology leave you scratching your head more often than not? Is your definition of employee engagement still stuck at the water cooler? It’s time to either adapt your workplace systems or get left behind.

Take our Future of Work Readiness Assessment to discover where your business stands and get tailored, actionable feedback on how you can propel sustainable growth.


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Strategy Jennifer Betz Strategy Jennifer Betz

Why Holiday B2B Marketing and Lead Generation Makes the New Year Sparkle

Worried about sales drying up over the Holidays? You're not alone.

With retail getting all the love between November and the beginning of the year, you may be tempted to kick back and relax throughout the end-of-year holiday season. But that’s what everyone else is doing. So why not take advantage of the slowest time of year for most non-retail businesses?

Here’s why now is the perfect time to keep your B2B marketing and lead generation efforts going strong:

With most non-retail businesses slowing down, you have the unique opportunity to stand out, capture attention, and build momentum for the new year while competitors are hibernating. Don’t let the holidays be an excuse for missed opportunities—let’s turn this quiet time into your secret weapon for future growth.

The Unexpected Gift of Holiday Lead Generation

Ready to unwrap a pipeline full of leads come January 2nd? In this article, we’re going to show you how. We’ll offer up some B2B holiday campaign ideas to keep your brand merry and bright in the eyes of your prospects, and we will share our best tips and tricks to make sure your time spent perfecting your marketing collateral and updating your CRM results in a new year full of opportunities.


Gift yourself with a pipeline full of qualified leads that have been vetted and are ready to talk to you! Download our brochure to learn how we can help your business prosper in the new year!


Why Holiday Lead Generation Gives You an Edge to Sleigh the Competition

While competitors are settling in for a long winter’s nap, you can use this time to position yourself for a profitable Q1. By keeping your marketing and lead generation campaigns active, you'll capture new opportunities and build momentum that others might miss.

Fewer Elves in the Workshop: Reduced Competition

With fewer of your competitors vying for attention over the holidays, decision-makers are more accessible. There’s often reduced pressure to hit major productivity milestones at work, so minds are more relaxed and open to new opportunities. Use this time to reach out with thoughtfully-crafted messaging to capture their attention when others are less likely to be running competitive campaigns.

Pro Tip: Give your audience a break from the usual salesy content by keeping your emails and social media posts light and informative. Boost your message with a festive tone, and make sure you include something helpful as they wrap up their year.

Deck the Halls With New Plans: Business Leaders are in Planning Mode

The holiday season isn’t just about taking a well-deserved break—it’s also a time when many decision-makers, just like you, begin reflecting on the past year. You’re probably evaluating what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve for the year ahead.

As you tidy up business operations, assess your goals, and finalize budgets, you’re not alone. This quieter time is when leaders often step back, strategize, and lay the groundwork for success in the coming year. People are often more relaxed, open to new ideas, and ready to discuss solutions. Connecting with prospects during this planning phase allows you to align your offerings with their projected needs and objectives.

Pro Tip: Frame your outreach around how your product or service can help them hit those last-minute end-of-year targets or get off to a running start in the new year.

Don’t Let Your Feeds Go Frosty: Keep Your Socials Warm Through the Holidays

While professional platforms like LinkedIn may see a dip in activity during the holidays, other social media platforms tend to see an uptick as people have more downtime to scroll and engage. Prospects often turn to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with friends, family, and their favorite brands during this period.

This makes it an excellent time to stay visible, nurture relationships, and plant the seeds for future engagement. Even if LinkedIn traffic slows down, being active on more casual platforms can keep your brand top-of-mind.

Pro tip: Tailor your content for more casual, engaging platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where users are likely spending their holiday downtime.

Wrap Up Those Budgets: Year-End Budget Opportunities

Some companies have “use it or lose it” budget policies, motivating decision-makers to finalize their spending before the year ends. This creates a valuable opportunity for your business to offer solutions that align with their goals and help them allocate leftover funds. Whether it's closing a deal or initiating conversations for the new year, providing timely offers or discounts during this period can lead to quick wins and lay the groundwork for long-term partnerships.

Pro tip #1: Craft your messaging around how your product or service can help prospects maximize their year-end budget and seamlessly transition into the new year with enhanced value.

Pro tip #2: If prospects are in a hurry to finalize their year-end spending, an increased ad spend will capitalize on additional social media activity.

‘Tis the Season for Spending: Capitalize on the Buying Mindset

During the holidays, people are already in a spending mindset—whether for gifts, travel, or year-end investments. This heightened focus on spending makes prospects more receptive to a well-crafted B2B sales pitch. Business decision-makers are not only finalizing personal purchases, but also thinking about how to allocate resources for the new year. A timely, compelling offer that highlights value and return on investment is more likely to resonate when your audience is already in a purchasing frame of mind.

Pro tip: Use festive language in your outreach, positioning your product or service as the perfect "gift" to help your prospects achieve their goals in the new year.


Streamline Your Sales Team to Kick the New Year Off Right

Uncover your sales team’s most valuable strengths and the inefficiencies holding back your growth, then explore tailored insights in our simple efficiency assessment.


