From cold to contextual: how intent drives modern outbound

Outbound stops feeling cold when intent replaces personalisation and timing replaces tricks.

Who this is for

Teams who want outbound to feel relevant without relying on gimmicky personalisation.

Introduction

Personalisation didn’t fail.

Bad timing did.

Why most personalisation falls flat

First names don’t create relevance.

Context does.

Buyers want to know why you’re emailing them now.

What intent actually means

Intent is a signal that something has changed.

Hiring. Leadership moves. Strategic shifts. Market pressure.

That change creates openness.

How high performing teams use intent

They:
• Track external signals
• Match them to ICPs
• Adjust messaging by trigger
• Prioritise urgency

That’s how outbound stops feeling cold.