If you’re sitting on a pile of leads that go nowhere, you’re not alone. Most sales databases are full of missing info, outdated contacts, and dead ends. The truth? Even the best lead lists get stale fast. If you want to actually reach the right people—and not waste your reps’ time—enriching your leads is a must.
This guide is for anyone who already has a list of leads (from a trade show, CRM export, or wherever) and wants to make that data actually useful. We’ll walk through how to use Findylead to fill in missing pieces, avoid time-wasting busywork, and get your sales targeting on track.
Let’s get into it.
Why Bother Enriching Lead Data?
Before you start, it’s worth asking: does lead enrichment actually make a difference? Short answer: yes—if you do it right.
Here’s what enrichment can fix: - Missing emails or phone numbers - Outdated job titles or company info - Generic company domains (like “info@” emails) - Incomplete firmographics (industry, size, location)
But it won’t fix: - Leads that were garbage to begin with (bad fit, fake names, etc.) - The need to actually qualify leads—this just gives you more info, not better judgment
If your current leads are mostly junk, stop here and fix that first. But if you’ve got an okay list and just need to fill in the gaps, enrichment is worth your time.
Step 1: Get Your Lead List in Shape
Don’t dump a messy spreadsheet into any enrichment tool and expect magic. Garbage in, garbage out.
What you need: - A CSV or XLSX file with as much real info as you’ve got (names, company, emails, LinkedIn, etc.) - One row per lead (not companies) - At least one reliable identifier per lead (company domain, LinkedIn URL, or business email is best)
Pro tip: If you’ve got a mix of companies and people, separate them before you start. Most enrichment tools—including Findylead—work best when you’re clear about what you’re enriching.
Step 2: Know What Data You Actually Want
Don’t try to fill in every possible blank—focus on what will actually help your sales team.
Common useful fields: - Direct email address (not just info@) - Work phone or mobile - Up-to-date job title and department - LinkedIn profile - Company size, industry, location - Company website
Be honest about what matters. If your team never calls leads, don’t bother enriching phone numbers. If you only sell to tech companies, don’t waste credits on industry info.
Step 3: Upload Your List to Findylead
Now the practical bit. Findylead is a SaaS tool that specializes in finding emails and business data. It’s not magic, but it does a decent job for common sales use cases.
How to do it:
- Sign Up or Log In: You’ll need a Findylead account with enough credits for the number of rows you’re enriching.
- Navigate to “Bulk Enrichment” or “Bulk Email Finder”: The exact section may shift as they update the UI, but look for bulk upload features.
- Upload Your File: Use the CSV or XLSX export from your CRM or wherever you cleaned your list. Map your columns—Findylead usually asks you to match fields like “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Company Domain,” etc.
- Choose Enrichment Options: Some tools let you pick what data to enrich (emails only, or full profile, etc.). Be selective—each field costs credits, and more isn’t always better.
- Start the Process: Hit “run” and wait. For big lists, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
Heads up: If your list has lots of missing company domains or typos, expect a higher failure rate.
Step 4: Review the Results with a Skeptical Eye
Once Findylead finishes, you’ll get an export with new data columns. Don’t just trust it blindly.
What to look for: - Success rate: Did you get more direct emails, or mostly generic ones? A good enrichment run usually finds direct emails for 30–70% of leads, depending on your data quality and your audience. - Obvious junk: Watch out for emails that look fishy (e.g., “john.doe@company.com” for every John Doe). Some enrichment tools guess when they can’t find a real address. - Duplicates and weirdness: Sometimes enrichment spits out repeated info or outdated titles. Spot-check a few rows by checking LinkedIn manually.
Pro tip: If you see lots of “catch-all” or “info@” emails, it’s a sign your input data wasn’t strong enough—or the company is just tough to reach.
Step 5: Clean and Update Your CRM
Don’t just dump the enriched file back into your CRM and call it a day. Take a minute to clean things up.
Best practices: - Keep the original data: Always keep a backup of your pre-enrichment list. Sometimes enrichment introduces errors. - Update only what’s missing: If you already have a good email or title, don’t overwrite it unless you’re sure the new data is better. - Flag enriched data: Add a field or tag in your CRM to mark which leads were enriched and with what tool. If you start getting bounces or complaints, you’ll know where it came from.
Step 6: Use the Data—But Don’t Spam
It’s tempting to blast out a campaign to every freshly enriched contact. Don’t.
Why restraint matters: - Not every “found” email is valid or opted in. High bounce rates hurt your sender reputation. - A smaller, more targeted campaign (with human review for high-value leads) usually performs better. - Use the new info to prioritize: Who’s a fit? Who’s decision-maker level? Who’s in your target industry or region?
A smarter workflow: - Score or tag leads based on the new data (e.g., “VP of Sales at SaaS company with 100+ employees”) - Have sales reps review top leads before outreach - Start with a small campaign, watch the bounce/unsubscribe rates, and adjust
What to Ignore (and What Not to Stress About)
Let’s be real—no enrichment tool is perfect. Here’s what not to lose sleep over:
- Missing data: Some leads just can’t be found. Move on.
- A few bounced emails: It happens. Just make sure your bounce rate isn’t above 5–8%.
- Minor title discrepancies: People change titles constantly. If it’s close, don’t sweat it.
Don’t fall for these traps: - Buying more enrichment credits hoping for a miracle—if Findylead (or any tool) can’t find it once, they probably can’t find it at all. - Obsessing over filling every field. Focus on what actually helps you sell.
Quick Recap & Next Steps
Enriching your lead data with Findylead isn’t rocket science, but you do need to go in with clear goals and realistic expectations. Most teams are better off enriching a smaller, higher-value list than trying to “complete” every record.
Keep things simple: - Clean your list before uploading - Only enrich the fields you’ll use - Sanity-check the results - Use the new info to target smarter, not just harder
Iterate and improve as you go. The best sales teams are always tuning their process, not just collecting more data. Good luck—and remember, quality beats quantity every time.