If you’re reading this, you probably know how much time can get wasted chasing the wrong prospects. Maybe you’ve been handed a “lead list” that’s just a dump of random companies, or you’ve spent hours slogging through profiles that don’t fit. This guide is for salespeople, SDRs, and marketers who want to build a real, usable prospect list—one that’s actually worth your time—using advanced filters in Zoominfo.
I’ll walk you through each step, flag what actually matters, and point out where most people screw up. No fluff, no magic—just a sane, effective process for finding the people you actually want to talk to.
Step 1: Know What You’re Looking For (Seriously)
Before you even log in, get crystal clear on who you want to reach. This isn’t busywork—it’ll save you from hours of “well, maybe this could work?” wandering later.
- Ideal Company Traits: Industry? Company size? Geography? Funding stage? Technologies they use?
- Ideal Contact Traits: Job titles? Departments? Seniority? Decision-makers, influencers, or both?
Write down your must-haves and your “nice to haves.” If your team has an ideal customer profile (ICP), use it. If not, sketch out your own. If you skip this, you’ll just overwhelm yourself later.
Pro Tip: Start narrow. It’s way easier to widen a focused list than to clean up a bloated, messy one.
Step 2: Get Comfortable with Zoominfo’s Search Basics
Once you’re in Zoominfo, don’t rush for the “Export” button. Zoominfo’s database is massive, but that’s a double-edged sword: more data means more junk if you don’t filter well.
Main search types: - Companies: If you want a list of businesses first, then dig into people. - People: If you want to go straight to the contacts.
You’ll use both at some point, but decide which you care about more. If you only sell to companies of a certain size or type, start with Company search. If you have a dead-simple target persona, People search can work.
Step 3: Use Advanced Filters—But Don’t Overthink It
Here’s where most folks get lost. Zoominfo’s advanced filters are powerful, but it’s easy to end up with a Frankenstein list if you stack too many.
For Companies:
- Industry: Don’t just pick “Technology”—get specific if you can. “SaaS” or “Cybersecurity,” for example.
- Company Size: Use employee count or revenue. If you care about both, set ranges you know will work.
- Location: You can filter by country, state, region, or even ZIP code. Use this if your product is geo-specific.
- Technologies: Filter by companies using (or not using) certain tech stacks. Super useful for SaaS sales.
- Funding/Ownership: Private, public, recently funded—these can be gold if your product is budget-sensitive.
For People:
- Job Title: Don’t just type “VP”—think through all the ways your target might appear: “Vice President,” “Head of,” “Director of,” etc.
- Department: Sales, Marketing, IT, whatever makes sense.
- Seniority Level: Manager, Director, VP, C-level, Owner.
- Function: Sometimes more reliable than title alone.
What to Ignore:
- Don’t bother with every possible filter. The more complex your search, the more likely you’ll filter out good fits by accident.
- “Keyword” filters often bring in weird results. Use sparingly.
Step 4: Layer, Test, and Adjust Your Filters
You’ll rarely nail the perfect search on your first try. Here’s a process that works:
- Start with 2-3 core filters.
- Example: Industry = “Cybersecurity,” Company Size = 100-500, Location = US.
- Check your results.
- Is the list too small? Loosen a filter.
- Too big or messy? Tighten up or add another filter.
- Add contact-level filters if you’re in People search.
- Start broad (“Director+ in Marketing”), then narrow as needed.
- Spot-check records.
- Click into a handful of companies/people. Are they actually a fit, or are you getting junk?
- If you see a lot of mismatches, rethink your filters.
Pro Tip:
Zoominfo’s data isn’t perfect. Don’t assume every “Director of Marketing” is a real decision-maker, or that every company’s size is up to date. Trust, but verify.
Step 5: Use Exclusion Filters to Ditch the Noise
You’ll save yourself a lot of grief by actively excluding what you don’t want.
- Exclude competitors: Filter out your own company and any companies you’d never sell to.
- Exclude industries: If you know you never work with, say, “Government Administration,” leave it out.
- Exclude small shops: If you need companies with real budgets, set a minimum employee or revenue threshold.
It’s not about being picky for the sake of it—it’s about spending your time on the best bets.
Step 6: Save Your Searches (and Don’t Lose Your Work)
If you’ve dialed in a good search, save it. Zoominfo lets you save search criteria so you can come back or tweak later.
- Name searches clearly: So you know what makes them unique.
- Set alerts: Zoominfo can notify you when new companies or contacts match your filters.
This is especially useful if you’re building lists over time or want to jump back in as your ICP evolves.
Step 7: Export and Clean Your List—But Don’t Skip Quality Checks
Zoominfo lets you export lists to CSV, Salesforce, Outreach, etc. But don’t just fire off emails or calls to everyone on the list. Here’s why:
- Outdated info: Some contacts will be gone, or their titles may be wrong.
- Generic titles: “Manager” or “Consultant” isn’t always useful—double-check they fit your real persona.
- Duplicates: Zoominfo’s deduplication isn’t perfect.
Best practice:
- Spot-check the list before importing into your CRM or campaign tools.
- Use tools like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce to validate emails if deliverability matters.
Step 8: Iterate and Improve
You’ll rarely get the perfect list on your first pass. Here’s what actually works:
- Track your results: Are the people you reach out to responding? Are you booking meetings with the right folks?
- Refine your filters: If you’re getting junk leads, revisit your industry, title, or company size filters.
- Document what works: Save notes on which filters or combinations get you the best responses.
Prospecting isn’t set-and-forget. The best sales teams are always tweaking their lists as they learn more.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
What works: - Starting with a narrow, specific ICP. - Using a handful of high-impact filters. - Spot-checking your results instead of trusting the data blindly. - Excluding obvious junk up front.
What doesn’t: - Stacking dozens of filters and expecting a gold-plated list. - Trusting every contact is accurate. - Exporting and blasting without a second look.
Ignore the hype:
Zoominfo’s database is big, but no tool is magic. The real value comes from how you focus your search and sanity-check your list.
Quick Recap: Keep It Simple, Keep Iterating
Don’t let feature overload slow you down. The best prospect lists are built by: - Knowing exactly who you want - Using a few well-chosen filters - Checking your work and adjusting as you go
Start small, stay focused, and don’t be afraid to tweak. Over time, you’ll spend less time sorting through junk and more time talking to people who actually care. That’s the whole point.