B2B Marketing and Lead Generation Ideas that Jingle All the Way to the Bank

Ready to put that third glass of eggnog down and give yourself the gift of a profitable new year? Here are some ideas to give your holiday B2B marketing and lead generation campaigns a lasting impact:

Optimize Your Inbound Strategy

Are your landing pages converting as well as they could? Is your content up to date? This is a great time to make sure that everything is running smoothly so you can capture leads over the break. Use the slower pace of the holidays to review and optimize your inbound lead generation efforts.

Revise your content library to answer the questions your prospects have most often, and give your sales team assets that can help reduce the time they spend educating potential customers.

Bonus Assignment: An infographic is 30 times more likely to be read than a text article. Unleash your inner Bob Ross with a free Canva account, and spend some time turning your educational content into an easy-to-digest visual work of educational art.

Stay Active on Social Media

During the holidays, your audience is spending more time scrolling through social media, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with them. Instead of just adding to the noise, use this time to stand out with content that speaks directly to their needs and interests.

Create posts that are not only festive but also provide value—whether it’s through helpful tips, lighthearted holiday messages, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business. To make the most of your efforts, schedule posts in advance to keep a consistent presence without burning yourself out during the busiest time of year.

Bonus Assignment: Make sure your content isn’t just adding to the holiday noise. As an assignment, use holiday-themed hashtags like #HolidayMarketing or #NewYearNewGoals to target an audience actively searching for seasonal solutions.

Then, create a branded hashtag (e.g., #YourBrandHolidayTips) to keep your posts recognizable and easily searchable. Report back on the increase in visibility and how it impacted your engagement metrics

Create Educational and Festive Content

Want to add some extra sparkle to your holiday content? Use the festive season to create content that not only educates but also entertains. Don your Santa hat or reindeer antlers and host a holiday-themed webinar or virtual event to deliver valuable insights and connections to your B2B audience. This approach keeps your brand front and center, showcasing your expertise in a way that feels helpful rather than promotional.

Bonus Assignment: Craft a downloadable holiday resource, like a guide or checklist, that offers both festive fun and practical tips. This gives your audience something useful and helps strengthen your brand’s relationship with them.

Don’t Forget About Your Existing Clients

Do you have some of the best clients anyone could ask for? The holidays are the perfect time to express your gratitude. A simple thank you email, a digital postcard, or even a personalized gift or handwritten card can strengthen your relationship with existing clients, setting the stage for more business in the new year. You could also ask for feedback or invite them to be a part of your future plans, like testing a new service or product offering.

Bonus Assignment: Include a year-in-review in your email newsletter, highlighting achievements, milestones, and how you helped clients meet their goals. Add lots of emotive imagery to keep your audience engaged.


Showing Gratitude Has Never Been Easier

SayThanx turns best intentions into powerful action, making it easy and effective to let customers know how much you appreciate them. Create personalized video postcards, and get in-depth engagement insights for the holidays.


Use Your Holiday Marketing Campaign to Expand Your Database

Don’t miss out on great opportunities for future business! Not everyone is ready to buy during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be valuable leads next year or the year after. Boost your inbound marketing assets and offer valuable content, like a downloadable guide or an ebook, in exchange for email addresses.

Bonus Assignment: Create a festive landing page that offers a festive promotional giveaway in exchange for email sign-ups. Ensure the design and messaging feel seasonal to make it irresistible and set the stage for nurturing those leads in the new year.

Creative B2B Lead Gen & Awareness Ideas for Extra Holiday Cheer

Just plain tired of pushing the sales angle of your business for the year? Sometimes, giving back and showing your company’s human side can do wonders for lead generation. Here are a few more creative ways to make the most of the holiday season:

Partner with a Charity or Host a Holiday Fundraiser

Aligning your business with a cause during the holiday season is more than just a good deed—it’s an opportunity to showcase your company’s values in action. Whether you partner with a local charity or organize a holiday fundraiser, you’re building goodwill with your community and demonstrating your commitment to social responsibility.

Not only does this help those in need, but it also fosters deeper connections with your audience by showing that your business cares about more than just profit. When people see your values in action, they’re more likely to trust and engage with your brand. And as a bonus, this genuine display of purpose can boost brand awareness, creating long-term loyalty with potential leads who share similar values.

Bonus Assignment: Identify a cause or charity that aligns with your company’s values and organize a holiday fundraiser or volunteer event. Create a campaign around your efforts—share your story on social media, highlighting why this cause matters to your team.

Encourage your audience to get involved, either by donating or participating. After the event, share the results and reflect on the impact it made, both for the charity and your company. Track engagement to measure how the initiative strengthened your relationship with existing and potential clients.

Offer End-of-Year Discounts

If it aligns with your business model, consider offering a year-end discount or special promotion. This can help push prospects who are on the fence about purchasing, especially those looking to make final use of their 2023 budget.

Bonus Assignment: Create a limited-time holiday offer page showcasing your year-end discounts with festive design elements like countdown timers to create urgency. Include a promotional code and make it easy for prospects to share the offer on social media, encouraging further reach and engagement. Track clicks and redemptions to measure how well the discount drives last-minute purchases.

General Tips and Tricks for a Holly Jolly Campaign

Holiday B2B marketing and lead generation campaigns can be tricky to navigate, but they are highly rewarding when done right. As you launch your holiday lead generation efforts, keep these tips in mind to ensure success:

Prioritize Your Best Leads

The holidays are a great time to get in contact with business leaders who are available, but keep in mind that it’s a hectic time of year. Without a strategy, vacations, PTO, and the general holiday rush can have you running in circles. If your goal is to close deals, make sure you’re focusing your efforts on the leads most likely to convert. Use your CRM to segment and prioritize the prospects who have shown the most interest or who are most aligned with your offerings.

