If you’re reading this, you’re probably the person everyone looks to when it’s time to get leads out of a tool and into your sales team’s hands—quickly, cleanly, and without a million headaches. This guide is for anyone who’s just started using ExportApollo.io, or honestly, anyone who’s had enough of messy exports and sales reps grumbling about “bad leads.” I’ll walk you through the process, step by step, and call out what actually matters (and what’s just noise).
Step 1: Get Set Up in ExportApollo.io
Let’s not overthink it. Before you can export anything, you’ll need an account on ExportApollo.io. The signup is pretty standard: email, password, maybe a company name.
Pro tip: If you’re on a free trial, double-check if there are export limits. Some tools wave a lot of features in your face, then pull them back once you hit a paywall.
Once logged in, poke around the dashboard. Don’t worry about every button—focus on:
- Lead lists (usually where your prospects live)
- Filtering/search tools
- Export options (CSV, direct CRM sync, etc.)
If you’re lost, skip the “product tour” and head to the help docs or chat support. Most of these walkthroughs just eat up time.
Step 2: Build a List of Qualified Leads
Here’s where most people mess up: exporting everything and assuming “the more, the better.” Quantity is easy. Quality is what sales actually wants.
What makes a lead “qualified”?
Short answer: That depends on your sales team. But, at a minimum, you want leads that match your target industry, company size, job title, and any other red flags you’ve learned to spot.
How to filter in ExportApollo.io:
- Open your leads/prospects page.
- Use the sidebar or filter bar—usually you can filter by:
- Industry/vertical
- Company size (employee count, revenue)
- Location
- Job title or seniority
- Technology used (sometimes called “tech stack”)
- Apply the filters and review the results.
Gut check:
Don’t just trust the numbers. Spot-check a handful of leads. If you see a bunch of students, consultants, or companies way outside your target, tweak your filters.
What to ignore
- “Intent” scores: These are often vague. If your sales team doesn’t use them, skip.
- AI recommendations: Sometimes helpful, sometimes off. Trust your own criteria first.
Pro tip: Save your filter as a “Smart List” if ExportApollo.io allows. It saves time next time around.
Step 3: Clean Up the Data (Don’t Skip This)
This is the step everyone wants to skip, but it’s the difference between a sales rep loving you and forwarding your spreadsheet to /dev/null.
Why bother cleaning?
- Duplicates annoy everyone.
- Bad emails = wasted time and higher bounce rates.
- Wrong job titles end up in embarrassing outreach.
What to check for:
- Duplicate leads: Most platforms have a “dedupe” option. If not, export a small batch first and check in Excel or Google Sheets.
- Missing fields: If key info (like email or company) is blank, decide if you want to keep or toss.
- Obvious junk: “Test” accounts, random Gmail addresses, or companies that don’t fit your profile.
Reality check:
No export tool is perfect. Some junk will slip through. The goal is “good enough,” not “perfect.”
Step 4: Export Your Leads
You’ve got a clean, qualified list. Time to get it out of the tool and into a format your sales team can actually use.
Common export options:
- CSV/Excel download: Universally accepted, but you’ll need to send the file manually.
- Direct CRM export: If you’re using Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar, ExportApollo.io may connect directly. This is slick, but check field mapping closely.
- Email export: Generally, avoid this unless your sales team is tiny—it gets messy fast.
How to export in ExportApollo.io:
- Select your qualified leads—either the whole filtered list or pick manually.
- Click “Export” or “Download.” (Sometimes it’s hidden in a drop-down menu.)
- Choose your format (CSV is safest).
- If sending to a CRM, double-check the mapping. Field mismatches are a pain to clean up later.
Pro tip:
Export a small test batch first—maybe 10 leads. Make sure everything shows up how you expect in your sales tool. Fix issues now, not after you’ve dumped 1,000 leads in.
What to watch out for:
- Field order and naming: Salespeople hate columns labeled “Custom_Field_1.”
- Lost data: Some exports drop fields if you’re not careful. Always check.
Step 5: Get Leads in Front of Your Sales Team
Now that you’ve got your export file (or CRM sync), make sure your sales team actually gets it—and knows what to do with it.
If you’re sending a CSV:
- Share via Google Drive, Dropbox, or whatever your team actually checks.
- Add a quick note: who’s in the list, why they’re qualified, and any quirks.
- Include a “README” tab if you’re feeling generous—explain any weird fields.
If syncing to a CRM:
- Tag or assign the leads clearly. “June 2024 ExportApollo” is better than “Untitled Import.”
- Tell the team what’s new, what’s different, and if anything needs double-checking.
Pro tip:
Don’t just dump the file and disappear. Ask for feedback: Did the leads work? Anything missing? It’ll make your next export better.
Step 6: Iterate—Don’t Set It and Forget It
The first export won’t be perfect. That’s normal. Here’s how to actually get better:
- Ask sales what worked and what didn’t. Did they find a lot of bounced emails? Were the job titles off?
- Tweak your filters for next time. Maybe you went too broad, or missed a key industry.
- Document your steps—even if it’s just a Google Doc. Future you (or your replacement) will thank you.
Stuff that doesn’t matter as much as you think:
- Obsessing over every field. Sales will ignore most columns anyway.
- Exporting every possible lead. It’s better to have a short, high-quality list than a giant spreadsheet full of duds.
- Fancy automation—at least at the start. Get the basics right first.
Quick Recap and Final Thoughts
Exporting leads from ExportApollo.io isn’t rocket science, but there are a dozen little ways it can go sideways. Focus on quality over quantity. Clean your data, check your exports, and—most importantly—talk to your sales team. Keep it simple, ship your first batch, and improve from there. Don’t get sucked into the hype of “AI-powered lead generation” or endless filter tweaking. You’ll learn way more by just doing it, seeing what works, and iterating.
Good luck, and remember: your job is to get good leads to people who can actually close them. That’s it. Everything else is just noise.