If you’re sick of wasting time on garbage leads, or you just want to get more out of your sales prospecting, this guide’s for you. Building solid lead lists in Cognism isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds with all the options. I’ll show you the steps that actually matter, flag what’s worth ignoring, and help you avoid the usual time-wasters.
Let’s get right into it.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Actually Want
Before you even log into Cognism, get specific about who you’re after. “Decision makers in tech” is way too vague. The tighter your target, the better the results.
Nail down: - Industry: Get precise. Not just “tech”—try “B2B SaaS,” or “cybersecurity vendors.” - Company size: “Enterprise” can mean 200 or 20,000 people. Decide what’s actually a fit for your product. - Job titles: List out actual titles—“Head of Demand Gen,” “Director of IT,” etc.—not just “decision maker.” - Location: If it matters, be specific. “North America” is different from “US East Coast.” - Other filters: Funding stage, tech stack, or whatever else matters to your offer.
Pro tip: If your ideal customer profile is fuzzy, talk to your best customers or your sales team. Don’t just guess.
Step 2: Set Up Your Search in Cognism
Now, log in and start building your list. Cognism’s search is powerful, but it’s easy to overcomplicate things. Stick to your essentials.
2.1 Use the People Search
- Click on People in the main menu.
- Start adding your criteria from Step 1.
What actually matters: - Job title: Use the “Job Title” field, but don’t get too clever. “VP Sales” will catch more than “Vice President of Sales Enablement.” Start broad, then narrow. - Seniority: Use this to filter out the interns and assistants. - Industry and company size: These filters are your friend. Cognism’s company data is usually solid here.
What to ignore: - Don’t obsess over “keywords” unless you’re targeting something super niche. It can muddy your results. - “Revenue” filters are often unreliable, especially for private companies.
2.2 Check the Data Quality
Before you get too excited, look at the lead preview. Cognism claims high data accuracy, but always check: - Are the emails business addresses, not just “info@...”? - Are phone numbers direct lines, not just the main company number? - Do job titles actually match what you want?
If it looks off, tweak your filters before you waste credits.
Step 3: Layer On Advanced Filters (If Needed)
Cognism offers some bells and whistles. Use them only if you need to narrow down a big list.
- Technologies: Great if you sell to companies using, say, Salesforce or AWS.
- Recent funding: Useful if you want to target fast-growing companies.
- Intent data: Take this with a grain of salt. “Intent” signals are often noisy or vague. Use as a bonus, not a main filter.
- Geography: Use city, state, or even zip code if your market is local.
Don’t get stuck here. Overfiltering can kill your list before it starts. Start broad, then chip away.
Step 4: Review and Clean Your List (Don’t Skip This)
This is the step most people rush. Don’t. Even “verified” data can have duds.
Here’s what to check: - Spot check a sample: Pick 10–20 random leads. Do their titles and companies make sense? - Duplicates: Cognism tries to weed them out, but check if you’re pulling the same people twice. - Obvious mismatches: You’ll sometimes get leads that don’t fit your criteria at all. Remove them now.
Why bother? Every bad lead you send to sales is a waste of time and credit. A clean, smaller list always beats a bloated one.
Step 5: Export and Organize
Once you’re happy, it’s time to get your leads out of Cognism and into your workflow.
- Export options: You can export to CSV, or push directly to your CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot) if you’ve got the integration set up.
- Pick your fields: Don’t grab everything. Stick to what you’ll actually use—name, title, company, email, phone, LinkedIn, maybe location.
- File naming: Name your files clearly (“UK SaaS VPs Jun2024.csv”), so you don’t lose track later.
Pro tip: Keep a simple spreadsheet with notes on each list: When you pulled it, what filters you used, and how it performed. It’ll save you headaches later.
Step 6: Test Before You Go All In
Don’t blast your whole list on day one. Even the best tools have errors.
- Email validation: Run your list through a tool like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce. Cognism emails are good, but not perfect.
- Pilot outreach: Send a small batch of emails or calls first. If you get a lot of bounces or wrong numbers, go back and tweak.
- Track replies: Are you getting the right people? If not, revisit your filters.
Honest take: No tool (Cognism included) is magic. There’s always some cleanup and tweaking needed.
Step 7: Rinse, Repeat, and Improve
You’ll rarely build a perfect list the first time. That’s normal.
- Review performance: Which lists got you meetings? Which didn’t? Double down on what works.
- Adjust filters: Maybe you were too narrow or too broad. Tweak and try again.
- Keep notes: Document what you changed each time. It’ll help you get better, faster.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What actually helps:
- Being specific with your target criteria.
- Checking your data before you export.
- Testing small, then scaling up.
What doesn’t:
- Relying on “intent data” alone. It’s hit or miss.
- Overfiltering to the point you end up with 12 leads.
- Assuming “verified” means perfect.
Ignore:
- Any feature you can’t explain in one sentence.
- “AI-powered” lead scoring—just use your brain and a clear ICP.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Building targeted lead lists in Cognism isn’t about using every feature—it’s about being clear on who you want, checking your data, and adjusting as you go. Don’t overthink it. Start broad, clean your list, run a test, and keep what works. You’ll get faster (and better) with every list you build.
Good luck—and don’t let perfect be the enemy of shipped.