Focus on Filling Your Pipeline

The holidays offer a golden opportunity to focus on filling your pipeline, setting your business up for success in the new year. While some prospects may not be ready to buy immediately, keeping your lead generation efforts active ensures you're nurturing relationships that could convert early in Q1.

Don’t Perform Outreach on Actual Holidays

While it’s a good idea to stay active throughout the holiday season, it’s important to respect the key cultural and religious holidays observed by your audience. Schedule automated outreach for the days leading up to and after major holidays, but avoid sending marketing emails on days like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, and other significant celebrations such as Winter Solstice and Three Kings' Day.

Being mindful of these holidays shows respect for your audience’s diverse traditions and helps foster stronger, more positive relationships.

Reach Out on Fridays

Fridays during the holiday season are a great time for outreach. People are often in a more relaxed, positive mood and may be more open to conversation, especially with a friendly, festive tone.

Focus on Next Year’s Goals

When reaching out to leads, emphasize how your products or services can help them hit the ground running in 2025. Show empathy by acknowledging the busy season and position your offering as a solution for their future plans.

Keep the Sparkle Going

Want a little extra holiday cheer this year? Imagine being greeted with an inbox full of qualified leads when you return to the office in the new year. You’ve worked hard through 2024. You found the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. You gave to charity, and you even survived Whamageddon. You deserve to hit the ground running for Q1!

Holiday lead generation isn’t just about making sales during the slowest time of the year. It’s about setting your business up for success in 2025. By staying active, maintaining a presence, and offering value, you can build relationships, fill your pipeline, and make the new year sparkle with opportunity.

It’s Not Too Late for a Last-Minute Holiday Boost!

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Strategy Jennifer Betz Strategy Jennifer Betz

More Qualified Leads for B2B, More Productive Sales Teams: What We Do

Is your sales team struggling to find quality leads for B2B that convert? Have you thrown out the idea of making long-term growth plans in exchange for maintaining an active sales pipeline? Are you losing sleep (and maybe a little hair) trying to master complicated CRM software or squeezing in one more social media post?

Consistently generating qualified leads for B2B sales teams while maintaining productivity is a delicate balancing act that requires mastery in three key areas:

  • Strategy

  • Management

  • Execution

Lose sight of one, and the others are left on shaky ground. If you lack a clear strategy, you’re pouring your efforts into the void, leaving your sales team’s wheels spinning. Without solid management, prospects get forgotten–and valuable opportunities vanish. And no execution means an empty bank account in no time.

How We Can Help

For 30 years, Incept has provided essential resources, augmented time, and delivered the expertise needed to expand for some of the most successful businesses in the world. With our lead generation services, there is no need to have a perfect handle on everything all at once. We give you room to build your team’s strengths, no matter where you are in your growth cycle.

Incept has helped our sales efforts by providing consistent, professional outbound phone calls. They are truly a part of the team that is invested in what our company does and works with us to ensure we are moving forward in the right direction.
— CU Interface

We customize action-oriented strategies, drive qualified leads to your sales funnel, and enhance customer retention and satisfaction, so your team can focus on closing more deals.


Build a Better Strategy and a Better Team With B2B Lead Generation Services

Collaborate with us to develop a winning sales strategy you can implement right away. We’ll get you set to enter new markets in new locations, help you prepare go-to-market (GTM) plans for new products, or provide the support you need to execute on your existing blueprint to generate more leads for your B2B sales pipeline. Our results team integrates seamlessly into your existing team to provide flexible expertise based on what you need, when you need it.

Getting Started: Comprehensive Strategy Validation and Alignment

If you are looking for leads for your B2B sales team, you need more sales right now, not in nine months from now. Traditional strategy firms will take you through a long, drawn-out consultation while time ticks away – and you still aren’t getting leads.

When you work with us, we focus on quickly validating and aligning your current strategy to ensure it’s optimized. Our nimble processes fill your sales funnel as quickly as possible while we keep an eye on your long-term goals.

The Two Most Important Factors for Sales Success

Presenting a clear picture of what you sell only gets you so far. In order to close deals, you need to communicate the value of your products or services to the right people. We work with your sales team to provide action-oriented strategies that define what makes your business unique and pinpoint who is most likely to buy.

1. Understand Your Value Proposition

Our onboarding process is designed to quickly identify the problems your products or services solve, what makes your company the best candidate for the job, and how to best present these ideas to your prospects. Our pipeline management expertise provides actionable insights as we refine messaging to create effective, compelling pitches.

2. Reach Your Target Market

If your sales team is getting leads without closing deals, they are talking to the wrong people. We’ll get to the bottom of who you need to reach and take the first steps toward narrowing down your best-fit prospects.

Retention Campaigns: Generating Revenue Right Now

1. Retention Campaigns

Ignored customers are lost customers. Our relationship experts work with you to create outreach programs that ensure your existing customers are satisfied and know you are there for them.

