If you’re in B2B sales, you already know most lists suck. They’re outdated, stuffed with the wrong people, or so generic you’d be better off cold-calling the phone book. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of wasting time on bad leads and wants to use Keycontacts to build lists that actually produce results. Whether you’re a sales rep, a founder, or a team lead, you’ll get the real steps—and an honest look at what’s worth your time.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You Actually Want
Before you even open Keycontacts, stop and ask: Who are you really trying to reach? Most teams skip this and end up blasting emails to the wrong crowd.
Here’s what matters: - Industry: Don’t just say “tech.” Get specific—“SaaS companies with $10M–$100M in revenue.” - Company size: Headcount, revenue, or funding stage. The more specific, the better. - Role/title: Target decision-makers, not just anyone with “manager” in their title. - Location: Is geography a deal breaker? If not, don’t overthink it. - Other signals: Are there tech stacks, recent funding, or hiring signals you care about?
Pro tip: If your list is huge, you’re not being specific enough. Get ruthless. It’s easier to start small and expand.
Step 2: Set Up Keycontacts for Your Search
Once you know your ICP (ideal customer profile), fire up Keycontacts. The platform’s main draw is that it lets you filter by a lot more than just job title or company name.
What to ignore: Don’t fuss over every filter. Focus on the ones that actually matter for your outreach.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you can (and probably should) use:
- Industry and company filters: Start here. Keycontacts has industry tagging, but it’s not perfect—cross-check with LinkedIn or Crunchbase if you really care about accuracy.
- Headcount and revenue: Filter for your sweet spot. Ignore “employee count ranges” if you don’t care about them.
- Seniority level: VP, Director, C-level, etc. Be realistic—don’t waste time emailing CEOs at giant companies unless you’re selling something truly strategic.
- Tech stack filters: Useful if you have a product tied to specific software (e.g., “uses HubSpot”).
- Recent changes: Funding rounds, hiring growth, or leadership changes—good for timing your outreach, but don’t get lost in the weeds.
Pro tip: Save your search criteria. Most platforms, Keycontacts included, let you revisit these filters so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.
Step 3: Build (and Refine) Your List
Now for the meat of it: actually pulling together your list.
a. Use Bulk Search and Export Carefully
Keycontacts lets you run bulk searches and export contacts, but remember—more isn’t better. A list of 50 handpicked, relevant leads will almost always outperform a 500-contact data dump.
- Start small: Pull a sample set of 20–50 contacts. Gut-check them by looking up a few on LinkedIn. Are these really your people?
- Check for duplicates and old info: No tool is perfect. Cross-reference with your CRM so you’re not reaching out to stale or existing leads.
- Export formats: CSV usually plays nicely with most CRMs and outreach tools.
b. Spot-Check Data Accuracy
Keycontacts has decent data coverage, but expect some gaps—especially with titles and emails. Here’s what’s actually worth checking:
- Email deliverability: Use an email verification tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) to weed out obvious bounces.
- Job titles: Sometimes titles are outdated or weirdly formatted. Fix what you can, but don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
- Company info: Double-check any companies you don’t recognize. If something looks off, it probably is.
What to skip: Don’t waste time trying to “enrich” every contact with social profiles or phone numbers unless it’s critical for your process.
Step 4: Segment for Relevance (Don’t Spray and Pray)
It’s tempting to blast your list with the same message. Don’t. Segmentation sounds fancy, but it’s basically just grouping people so your outreach feels less like spam.
- By persona: Group by job function (e.g., heads of marketing vs. heads of IT).
- By trigger event: Recently funded? New in their role? Put them in a separate bucket.
- By company size or industry: Tailor your pitch for a startup vs. an enterprise.
Pro tip: Even a simple “A list” (your top 20 hand-picked prospects) and “B list” (everyone else) can double your response rate compared to treating everyone the same.
Step 5: Import to Your Outreach Tools (Without Breaking Things)
You’ve built your list—now make sure it goes where it needs to.
- CRM import: Map your fields so you don’t end up with a mess of “unknown” or mismatched data. Do a test import with 5–10 records.
- Sales engagement tools: Most support CSVs, but double-check required fields (like “First Name” or “Company”) so you don’t get errors.
- Tag your lists: Label your imports with something obvious (“Q3 SaaS VPs”) so you can track performance later.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with “enrichment” tools or fancy workflows until you’ve proven your basic list gets replies.
Step 6: Test, Track, and Iterate
Honestly, your first list probably won’t be perfect. That’s normal. The teams that win are the ones who tweak their process.
- Track replies and meetings booked: Not just opens or clicks. If you’re not getting real conversations, your list isn’t right.
- Look for patterns: Are certain industries or roles biting more? Double down on those.
- Refine your filters: Use what you learn to tighten up your next list. Don’t be afraid to cut what’s not working.
Pro tip: Schedule a 30-minute review every two weeks. Rinse and repeat. This is how you avoid “spray and pray” purgatory.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What Works
- Quality over quantity: A small, highly-relevant list outperforms a big generic one.
- Keeping your ICP tight: The clearer your target, the better your results.
- Regular review: The B2B world shifts fast. Your list should, too.
What Doesn’t
- Chasing “perfect” data: You’ll never get 100% accuracy—good enough is good enough.
- Automating everything: Some manual review is unavoidable. Accept it.
- Over-segmentation: You don’t need 20 micro-lists. Stick to a few logical groups.
What to Ignore
- Vanity metrics: Opens and clicks mean nothing if nobody replies.
- Overly complex workflows: Fancy tools and integrations won’t save a bad list.
- “Secret hacks”: There aren’t any. Just do the basics well and iterate.
Keep It Simple (and Keep Going)
Building prospect lists that work—especially in a tool like Keycontacts—boils down to two things: knowing who you want, and being willing to clean up your own mess. Don’t get distracted by features you don’t need or promises of “AI-powered” magic. Start with a tight list, test, and refine. Simple wins. And if you’re not getting results, don’t be afraid to scrap your list and try again. That’s how you actually get better.