Short answer
Fit measures how closely a company matches your ICP (ideal customer profile), the kind of company that buys from you. Intent measures dated buying signals that suggest a company may need you now. Call companies with high fit and high intent first. In Mach, both run from 0 to 100 and a fixed formula sets them, so the AI doesn't pick the number.
Fit: is this the kind of company that buys from you?
Fit compares a company with your ICP. An ICP is a short list of signs you can check, such as "two or more warehouses" or "plans stock by hand".
- Each sign is met, not met or not known.
- A met sign shows where it came from.
- A sign nobody could check neither adds nor takes away.
Fit changes slowly. A company that fits today will probably fit next year.
Intent: do they need you now?
Intent comes from buying signals: dated events that suggest a company may need what you sell now. A new site opening, a hiring push or a new leader can all be buying signals.
The date matters. A signal from last week says more than one from last year. Each one should show where it came from, so you can mention it with confidence.
Put fit and intent together
| Intent high | Intent low | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit high | Call first. They match and may need you now. | Keep in touch. Watch for a buying signal. |
| Fit low | Look again. Your ICP may be missing something. | Not now. |
Mach turns the two scores into one plain verdict: In market, Warming or Not now. The best company sits at the top of your list.
What neither score proves
A high score doesn't prove a budget or a decision. Good research also gives the reasons against, so your rep isn't surprised on the call.
When there is too little public information, the honest answer is "not enough to go on". Mach says so, instead of guessing.
How Mach does it
Mach reads each company's website and news and checks it against the ICPs in your Brain. Then it writes an Intent brief with one answer and the reasons against. See Research.