If you’re selling B2B and tired of blasting the same tired emails to every lead, this guide’s for you. Segmentation isn’t magic, but it does work—if you do it right. This article cuts through the noise and walks you through using advanced filters in Prospeo to build B2B lists that actually make sense. Whether you’re in sales, marketing, or somewhere in between, you’ll walk away knowing how to slice your audience without overcomplicating things.
Why Segment Your B2B List in the First Place?
Let’s be honest: most B2B outreach flops because it’s generic. “Hi, {{first_name}}, thought you’d be interested in our solution!” No thanks.
The real reason to segment is simple: - You stop annoying people who’ll never buy. - You can tailor your pitch to folks who actually care. - You save time and reduce unsubscribes (or worse, spam complaints).
Prospeo’s advanced filters are like a sharp knife for your list. But a sharp knife cuts both ways—use it well, or you’ll end up with a mess.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Segmentation Goals
Before you even open Prospeo, ask: What do I actually want to accomplish with segmentation?
Don’t just segment for the sake of it. Some common real goals: - Prioritize high-value accounts for sales outreach - Identify companies that match your best customers - Find warm leads for specific campaigns (like a new product launch) - Weed out dead weight (e.g., students, agencies, or companies you can’t legally sell to)
Pro tip: Write this down. If you can’t explain your goal in one sentence, you’re probably overthinking it.
Step 2: Clean Up Your Source Data
No filter can save you from bad data. If your list is full of outdated contacts, duplicates, or random Gmail addresses, fix that first.
- Start with the basics: Remove obvious junk (like test accounts or bounces).
- Standardize fields: Make sure “Company Size” isn’t a mashup of “100-500,” “1-5k,” and “Large.”
- Fill gaps where it matters: Missing job titles or industries? Either enrich it or accept it’ll be excluded from some segments.
Don’t get stuck making your data “perfect.” Just make it good enough that filters won’t spit out garbage.
Step 3: Map Out the Key Filters That Matter
Prospeo’s advanced filters let you slice by almost anything: industry, company size, title, tech stack, revenue, location, and custom tags.
But more isn’t always better. Stick to filters that actually change your approach, like:
- Firmographics: Industry, company size, revenue. These are your bread and butter.
- Job titles and functions: Who really signs the check? Don’t just target “CEO” because it sounds good.
- Technographics: What tools do they use? (Useful if your product integrates with, say, Salesforce.)
- Intent or engagement signals: Opened emails, visited your pricing page, etc.—if you have this data.
- Exclusions: Who shouldn’t you reach out to? Blacklist competitors or existing customers.
What to ignore: Don’t go wild with niche filters (like “has a ping pong table,” unless you’re selling ping pong balls). Stick to what actually matters for your goals.
Step 4: Build Segments in Prospeo Without Overcomplicating
Here’s where most people mess up: they build 25 micro-segments, then forget which is which. Keep it simple.
In Prospeo, do this:
- Open the Audience or Contacts section.
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Prospeo’s UI is pretty self-explanatory, but don’t be afraid to use the search bar.
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Use Advanced Filters.
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Stack filters sensibly: e.g., “Industry = SaaS” AND “Company Size = 100-500” AND “Job Title contains ‘VP’ or ‘Director’”.
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Preview your segment.
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Always check the count. Did you just filter down to two people? Or 20,000? If it’s too small or too big, tweak.
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Name your segments clearly.
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“Midmarket SaaS—VP Product, North America” is better than “List 3.”
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Save and document your logic somewhere.
- Prospeo’s notes field is handy. If you leave, someone else should know why this segment exists.
What works: - Combining 2-4 filters for clear, actionable groups - Using “OR” to broaden when you need volume, “AND” to tighten when you need relevance - Excluding current customers or dead leads so you’re not wasting anyone’s time
What doesn’t:
- Overlapping segments (leads get hit with the same message twice)
- Ultra-narrow segments (“CFOs in Vermont at companies using Zoho”)—nice in theory, usually useless in practice
Step 5: Test and Refine—But Don’t Chase Perfection
You’ll never get segmentation perfect out of the gate. That’s fine.
Here’s a low-stress way to iterate:
- Run a small campaign to one segment. Track replies, meetings booked, or whatever outcome matters.
- Compare results with another segment. Is one outperforming? Figure out why.
- Adjust filters if you’re getting weird results (like getting flooded with students or irrelevant industries).
- Don’t be afraid to merge, delete, or split segments as you go.
Pro tip: The best segments are the ones you use. If you haven’t touched a segment in months, archive it.
Bonus: Advanced Tactics Pros Actually Use
If you’re feeling ambitious (and your data’s solid), try these:
- Layer intent data. If you can pull in signals like “recently raised funding” or “hiring a new head of sales,” you can spot buyers before your competitors do.
- Use exclusion lists. Got a list of accounts who said “never contact me again”? Keep them out globally.
- Custom tags for ABM. Tag accounts as “Tier 1,” “Tier 2,” etc., and use this as a filter.
- Automate with saved searches. Prospeo lets you save filter sets—use this to keep dynamic segments fresh.
But remember: more complexity means more things to break. Don’t get lost fiddling when you could be selling.
What to Skip (Despite the Hype)
- “AI-powered lookalike audiences”: Sometimes helpful, but often just a black box. If you can’t explain why a lead is in your segment, don’t trust it.
- Dozens of micro-segments: You’ll spend all day managing lists instead of actually reaching out.
- Segmentation by irrelevant trivia: Just because you can filter by website color scheme doesn’t mean you should.
Stick to what you know works for your business.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
Segmenting your B2B audience in Prospeo isn’t rocket science. Start with a clear goal, clean up your data, pick a few meaningful filters, and actually use your segments. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good—your list will never be flawless, and that’s okay. The real win is sending the right message to the right people, not showing off how many filters you can stack.
Iterate, keep notes, and don’t overthink it. That’s how you build segments that actually help you close deals.