Purchase Intent
Purchase intent is the likelihood that a prospect is ready and willing to buy, inferred from their behaviors, stated needs, and engagement signals.
In depth
Purchase intent sits at the sharp end of the intent spectrum: while general intent shows topic curiosity, purchase intent reflects bottom-of-funnel actions like requesting pricing, comparing vendors, or stating a clear timeline and budget. Marketers estimate it from a blend of explicit declarations and behavioral signals, then use it to decide who gets a sales touch versus continued nurture.
A common pitfall is conflating engagement with intent — a prospect can binge your blog without any plan to buy, so high activity alone overstates readiness and clogs the pipeline with poor-fit conversations. In a quiz-funnel workflow, a scorecard quiz measures purchase intent directly by asking about timeline, budget, and decision authority, then scores each respondent so only genuinely high-intent leads are routed to sales while the rest enter nurture.
Example in practice
Frequently asked questions
What signals indicate purchase intent?
Strong signals include requesting pricing, comparing vendors, and stating a clear timeline, budget, or decision authority. These bottom-of-funnel actions show readiness rather than general curiosity.
Is high engagement the same as purchase intent?
No. A prospect can consume lots of content without any plan to buy, so activity alone overstates readiness. Combining engagement with explicit declarations gives a more accurate read.
How can a quiz measure purchase intent?
A scorecard quiz asks directly about timeline, budget, and decision authority, then scores each respondent. Only high-intent leads are routed to sales while others continue in nurture.