2. Reactivate Existing Customers

Do you have new products or services your customers may not have heard about? Do you have unengaged customers who could benefit from more interaction? We know how to get your customers reengaged and keep them engaged to make the most of the relationship you have already worked hard to establish.


Empower Your Team’s Full Potential

Discover how making small adjustments makes a big difference in your revenue with our simple efficiency assessment.


Management: An Overlooked Essential for Productive Sales Operations

Project management tasks often fall into an ambiguous bucket that never gets accounted for until it begins to overwhelm. Especially if you don’t have a full-time sales manager. Let us take the pressure off and give your sales time to do what it does best–close deals.

1. Organize Vendors

Stop stressing over your sales pipeline. Managing your tech stack requires considerable amounts of time and expertise that most businesses can’t afford. We’ll keep your customer relationship management (CRM) platform data clean and up-to-date, maintain your marketing platforms, and manage your list providers, all within our flexible B2B lead generation pricing model.

2. Create Project Plans

Planning, and organizing your launch and execution seems like a piece of cake … until you’re in the weeds. We leverage our 30 years of experience to organize your launch and execution, ensuring you are never surprised. You’ll always know what you are going to get and when you are going to get it.

They do not overpromise in the sales process or during the engagement. If they cannot do something, they tell you, and if they are not sure, they tell you. You can just take their word for it – you don’t have to filter their answers or guess the real meaning.

Their operations staff and agents are dedicated and excellent. They will accept your approach if it makes good sense to them, and often make recommendations to improve your approach.

Their client services are the best I have seen, and their IT team is responsive, careful, and knowledgeable. Billing is accurate and pricing is reasonable.
— Warm Transfer Firm, Insurance Industry Client

3. Build Actionable Insights and Analysis

Every sales activity performed creates valuable insights for an agile, successful strategy. Don’t build your sales strategy on inaccurate data and faulty analysis. With our expertise in the most popular CRMs like Hubspot, Salesforce, ZoHo, and others, we’ll make sure your data is clean and your insights apply to your unique needs.

Augmenting Your Sales and Marketing Team: Excellence in Execution

You’ve no doubt experienced a push and pull between needing more staff in order to grow, and needing more revenue to hire more staff. Hiring a full-time employee is a significant investment that delivers minimal immediate benefits. And if you waited until you could feel the need, you waited too long.

If you are not ready to hire additional staff, you’ve lost staff, or you just don’t want another operational arm to invest in and manage, we can help you execute on your strategies without the long-term commitment and expense. We combine all the skills you need into one package, offering everything from B2B lead generation services to social media management, all for the price of one mid-level, full-time employee.

We Meet Your Business Where You Are

Our flexible, scalable service model provides essential, multi-channel services, generating leads for B2B sales teams here and now. We tailor your plan to your specific sales and marketing goals, and we can scale up or scale back as your business or your internal team grows and with seasonal demand. The average length of an engagement with us is about 11 months, but we support engagements lasting from 2 months to several years.

1. Lead Generation and Nurturing

  • Outbound calling

  • Email campaigns

  • Digital campaigns

  • Follow-up cadences

2. List Creation and Market Research

  • Competitive analysis

  • CRM data cleanup

  • Prospect qualification

  • Eliminate the need for purchased lists

3. Appointment Setting

  • Customized lists

  • Customized scripting

  • Numerous touchpoints through multi-channel approach

  • Lead nurturing to preferred funnel point

4. Lapsed Customer Reactivation

  • Focus on lapsed customers’ past behaviors to remind them why they partnered with you before

5. Custom Projects

  • Event recruitment

  • Survey calling

  • Curated projects to fit your needs

Client Success Stories

Working with Incept has supercharged our lead generation efforts! They have been able to use their systematic approach to consistently deliver high quality leads for our sales people. They have an uncanny ability to get in touch with key decision makers and discover critical pieces of information. I look forward to seeing how our sales will continue to grow as a result of their efforts.

“Super-charged lead generation efforts”

Our client, a premier on-site corporate restaurant management and catering company with clientele across the US, was looking to expand their qualified prospects. We got to work quickly learning their best practices, conducting account-based marketing (ABM) research and competitor analysis, and discovering the reasons for their lost business.

We then developed a multi-channel, personalized lead generation strategy that included outbound phone calls, personalized emails, and personal social media outreach through LinkedIn InMail. Our firm grasp on prospect pain points and goals helped us drive in-person appointment-setting for our client.

Throughout our first year together, we refined our strategy, which led to a 5x increase in lead output. As a result, our client closed several deals, with one deal valued at $2 million.

An Integrated Approach as Unique as Your Business

We integrate sales and marketing strategy, management, and execution to ensure you meet your lead generation goals, no matter where your business is in its growth. You pay for what you need, when you need it, without being locked into rigid contracts.

End-to-End Coverage

We integrate and expand on your existing strategy while augmenting your staff with end-to-end coverage. Our services are adaptable, and our partnership model is responsive to changing market conditions and sales strategies. We designed our multi-channel, comprehensive approach to ensure you get quick results without compromising your long-term goals.

Results-Driven Philosophy

We make your timeline our timeline, delivering the results you need, when you need them. Our experts build your strategy around retention and reactivation campaigns as well as new customer acquisition to ensure quick initial results as well as long-term growth.

