The Intentional Wire Score (IWS) explained
Sjors Teeuwen
GTM Strategy Lead
Key Takeaways
- •IWS measures intentional connectedness between your organization and potential buyers
- •Traditional intent models focus on volume; IWS prioritizes context and proximity
- •Person-level analysis reveals buying group dynamics before rolling up to account-level scoring
- •The "wire" represents human networks and trust relationships through which intent flows
- •IWS helps teams distinguish noise from real buying momentum, improving GTM efficiency
In modern B2B markets, the challenge is no longer a lack of signals. It is understanding which signals actually represent real buying intent.
Go to market teams are surrounded by data. Website visits, content consumption, social engagement, account activity and intent scores all suggest momentum. Yet sales conversations still feel poorly timed, pipelines remain unpredictable, and teams struggle to agree on which accounts truly matter right now.
The missing distinction is not between high and low activity, but between incidental interest and intentional intent.
The Intentional Wire Score, or IWS, was created to make that distinction visible.
Why traditional intent models fall short
Most intent models are built around probability and scale. They aggregate large volumes of behavioral data and translate them into scores that suggest an account may be "in market."
These models are useful, but incomplete.
They tend to focus on what is easy to observe: topic research, page views, ad interactions, keyword consumption, and marketplace behavior. What they often miss is why that activity is happening and how it connects to an actual buying decision.
In B2B, intent does not emerge randomly. It develops through conversations, relationships, recommendations, and internal alignment. Those dynamics rarely show up clearly in traditional intent datasets.
As a result, teams see motion but lack confidence. They act on probability instead of conviction.
What the Intentional Wire Score measures
The Intentional Wire Score does not measure interest in the abstract. It measures intentional connectedness between your organization and a potential buyer.
At its core, IWS answers a simple but critical question:
Is there a meaningful, intentional connection forming that increases the likelihood of a real buying decision?
Instead of treating all signals equally, IWS weights signals based on their proximity to real human intent. Signals that are closer to people, relationships, and decision making dynamics carry more weight than broad or anonymous activity.
This shifts intent scoring from volume based to context based.
From signals to intentionality
Not all signals are created equal.
A single website visit may indicate curiosity. A repeated visit from multiple people in the same organization suggests coordination. Engagement that occurs through existing relationships or trusted networks often signals something stronger: intent that is being shaped deliberately.
The Intentional Wire Score is designed to recognize these differences. It looks at how signals relate to each other over time and how they align with real buying behavior inside an organization.
This makes it possible to distinguish noise from momentum.
Why "wire" matters in IWS
The word "wire" is intentional.
Buying intent in B2B moves through human networks. It travels along existing connections, shared context, and trust relationships. Deals often start not because of a campaign, but because someone knows someone, has seen something before, or trusts a recommendation.
IWS is built to detect when those wires are being activated.
When intent flows through existing connections, it is more likely to turn into a real conversation and, eventually, into revenue.
The Intentional Wire Score captures this dynamic by prioritizing signals that indicate proximity, relevance, and credibility.
Person level intent and buying groups
Another key difference between IWS and traditional intent scoring is the unit of analysis.
Traditional intent models usually operate at the account level. IWS operates at the person level first, and then rolls up to the buying group and the account.
This matters because B2B decisions are made by groups, not individuals. Intent often appears unevenly across a decision making unit. One person may be active while others remain invisible.
IWS helps reveal whether a buying group is actually forming, which roles are involved, and where intent is concentrated.
This allows teams to avoid single threaded engagement and focus on real buying dynamics.
How IWS changes go to market execution
When teams rely solely on traditional intent scores, execution often becomes reactive. Outreach is triggered by spikes in activity rather than by meaningful readiness.
With IWS, execution becomes more deliberate.
Teams can prioritize accounts where intent is both visible and intentional. They can tailor outreach based on who is actually involved. They can align marketing and sales around shared confidence instead of debated probabilities.
This leads to better timing, more relevant conversations, and less wasted effort.
Why IWS matters now
As B2B markets become more competitive and buying journeys become less linear, efficiency becomes critical. Teams cannot afford to chase every signal or treat all engagement as equal.
The Intentional Wire Score exists to help teams focus on what truly matters: signals that reflect real human intent, real buying groups, and real momentum.
It is not about predicting the future. It is about seeing the present more clearly.
See IWS in action
Discover how the Intentional Wire Score helps you identify real buying intent.