Cutting through the noise to find actual decision makers at companies shouldn’t feel like tracking down Bigfoot. But let's be honest: most tools promise the moon and deliver a bunch of outdated email addresses or profiles for people who left the company years ago. If you’re in sales, marketing, or recruiting, you know how much time can go down the drain chasing the wrong contacts.
This guide is for anyone who wants to use Aeroleads to get better, faster results—especially if you’re tired of sifting through junk leads or playing “guess the org chart.” We’ll walk through how to use Aeroleads’ advanced search filters step by step, what actually matters, and what to skip.
Why bother with advanced search filters anyway?
Short answer: because your time is worth more than emailing info@company.com and praying.
Aeroleads promises to help you find verified leads, but the real secret sauce is their advanced search filters. Used right, these can save you hours and get you to the right person—the one who can actually say yes (or at least forward you to the person who can).
But filters are only as good as you make them. Used badly, you’ll still end up with a list full of interns and generic addresses. Used well, you’ll get a much shorter, more useful list.
Step 1: Set up your Aeroleads account (don’t skip this)
If you’re new to Aeroleads, you’ll need to sign up and log in. The free trial gives you some credits to play with, but if you’re doing serious outreach, you’ll probably want a paid plan. Either way, make sure you can actually export leads—otherwise, what’s the point?
Pro tip: Use a work email, not a throwaway Gmail. Some features (and export options) are limited for free or anonymous accounts.
Step 2: Define what “decision maker” means for you
Before you go wild with search filters, get clear on who you’re actually trying to find. “Decision maker” means different things in different contexts:
- Sales: Usually C-levels, VPs, Directors, or Heads of Department.
- Recruiting: Hiring managers, team leads, HR managers.
- Partnerships: Founders, business development, or product leads.
Write down the job titles or functions that matter for your use case. If you’re not sure, check a few LinkedIn profiles from your target companies to see who’s actually handling decisions.
Don’t just search for “CEO” unless you’re selling M&A services or something huge. For mid-sized companies, Directors or VPs are often the real gatekeepers.
Step 3: Use Aeroleads’ advanced search filters the right way
Once you’re inside the Aeroleads dashboard, click on the search or “Find Prospects” section. Here’s where advanced filters come in. Let’s break them down:
3.1. Company Filters
- Company Name: Obvious, but don’t rely on this unless you’re targeting a specific list.
- Industry: Useful, but keep it broad (e.g., “Software” vs. “SaaS for restaurants in Texas”).
- Company Size: One of the most powerful filters. Decide if you want startups, SMBs, or enterprises. Decision makers in a 20-person company wear different hats than those in a 5,000-person org.
3.2. People Filters
- Job Title: This is the big one. Use contains or includes logic, not exact matches (e.g., “Director” catches “Director of Sales,” “Sales Director,” etc.).
- Try variations: “Head,” “Lead,” “VP,” “Chief,” “Manager.”
- Skip generic terms like “Employee” or “Associate.”
- Seniority Level: If available, filter for “Manager,” “Director,” “VP,” or “C-level.” Not all databases nail this, but it helps.
- Department/Function: Sales, Marketing, HR, Product, etc. Combine with title for better accuracy.
3.3. Location Filters
- Country/Region/City: Only use this if geography matters (e.g., US-based companies, or someone local to a branch office).
- For remote-first companies, this matters less, but sometimes you need local laws or time zones.
3.4. Email Verification
- Verified only: Always check this box if possible. No point building a list of emails that’ll just bounce.
What to ignore:
- Fancy “keywords” filters. These sound neat but usually don’t add much value unless you’re after a hyper-niche group.
- Over-filtering. If you stack too many filters, you’ll get zero results. Start broad, then tighten.
Step 4: Review your results—don’t trust, verify
Once you’ve set your filters, Aeroleads will spit out a list of people and their details. Here’s where most people get lazy—and end up paying for useless leads.
- Scan the job titles: Are these really decision makers, or just folks with “Specialist” or “Intern” in their title?
- Check company size and industry: Sometimes filters miss. Spot-check a few companies to make sure they’re in your target zone.
- Email status: Aeroleads shows which emails are “verified.” Ignore the rest unless you like bounce notifications.
Pro tip: Export a small sample (maybe 10-20 leads) and try reaching out before you build a monster list. No sense paying for 500 contacts if the first batch is duds.
Step 5: Export your leads (and keep your data organized)
If you’re happy with your list, use the export tool to download emails and details as a CSV or push them directly to your CRM (if supported).
- Label your exports: Add a note about which filters you used. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Don’t dump everything into your CRM: Review the leads first, especially if you’re paying per contact or have limited reach-out bandwidth.
- Keep versions: If you tweak your filters, save different lists so you can compare what works.
Step 6: Reach out—and track what actually works
Finding decision makers is just the start. The real value comes when you see who actually replies and moves the conversation forward.
- Track which titles and companies respond.
- Update your “ideal decision maker” list based on reality, not just theory.
- Iterate on your filters—sometimes you’ll find, for example, that “Head of Operations” replies more than “COO.”
Honest take:
No tool, including Aeroleads, is magic. You’ll still get the occasional dud email or irrelevant contact. But using advanced filters dramatically cuts down on wasted time.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to watch out for
Works: - Starting broad, then narrowing your filters. - Focusing on job title and seniority, not just company name. - Always using verified emails.
Doesn’t work: - Overly specific filters (e.g., “Senior Vice President of North American SaaS Sales with 10+ years experience in fintech”). - Blindly trusting the results without spot-checking.
Watch out for: - Outdated data. Even with “verified” leads, people change jobs fast. - Company size mislabels. Some companies fudge their numbers for PR reasons. - Overpaying for huge lists when a laser-focused batch is more effective.
Keep it simple, iterate, and don’t overthink it
Finding decision makers isn’t rocket science, but it does take some trial and error. Start with the basics, review your results, and tweak your filters as you go. Aeroleads’ advanced search filters can save you a ton of time—but only if you use them thoughtfully.
Don’t get caught up chasing the “perfect” list. Get a batch, test your outreach, see what works, and adjust. The best results come from keeping your process simple and learning as you go.