Incept has assisted in increasing awareness and attendance for our events since 2016 and we couldn’t be happier with their services! It’s evident that communication is important to them as we receive updates and feedback from the team daily.
— NAEM (client since 2016)

Get More Sales, Increase Revenue, Keep Your Sales Team Busy

Lead generation requires a complex balance of strategy, management, and execution. When all the elements are there, your business can grow. But when even one element is off-kilter, it will wreak havoc on your growth and profitability.

You’re here because your business needs support to succeed. We tailor our fractional B2B lead generation services to where you are right now, keeping your sales operations agile and responsive to changes in market conditions and business strategy. Trust us to get you quick results while working toward your long-term goals.

Schedule a demo today to discover increased revenue without the risk.

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Strategy Incept Strategy Incept

Where Can I Find Intent Data for Targeting B2B Leads?

In the competitive landscape of B2B marketing, intent data has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying and targeting potential leads. Intent data offers actionable insights into a prospect's online behavior, signaling their readiness to make a purchase. By leveraging intent data, businesses can tailor their marketing strategies to engage high-intent prospects effectively. Here's a detailed guide on how to find intent data and use it to target B2B leads:

Does your sales team waste hours chasing leads that might be interested—sending emails into the void and hoping something sticks? That’s an expensive way to waste your time.

What if you could stop guessing?

Intent data changes the game. It tells you who is actively researching solutions like yours, what they care about, and when they’re ready to engage. Instead of waiting for leads to raise their hands, you get ahead of the curve—reaching them at the right moment with the right message.

The challenge is that most B2B teams aren’t using intent data correctly—or at all. Many are stuck relying on outdated prospecting methods, struggling to separate serious buyers from tire-kickers. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

But that’s also an opportunity. A solid intent data strategy gives you a competitive edge—helping you reach the right prospects before your competitors even know they’re in the market. And the best part? You don’t need a massive budget or a data science degree to get started.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through:

  • Where to find intent data (from free tools to premium providers)

  • How to use it to prioritize leads and drive better engagement

  • Practical steps to integrate intent signals into your sales and marketing strategy

No fluff, no theory—just a clear path to turning intent data into revenue.


Want to see how intent data works in the real world?

Check out our case study with Excite Exhibits—where smarter targeting and sharper outreach boosted their conversion rate to 33%.


What Is Intent Data? (And Why Does It Matter?)

According to Forrester, over 85% of companies using intent data have achieved business benefits, including increased response rates from outbound marketing and more successful sales prospecting.

That’s because intent data removes the guesswork from lead generation. Instead of chasing cold leads, your team can focus on prospects actively researching solutions like yours.

What Is Intent Data?

Intent data tracks online behaviors that indicate buying interest—things like:

  • Website visits (pages viewed, time spent, return frequency)

  • Content engagement (downloads, webinar sign-ups, case study views)

  • Search queries (keywords and topics prospects are researching)

  • Social media interactions (comments, shares, and discussions)

By analyzing these signals, businesses can identify who is seriously considering a purchase and what they care about—allowing for more strategic outreach.

Why Does Intent Data Matter?

  1. Enhanced Lead Prioritization
    Not all leads are created equal. Intent data helps identify which prospects are actively looking for a solution, so your team can focus efforts where they’re most likely to convert.

  2. Improved Personalization
    Knowing a prospect’s interests enables tailored messaging that resonates—leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

  3. Better Sales & Marketing Alignment
    Intent data bridges the gap between marketing-generated leads and sales outreach, ensuring both teams are working from the same insights.

  4. Shorter Sales Cycles
    Engaging prospects who are actively researching means faster decision-making and quicker deal closures.

  5. Competitive Advantage
    By reaching buyers before competitors do, you increase the chances of becoming their first choice.

Incorporating intent data into your strategy keeps you ahead of the competition. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, those who harness the power of intent data will be better equipped to meet the needs of their prospects and drive business growth.

Related Article: Market Trend Analysis: 7 Strategies to Spot Shifts Before Your Competition

Where to Find Intent Data

Not all intent data is the same. Some comes from your own digital properties, while other insights come from third-party providers tracking activity across the web. A strong strategy combines both for a complete picture of buyer behavior.

1. First-Party Intent Data (Your Own Channels)

First-party intent data is the most valuable and cost-effective because it comes directly from your audience. You own it, control it, and can use it immediately.

Where to find it:

  • Website analytics—Track page visits, time on site, repeat visits, and form submissions.

  • Email engagement—Open rates, click-throughs, and responses can indicate interest.

  • CRM data—Past interactions, deal history, and behavioral patterns help spot engaged prospects.

How to use it:

  • Identify visitors who repeatedly check out high-intent pages (like pricing or case studies).

  • Score leads based on behavior to prioritize follow-ups.

  • Personalize outreach based on content they’ve engaged with.

2. Third-Party Intent Data (Industry-Wide Insights)

Third-party intent data tracks buying signals beyond your website, helping you identify prospects researching solutions in your industry—even if they haven’t interacted with you yet.

Is it privacy-compliant?

Reputable third-party providers comply with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA by aggregating data at the company level rather than tracking individuals. They use anonymized insights and consent-based data collection to ensure compliance. When choosing a provider, always verify that they follow legal and ethical data practices.

Where to find it:

  • Bombora—Tracks B2B content consumption to identify companies researching specific topics.

