If you’re tired of chasing dead-end leads or sifting through junk data, you’re not alone. Building a B2B lead list that’s actually worth your time isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds—or worse, buy a bloated list that gets you nowhere. This guide is for sales folks, founders, or anyone who needs a real, working list of B2B prospects and doesn’t want to mess around. We’ll walk through building a targeted lead list using Findthatlead, step by step, with zero fluff.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Want to Reach
Before you even open up Findthatlead, get specific about your ideal customer. Most people skip this and end up with leads that have nothing to do with their business.
Ask yourself: - What industry or vertical am I targeting? - What company size or revenue matters to me? - Who’s the decision-maker—job title, department, seniority? - Where are these companies located?
Pro tip: Write this down. “Tech startups in the US, 10–100 employees, Head of Marketing or CMO.” If you can’t answer these, don’t bother with the tool yet.
Step 2: Create Your Findthatlead Account and Set Up
Go to Findthatlead and sign up. There’s a free trial, but expect to hit limits fast if you’re serious. Paid plans are pretty typical for B2B tools.
Once inside: - Complete your profile (it’s annoying, but some features won’t work otherwise). - Get familiar with the dashboard. Most people only use the basic search, but there are other options like bulk search and Chrome extension—more on those soon.
Heads up: If you’re just testing, don’t burn through all your credits on random searches.
Step 3: Use Lead Search (The Core Feature)
This is the main event. Lead Search lets you build lists based on company and contact filters.
Here’s how:
- Go to “Lead Search” in the main menu.
- Plug in your filters:
- Industry or keywords (e.g., SaaS, fintech, manufacturing)
- Location (country, state, city)
- Company size (choose by employees or revenue)
- Job role or title (e.g., CEO, Head of Sales)
- Click “Search.”
You’ll get a list of companies and people matching your criteria. You can preview contact details, but exporting costs credits.
What works: The filters are pretty solid, especially for common industries and roles. If you’re too vague (“marketing”), you’ll get a mess. Be as specific as possible.
What doesn’t: Niche industries or super-small segments can be hit-or-miss. Sometimes data is outdated. Always sanity-check results before exporting.
Step 4: Check and Clean Your Results Before Exporting
Don’t just hit “Export All.” Most tools—Findthatlead included—will pull in some junk or mismatches.
Do this instead:
- Scan through results manually.
- Look for obviously wrong titles or companies that don’t fit your target.
- Watch for generic emails (“info@,” “contact@”)—these are rarely worth your time.
- Tag or save the best fits.
- Use Findthatlead’s built-in tagging, or just keep a note of the best ones.
- Remove duplicates.
- The tool tries, but duplicates slip through, especially if you do multiple searches.
Pro tip: Export in batches. Do one tight search, review, then move on. This keeps things cleaner and saves credits.
Step 5: Use the Chrome Extension for Extra Leads
Findthatlead’s Chrome extension isn’t just a gimmick—it’s actually useful, especially if you’re prospecting on LinkedIn or company websites.
How to use it:
- Install the Chrome extension from the dashboard.
- Go to a company’s LinkedIn page or a personal profile.
- Click the Findthatlead button.
- It’ll try to find emails and other info for that person or company.
This is great for: - Grabbing hard-to-find contacts not in the main database - Getting fresh data that might not be in bulk search results
Watch out: You’ll burn through credits fast if you just click on every profile. Use it for high-value targets or super-specific roles.
Step 6: Verify and Validate Leads
No matter what any tool claims, not every email will be valid. Bad emails can tank your sender reputation.
- Use Findthatlead’s built-in email verifier on your list before you start emailing. It’s not perfect, but it catches obvious bounces.
- Consider a second validation tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) for big campaigns. Yes, it costs extra, but it’s worth avoiding blacklists.
- Spot-check a few emails manually. If you see a lot of “guesses” (emails built from patterns, not actual data), be cautious.
Don’t skip this. Nothing kills results faster than blasting to a dead list.
Step 7: Export and Organize Your List
Once you’ve got a clean, validated list:
- Export as CSV. Don’t bother with other formats unless you have a niche workflow.
- Open in Google Sheets or Excel.
- Add columns for notes, status, or next steps.
- Sort and prioritize. Who are your A-list targets? Who can wait?
If you’re using a CRM, import in small batches and tag them clearly. Don’t dump 2,000 leads in at once—your future self will thank you.
Step 8: Start Outreach—But Keep it Personal
This isn’t a guide on cold emailing, but here’s the hard truth: a generic blast to 500 people won’t get replies, no matter how good your list is.
- Personalize at least the first couple of lines. Use company info, recent news, or something specific.
- Avoid spammy templates. If it looks like a mass email, it’ll get trashed.
- Track replies and update your list. Remove people who bounce or ask to be taken off. Don’t be that person.
Pro tip: Start small. Test your messaging with a handful of leads before scaling up.
What to Ignore
- “Enrichment” features: Findthatlead tries to upsell a bunch of add-ons. Some are useful, but most just add noise. Focus on accurate contact info first.
- Pre-built lead lists: If you see “Buy 10,000 decision-makers now!”—skip it. These lists are usually old, generic, and get you nowhere.
- Overly broad searches: Casting a wide net gets you low-quality leads. Tighten your filters and go for depth over volume.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Building a targeted B2B lead list isn’t magic. It’s about being specific, double-checking your data, and not falling for shortcuts. Start with a narrow search, validate your results, and clean up as you go. You’ll learn what works (and what’s junk) fast. Don’t aim for perfection on your first try—just get moving, tweak your filters, and build better lists as you go.
Good lists take a bit of work, but you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches (and angry replies) down the road. Keep it simple and iterate—your future deals will thank you.