Intent signals
Also called: Behavioural signals, Buying signals
Intent signals are observable behaviours that indicate how close a person is to buying, such as repeatedly viewing one model's listing, requesting an on-road price, comparing finance options, or replying quickly to a follow-up message.
Intent signals in dealership marketing
Used well, intent signals let a dealership prioritise its follow-up: the buyer who opened a price message three times gets a call before the one who never opened it. They also feed advertising, by building audiences from people who behaved like buyers rather than people who merely clicked.
Signals are only useful if they are captured in one place. Website behaviour, message engagement, and call records that live in separate tools cannot be combined into a single view of a buyer.
Related terms
- Advertising
Lookalike audience
A lookalike audience is an advertising audience built by the platform to resemble a source group the advertiser supplies, such as past customers or recent enquirers, so that ads reach new people with similar characteristics.
Read definition - Leads & Sales
Lead qualification
Lead qualification is the process of checking whether an enquiry is worth a salesperson's time by confirming intent, budget, location, and timeline before it is worked as a sales opportunity.
Read definition - Data & Systems
Automotive CRM
An automotive CRM is customer relationship management software built around the stages of a vehicle sale, tracking every lead from first enquiry through test drive, booking, and delivery, with follow-up reminders tied to each stage.
Read definition
Where it applies
AutoSutra services where intent signals comes into play.
Further reading
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