  • TrustRadius—Shows companies reading competitor reviews and comparing software.

  • LinkedIn & social media—Engagement with relevant posts or groups can indicate buying interest.

How to use it:

  • Spot prospects before they visit your website.

  • Reach out with relevant insights instead of cold pitches.

  • Align sales and marketing to target accounts showing active interest.

3. Publicly Available Data (Free Insights to Leverage)

Not ready to invest in third-party tools? You can still tap into intent signals from publicly available sources.

Where to find it:

  • Google Trends—See what industry topics are trending in search.

  • Social listening tools (Hootsuite, Sprout Social)—Track discussions and questions from potential buyers.

  • Job listings & press releases—A company hiring for a key role or announcing a major initiative often signals upcoming buying needs.

How to use it:

  • Identify companies showing growth signals (hiring, expansions, funding).

  • Join relevant LinkedIn or Twitter discussions where prospects are asking questions.

  • Use trending search topics to create timely, relevant content.

Why a Multi-Source Approach Matters

Relying on just one type of intent data limits your visibility into buyer behavior. Research shows that combining first-party and third-party data sources gives businesses a more complete picture of their prospects, leading to better targeting and higher engagement.

By leveraging insights from your own data, industry-wide behavior, and public trends, you gain a clearer understanding of who’s actively researching solutions—and how to reach them at the right moment.

How to Use Intent Data to Drive Results

Harnessing intent data effectively can transform your B2B marketing and sales strategies. Here's how to put this powerful tool to work:

1. Prioritize High-Intent Leads

Challenge: Not all leads are ready to buy, and sifting through them can be time-consuming.​

Solution: Use intent data to identify prospects actively researching solutions like yours. By focusing on these high-intent leads, your team can allocate resources more efficiently and increase conversion rates. ​

Action Steps:

  • Analyze behavioral signals such as content downloads, frequent website visits, and engagement with industry topics.​

  • Develop a lead scoring system that assigns higher values to these intent indicators.​

  • Prioritize outreach to leads with the highest scores.

2. Personalize Outreach Efforts

Challenge: Generic messages often fail to resonate with potential customers.​

Solution: Leverage intent data to tailor your communications based on a prospect's specific interests and behaviors. Personalized outreach can significantly enhance engagement and response rates. ​

Action Steps:

  • Segment your audience based on the topics they've engaged with.​

  • Craft customized content that addresses their unique pain points and interests.​

  • Utilize personalized email campaigns, targeted ads, and tailored landing pages to create a cohesive experience.​

3. Align Sales and Marketing Teams

Challenge: Misalignment between sales and marketing can lead to missed opportunities and inefficiencies.​

Solution: Intent data serves as a common thread, providing both teams with insights into a prospect's journey. This shared understanding fosters collaboration and ensures a unified approach to lead nurturing.

Action Steps:

  • Implement regular meetings between sales and marketing to discuss intent data findings.​

  • Develop joint strategies for engaging high-intent prospects.​

  • Use shared dashboards to monitor lead progress and adjust tactics as needed.​

4. Enhance Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategies

Challenge: Identifying and engaging the right accounts can be daunting without clear insights.​

Solution: Intent data enables you to pinpoint accounts showing interest in your solutions, allowing for more targeted and effective ABM campaigns. ​

Action Steps:

  • Identify accounts exhibiting intent signals relevant to your offerings.​

  • Customize your ABM content to address the specific needs and interests of these accounts.​

  • Coordinate personalized outreach efforts across multiple channels to engage key stakeholders.​

5. Identify Upsell and Cross-Sell Opportunities

Challenge: Recognizing existing customers' evolving needs can be challenging.​

Solution: Monitor intent data to uncover signals that current customers are interested in additional products or services, enabling timely and relevant upsell or cross-sell offers. ​

Action Steps:

  • Track customer engagement with content related to your other offerings.​

  • Reach out proactively with tailored recommendations based on their demonstrated interests.​

  • Provide exclusive offers or incentives to encourage further purchases.​

By implementing these strategies, you can transform raw intent data into actionable insights, driving meaningful results for your business. Ready to take the next step? Let's explore how to get started with intent data integration.

Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Approach

Intent data can be a game-changer, but only if you know how to implement it. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining an existing strategy, here’s a step-by-step approach to integrating intent data into your sales and marketing efforts.

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

Before diving in, clarify what you want to achieve with intent data.

Are you looking to:

  • Generate more high-quality leads?

  • Improve sales outreach and engagement?

  • Strengthen account-based marketing (ABM) efforts?

  • Reduce churn and find upsell opportunities?

Setting clear objectives will guide which data sources, tools, and strategies make the most sense for your team.

Step 2: Choose the Right Type of Intent Data

Based on your goals, determine which type of intent data will be most valuable:

  • First-party intent data – Ideal for refining outreach to prospects already engaging with your brand (website analytics, email engagement, CRM data).

  • Third-party intent data – Best for discovering new prospects actively researching industry solutions (Bombora, G2, TrustRadius).

  • Publicly available data – Great for identifying market trends and competitive insights (Google Trends, social listening tools, press releases).

Many companies combine multiple types to create a more complete picture of buyer behavior.

