If you're tired of buying bloated contact lists or wasting time on generic lead gen tools, you're in the right place. This guide is for sales pros, founders, or anyone who needs a list of prospects that actually fits a target — not just a dump of random emails. We'll break down, step by step, how to use CompanyEnrich to build a clean, targeted leads list that you can actually use. No fluff, no sales pitches, and no magic thinking.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Want to Reach
Before you even open CompanyEnrich, get specific about your target. Vague criteria like “decision makers” or “tech companies” won’t help. Here’s what you actually need to nail down:
- Industry: Not just “tech,” but “cybersecurity startups” or “SaaS companies with AI products.”
- Company Size: Headcount, revenue, or funding stage. Be brutally honest about who’s a fit.
- Location: Local, national, or global? Don’t add friction if you only sell in two states.
- Job Titles/Roles: Who buys or influences your product? Think beyond “CEO” — it might be VPs, Directors, or even technical leads.
Pro tip: Write this down. If you can’t explain your target in one sentence, you’re not ready to build a list.
Step 2: Set Up Your CompanyEnrich Account
If you haven’t already, create an account on the CompanyEnrich platform. The free trial is decent for testing, but you’ll need a paid plan for bigger lists or advanced filters.
- Fill in your profile: You don’t need to give your life story, but a complete profile can unlock better support.
- Check your credits: Most tools like this charge per contact or export. Know your limits upfront so you’re not surprised later.
Honest take: Don’t expect to scrape 10,000 leads for free — if you see any tool that promises that, run.
Step 3: Use Search Filters That Actually Matter
Once you’re in, head to the search or prospecting module. CompanyEnrich lets you filter by:
- Industry (by NAICS/SIC or keyword)
- Company size (employee count or revenue)
- Geography
- Job title, level, or department
- Technologies used (if relevant to your product)
- Funding rounds or company age
Spend time here — garbage in, garbage out. Overly broad searches get you a list you’ll end up ignoring. Overly narrow, and you’ll get no results.
What works: Layer 2-3 filters at a time. For example:
- SaaS companies, 50-250 employees, CTO or Head of Engineering, in North America.
What doesn’t: Searching just for “Marketing” and “USA” — you’ll drown in noise. Get specific.
Step 4: Review and Refine Your Lead List
Before you hit “export” or “save,” check your results. Most platforms, CompanyEnrich included, pull from third-party sources and web scraping. That means:
- Duplicates: Don’t assume the list is perfectly clean.
- Incomplete profiles: Some contacts may have missing emails or outdated titles.
- Irrelevant companies: Especially if you went too broad with filters.
How to clean up: - Use the preview mode to eyeball 20-30 entries. - Remove clear mismatches (wrong industry, location, etc.). - If you spot a pattern of junk, go back and tweak your filters.
Don’t ignore: Always check sample emails for weird domains or signs of spam traps.
Step 5: Enrich Contact Data (But Don’t Get Greedy)
CompanyEnrich can add extra info to leads — things like direct emails, LinkedIn URLs, phone numbers, and even tech stack data. That’s great, but:
- Direct emails: More valuable than catch-all or generic emails. Prioritize these if you can.
- LinkedIn URLs: Useful for personalizing outreach, but not always available.
- Phone numbers: Often outdated or generic for bigger companies. Take with a grain of salt.
What works: Exporting only the fields you’ll actually use. Every extra data point costs credits or money, so don’t hoard info you won’t act on.
What doesn’t: Pulling every field “just in case.” It slows you down and makes your CRM messy.
Step 6: Export and Organize Your List
You can usually export to CSV, which plays nicely with most CRMs and email tools. Make sure to:
- Choose your fields: Name, company, title, email, LinkedIn, and any must-have fields.
- Check for formatting issues: Some exports mangle special characters or column headers.
- Save a backup: Keep a raw, untouched export — you’ll thank yourself when something goes sideways.
Pro tip: Add a column for “source” and tag it with “CompanyEnrich” and today’s date. Future you will want to know where this list came from.
Step 7: Validate Your Emails Before Sending
Even with enrichment, email data can go stale. Sending to bad addresses tanks your domain reputation and gets you spam-blocked.
- Use an email verifier: Tools like NeverBounce, ZeroBounce, or the built-in CompanyEnrich verifier (if offered).
- Remove hard bounces: Don’t risk your sender reputation to squeeze every last contact.
Honest take: No tool is perfect. Even the best enrichment tools miss the mark sometimes. Treat the list as a starting point, not gospel.
Step 8: Import Into Your CRM or Outreach Tool
Now, move your cleaned, validated list into your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, whatever you use) or outreach platform.
- Map your fields: Make sure “first name” doesn’t end up in “last name” by accident.
- Tag or segment: Keep your CompanyEnrich leads together so you can track performance.
- Set up basic workflows: Don’t just dump leads — plan your follow-up.
Skip: Manual copy-paste. It’s 2024. Use bulk import or direct integrations if available.
Step 9: Start Outreach — But Don’t Spam
A targeted list is only as good as your outreach. Don’t blast everyone with a generic pitch. Instead:
- Personalize: Reference the person’s role, company, or something specific.
- Keep it short: Busy people ignore walls of text.
- A/B test: Try different subject lines or openers.
What works: Sending smaller batches, watching response rates, and tweaking as you go.
What doesn’t: Mass emailing 1,000 people and hoping for the best. That’s a shortcut to the spam folder.
Step 10: Track Results and Iterate
You won’t nail it on the first try. Keep track of:
- Open and reply rates
- Which segments respond best
- Bad data patterns (bounces, wrong titles, etc.)
Tweak your filters, data fields, and outreach as you learn what works. If you’re getting lots of “not a fit” replies, your target criteria might need tightening up.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Stay Skeptical
There’s a reason most “lead lists” end up ignored — they’re too broad, too old, or too random. The tools are just that: tools. The quality of your leads depends on how clear you are about who you want, and how honestly you clean and use the data. Don’t overcomplicate it. Start small, iterate, and improve as you go.
And if a tool or list seems too good to be true, it probably is. Stick to your criteria, keep your list tight, and focus on real conversations, not vanity numbers. That’s how you actually build a lead list that works.