What's the difference between firmographic and technographic data?

Firmographic data describes a company's business attributes, things like industry, revenue, headcount, and location. Technographic data describes a company's technology footprint, the tools, software, and IT infrastructure it actually uses. Firmographics tell you what kind of company you're looking at. Technographics tell you how that company operates day to day, which is often a better signal of readiness for a new tool or platform.

What are the most important firmographic segmentation variables?

The core variables are industry, revenue, company size, location, performance (incorporation year, growth trends, profit or loss), and executive title. Industry and revenue narrow down who can realistically buy and afford your product. Company size and location shape how a message should be positioned. Performance and executive title help you time outreach and identify the right buyer within the account.

What's the difference between TAM and SOM in account segmentation?

TAM (Total Addressable Market) is the full universe of companies that could theoretically use your product. SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market) is the narrower subset within that market where timing, need, and readiness actually align right now. Most teams waste budget targeting TAM broadly. Shifting focus to SOM means prioritizing accounts showing real signals of readiness instead of just fitting a generic profile.

How does intent data improve on firmographic and technographic segmentation alone?

Firmographic and technographic data tell you what a company looks like and what tools it runs, but not when it's ready to buy. Intent data adds that timing layer by tracking active buying signals such as website visits, pricing page views, and competitor research. Combining all three moves segmentation from a static profile match to a real-time signal of purchase readiness, which is the difference between guessing and knowing.

How can I use technographic and firmographic data to identify sales-ready accounts?

Start by filtering your target list using firmographic criteria like industry, revenue, and headcount to define who fits your ICP. Then layer in technographic data to see which of those accounts are using tools that signal a need for your solution, or a gap you can fill. Accounts that match both profiles become your qualified segment, and adding intent signals on top of that narrows it further to accounts actively showing buying behavior right now.