Step 3: Select the Right Tools

Before investing in new platforms, start with what you already have—most businesses are already sitting on valuable first-party data that can be put to use immediately. Website analytics, CRM insights, and email engagement metrics offer powerful intent signals without any additional cost. Once you've tapped into these resources, you can layer in third-party and social listening tools to expand your reach and uncover new prospects.

  • CRM & Marketing Automation – HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo (for first-party data integration).

  • Third-Party Intent Platforms – Bombora, Demandbase, 6sense (for broader market insights).

  • Social Listening & Search Trend Tools – Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Google Trends (for public intent signals).

Step 4: Align Sales and Marketing

Intent data is most effective when sales and marketing teams are working from the same insights. To ensure alignment:

  • Define what intent signals matter most for prioritizing leads.

  • Create a shared dashboard where both teams can track real-time intent data.

  • Set up regular sync meetings to discuss top prospects and adjust strategies accordingly.

Step 5: Test, Optimize, and Scale

Intent data strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all. Start with a pilot program by applying intent data to a small segment of your audience, then track performance.

Key metrics to monitor:

  • Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate (Are you engaging more qualified prospects?)

  • Email response rates and ad engagement (Is personalization improving results?)

  • Sales cycle length (Is intent data helping close deals faster?)

Use these insights to refine your approach and gradually scale intent data efforts across all outreach and marketing campaigns.

Quick Win: Start with the Data You Already Have

If you’re new to intent data, don’t overcomplicate it. Start by analyzing first-party data—identify website visitors who frequently check pricing pages, webinar attendees, or prospects who engage with multiple emails. These are your warmest leads.

Following these five steps will help you build a structured, effective intent data strategy that improves targeting, personalization, and sales efficiency.

Turn Intent Data into Action

Most B2B teams are sitting on more buyer insights than they realize. Intent data isn’t just a trend—it’s a competitive advantage. When used correctly, it helps you stop chasing cold leads and start engaging the right prospects at the right time.

By following a structured approach—leveraging first-party data, integrating third-party insights, aligning sales and marketing, and continuously optimizing your strategy—you can turn intent signals into revenue-driving actions.

Ready to Get Started?

You don’t need a massive budget or complex tech stack to start using intent data effectively. Begin with the data you already have, test small, and refine your approach as you go.

If you need some help implementing intent data into your lead generation strategy, we can help. Let’s talk about how you can put intent insights to work for your team—starting today.

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10 Actionable Tips to Boost Your B2B Sales Campaign Today

In the competitive world of B2B sales, staying ahead of the curve requires constant improvement and adaptation. Here are ten actionable strategies you can implement right now to boost your B2B sales campaign:

Are you tired of the constant uphill battle to find new clients and close deals? Whether you're looking to fine-tune your strategy or take your campaign to the next level, making a few strategic changes can dramatically increase your chances of success.

And sometimes, all you need to get started is a little inspiration! To help you start on your path to future success, we’ve curated ten actions you can take right now to make your B2B sales campaign more profitable, helping you close deals faster and win more revenue.

1. Put Your Data Analytics Tools to Work

Are you making full use of the data analytics tools available to you? Data drives today’s best sales campaigns. By leveraging analytics tools like Google Analytics or CRM platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.), you can uncover patterns in buyer behavior that reveal what’s working and where you might be losing traction. Use these insights to adjust your targeting, optimize messaging, and make data-driven decisions at every step.

Some of these tools—like the dashboards you’ll find in your CRM software—are designed specifically for sales and marketing team alignment. They deliver powerful insights that help you understand how your team is working together (or struggling) to engage your leads and close deals.

For instance, tracking where leads drop off in the sales process can reveal if messaging, timing, or targeting needs adjustment. If conversion rates are low at a particular stage, that might signal a need to tweak the offer or timing.

Pro Tip: Set up a dashboard to track key metrics such as conversion rates, lead quality, and sales cycle length. This will keep your team on the same page and allow you to make informed adjustments without losing momentum.

2. Customize Every Message for Maximum Impact

Generic outreach is a thing of the past. Personalized messages have a much higher chance of resonating with prospects, increasing open rates, responses, and engagement. Start by addressing each contact by name, acknowledging their role or company, and tailoring the message to their industry’s unique challenges. The more specific you can be, the better.

Get specific on what your message is about in a concise, straightforward subject line. Then dive right into the nitty-gritty on what problems you aim to solve with your products or services. Bonus points if you get a link to your website hyperlinked to highly-relevant anchor text in the first paragraph.

Why It Works: When prospects feel understood, they’re more likely to engage. With tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or email tracking plugins, you can go deeper into personalization, making it clear you understand and can meet their needs.

3. Refine and Highlight Your Unique Value

What sets you apart? An effective value proposition should go beyond features to communicate exactly how your service solves a problem for your target clients. Does it save time? Improve their processes? Drive revenue?

How does your product or service solve problems differently from your competitors? Is it less expensive? More effective? Easier to use? More comprehensive? Communicate the specific benefits that make your solution indispensable.

Quick Exercise: Try boiling your value proposition down to one sentence. Test it with different audiences until it’s clear, compelling, and directly aligned with their needs.

4. Optimize Your Website as a Conversion Machine

First impressions matter, and often, your website is the first interaction potential clients have with your brand. Is your site designed to turn visitors into leads? Make sure you have clear, enticing calls-to-action (CTAs) that address every stage of the customer journey, easy navigation, and valuable resources (such as blogs, white papers, or case studies) that speak directly to your target audience.

