TL;DR: Intent-based lead generation finds people actively looking for solutions like yours—right now. Instead of cold outreach (0.1% response rate), you reach buyers expressing needs. Prems users see 4-10x better conversion rates because they're reaching people who already want to buy.

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What is Intent-Based Lead Generation?

Intent-based lead generation is a sales strategy that identifies prospects actively searching for solutions you offer — right now. Instead of broadcasting to cold audiences, you find people who already raised their hand by posting questions, comparing tools, or expressing frustration on social platforms. This is the opposite of cold outreach, which has stopped working.

The core insight: someone posting "Can anyone recommend a CRM?" is infinitely more valuable than 1,000 people on an email list who didn't ask to hear from you.

Why Intent Data Beats Cold Outreach

Intent-based leads convert at 14.6% vs. cold outreach's 1.7% close rate, cost 3-6x less per lead, and close in 7-14 days instead of 60-90. The advantage comes from reaching people at the exact moment they're actively evaluating solutions.

The numbers tell the story:

Types of Intent Signals

Intent signals fall into three categories by value: direct intent ("recommend me a tool"), problem awareness ("I'm struggling with X"), and research intent ("comparing X vs Y"). Direct intent signals convert at the highest rate because the buyer has already decided to purchase — they're just choosing which solution.

Direct Intent (Highest Value)

• "Looking for a tool to do X"
• "Can anyone recommend..."
• "What's the best solution for..."

Problem Awareness (High Value)

• "I'm struggling with X"
• "Frustrated with my current Y"
• "Anyone else dealing with..."

Research Intent (Medium Value)

• "Comparing X vs Y"
• "Has anyone tried..."
• "What do you use for..."

But what about first-party vs third-party intent data? Social platform intent signals are first-party — the buyer explicitly posted their need publicly. This is more reliable than third-party intent data (anonymous website visits, content downloads) because the signal is unambiguous: the person literally wrote "I need X."

Where to Find Intent Signals

The five best sources for intent signals in 2026 are Reddit (direct questions in niche subreddits), Hacker News (tech buyers evaluating tools), LinkedIn (professional problem discussions), X/Twitter (real-time pain expressions), and industry-specific forums. Monitoring multiple platforms simultaneously catches signals wherever they appear. We break down each platform in our best platforms to find SaaS customers guide.

The best sources for intent data in 2026:

1. Reddit — Direct questions in niche subreddits
2. Hacker News — Tech buyers evaluating tools
3. LinkedIn — Professional problem discussions
4. X/Twitter — Real-time pain point expressions
5. Industry Forums — Deep domain discussions

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"No outreach should be cold outreach—it should become warm outreach. You should learn about the people you're messaging. It should feel personal, unique, and legitimate." — Louis Nicholls, Sales for Founders

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FAQ

What is intent-based lead generation? Intent-based lead generation identifies prospects who are actively searching for solutions like yours by analyzing their online behavior, questions, and discussions rather than cold outreach based on demographics alone.

How does intent data improve conversion rates? Intent data improves conversions by 10x or more because you reach prospects at the exact moment they are researching solutions, rather than interrupting them with unsolicited outreach.

What are examples of buying intent signals? Key buying intent signals include: asking for recommendations, comparing solutions, mentioning budget or timeline, expressing frustration with current tools, and searching for specific features or pricing.

En bref : La génération de leads basée sur l'intention trouve des personnes qui cherchent activement des solutions comme la vôtre—maintenant. Au lieu du démarchage à froid (0,1% de taux de réponse), vous touchez des acheteurs qui expriment leurs besoins. Les utilisateurs Prems voient des taux de conversion 4-10x meilleurs car ils atteignent des gens qui veulent déjà acheter.

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Qu'est-ce que la génération de leads basée sur l'intention ?

La génération de leads basée sur l'intention est une stratégie commerciale qui se concentre sur la recherche de prospects qui recherchent, évaluent ou cherchent activement des solutions aux problèmes que vous résolvez. Contrairement au marketing outbound traditionnel, qui diffuse des messages à des audiences froides, la vente basée sur l'intention cible les personnes qui ont déjà levé la main.

L'insight clé : quelqu'un qui poste « Quelqu'un peut recommander un CRM ? » a infiniment plus de valeur que 1 000 personnes sur une liste email qui n'ont pas demandé à avoir de vos nouvelles.

Pourquoi l'intention bat le démarchage à froid

Les chiffres parlent d'eux-mêmes :

Types de signaux d'intention

Intention directe (Plus haute valeur)

• « Je cherche un outil pour faire X »
• « Quelqu'un peut recommander... »
• « Quelle est la meilleure solution pour... »

Conscience du problème (Haute valeur)

• « J'ai du mal avec X »
• « Frustré par mon Y actuel »
• « Quelqu'un d'autre a ce problème... »

Intention de recherche (Valeur moyenne)

• « Comparaison X vs Y »
• « Quelqu'un a essayé... »
• « Vous utilisez quoi pour... »

Où trouver des signaux d'intention

Les meilleures sources de données d'intention en 2026 :

1. Reddit — Questions directes dans des subreddits de niche
2. Hacker News — Acheteurs tech qui évaluent des outils
3. LinkedIn — Discussions professionnelles sur les problèmes
4. X/Twitter — Signaux d'intention d'achat en temps réel
5. Forums d'industrie — Discussions approfondies par domaine

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« Aucun démarchage ne devrait être froid—il devrait devenir chaud. Vous devriez apprendre sur les personnes que vous contactez. Ça devrait être personnel, unique et légitime. » — Louis Nicholls, Sales for Founders