There are plenty of free tools that help you track your website’s performance, in addition to some great paid platforms that help you drill down into what your audience is searching for.

3 free tools we love:

GA4

Google Search Console

Microsoft Clarity

Remember: In the B2B space, websites should be built around the needs of decision-makers who value quick, actionable insights. Make it easy for them to understand your offerings, see social proof, and get in touch.

5. Invest in Content That Adds Real Value

High-quality content positions your company as a thought leader in your industry. Consider blog posts, guides, case studies, and whitepapers that address common challenges your clients face. Not only will this content drive organic traffic to your website, but it will also build credibility with your prospects, making it easier to move them through the sales funnel.

Blog content boosts your website’s performance when you post regularly, and you can use this content to help readers understand your brand and search engines understand which parts of your website are most important. Guides, case studies, and whitepapers are all great gated assets that you can use to drive your inbound marketing efforts.

Ideas to Try: Develop a blog series around industry challenges or create a downloadable resource that offers exclusive insights. Share these assets on social media, in your newsletter, or as a follow-up to cold outreach.

6. Use Testimonials and Case Studies to Build Credibility

Trust is essential in B2B sales, where high-value transactions mean high stakes. Showcase the experiences of past or current clients to illustrate the results you’ve achieved. Adding testimonials, success stories, and even client logos on your site and marketing materials can make your value tangible to new prospects.

Use testimonials on your website’s homepage, relevant product pages, and even in your email sequences. Strategically placed, they reinforce trust and provide validation at each stage of the buyer’s journey.

Keep in mind that if you are using your customer’s name or logo, you’ll want to get permission to do so before taking live on your website or in your promotional materials.

For Best Results: Use specific numbers or tangible outcomes in your testimonials, like “increased leads by 50%” or “cut costs by 30%,” so prospects can immediately see the potential impact.

7. Engage on Social Media—Strategically

Social media is a powerful tool for B2B lead generation and engagement. LinkedIn, in particular, can help you connect with decision-makers directly. Share relevant content, participate in industry conversations, and engage with your prospects through meaningful comments and direct messages.

Social media platforms provide a great opportunity to build relationships. Make sure you are posting a mix of engaging content that is useful and entertaining, not just creating another wall of promotional materials.

Social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook tend to give extra visibility to new features they introduce, like video, polls, or AI tools. Adopting these features early can give you a visibility boost and show that your brand is on the cutting edge.

Use polls to understand your audience’s challenges, post videos highlighting new success stories, and experiment with AI-driven messaging or analytics tools. Embracing new features not only maximizes your reach but also signals to prospects that your business is dynamic and forward-thinking.

Pro Tip: Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to narrow down high-potential prospects and engage with them personally. This approach can turn your LinkedIn presence into a high-value extension of your sales team.

8. Fine-Tune Your Pitch and Keep Practicing

Your sales pitch should be refined regularly to keep it relevant and resonant. Remember, an effective pitch goes beyond listing features to show how your solution addresses a prospect’s specific needs. Focus on outcomes and frame your solution as a direct answer to their problem.

Schedule regular practice sessions with your team, and make sure you are all up-to-date on the latest intel about your audience and effective sales strategies.

Tip: Record your pitch and listen for areas where you could simplify language or connect better to client pain points. Use team feedback sessions to gather insights and improve your approach.

9. Implement a Thoughtful Lead Nurturing Strategy

Not every lead will be ready to buy on first contact. That’s why it’s essential to nurture leads over time through strategic follow-ups, email drip campaigns, and retargeting ads that keep your brand top-of-mind until they’re ready to take the next step.

This is another place you can put that content you’ve been working on to good use. Send prospects educational marketing materials to help them stay informed and pique their interest. Include links to engaging blogs that position your company as a trusted authority in your industry to build trust.

Try This: Use email sequences to deliver relevant, valuable content to prospects at regular intervals. This keeps them engaged and builds trust while they move through the buying journey.

10. Keep Your Sales Team Up to Date with Training

An informed, motivated sales team is critical to closing deals. Equip your team with regular sales training that covers your offerings, new sales techniques, CRM best practices, and the latest market trends. A knowledgeable sales team inspires confidence and can convey your value proposition more effectively, leading to shorter sales cycles and higher conversion rates.

Bonus Tip: Be intentional with your training. Schedule weekly, monthly, or quarterly workshops that bring together your sales, marketing, and operations teams to discuss wins, challenges, and strategies. This cross-functional approach not only keeps everyone aligned but also uncovers valuable insights and best practices from different perspectives that you might not get in siloed sessions.

Simple Solutions, Tangible Improvement

Implementing even a few of these strategies can have a huge impact on your sales success. Start small, track the results, and watch your B2B campaign become a powerful revenue driver.

Looking for your sales operations to smash your goals now and in the long-run? We can help! From lead generation and appointment setting to end-to-end sales campaign management, we provide the expertise and resources to amplify your growth.

Our team integrates seamlessly with yours, offering everything you need to accelerate your sales without the hassle of hiring or long-term contracts, and our clients close deals worth millions of dollars monthly based on leads we generate. Get in touch to see how we can help you reach your sales goals faster.

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