Finding the right people to talk to in a target company is half the battle in sales and business development. If you’re tired of sending emails into a black hole or chasing the wrong contacts, this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through how to use apolloleadscraper to reliably spot real decision makers—without getting lost in a sea of irrelevant names and titles.
Let’s get practical about what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid common traps.
1. Know What a Decision Maker Really Looks Like
Before you even touch a tool, get clear on what a decision maker means for your deal. It’s not always the CEO. Sometimes it’s the Head of Procurement, the Marketing Director, or just the person who actually signs the purchase order.
Ask yourself: - Who signs off on deals your size? - Who influences the buying process, even if they aren’t the final signer? - What job titles usually fit that role in your industry?
Pro Tip:
Don’t get hung up chasing only “C-level” titles. In a lot of companies, especially mid-market, VPs, Directors, or even Managers have real buying power.
2. Set Up Apolloleadscraper for Targeted Searches
Once you’ve got your ideal buyer profile, fire up apolloleadscraper. If you’re new, it’s a tool that pulls contact and company info from Apollo’s database—think of it as your shortcut past endless LinkedIn searches.
To get started: - Install the tool (follow their docs—don’t skip the setup, or the rest is pointless). - Make sure you’re clear on what data you want: company size, industry, geography, revenue, etc.
Don’t:
Just dump in a list of companies and hope for the best. Garbage in, garbage out. The clearer your criteria, the better the results.
3. Build a Smart Company List
Start by creating a targeted list of companies you actually care about. There’s no point scraping contacts at random organizations.
How to do it: - Use Apollo’s company filters: industry, employee count, location, funding status, tech stack. - Export a list of target companies for apolloleadscraper to work on.
Keep it manageable.
A list of 50-200 companies is a good starting point. If you go bigger, you’ll get overwhelmed—or worse, you’ll just end up spamming people and burning your domain reputation.
4. Define the Right Titles & Departments
Here’s where most people mess up: They pull everyone with “Manager” or “Director” in their title and hope one of them bites. You can do better.
What to focus on: - Figure out which departments own your kind of purchase. (e.g., IT for software, Marketing for ad tools) - Make a list of relevant titles. Example: “VP of Operations,” “Director of IT,” “Procurement Manager,” “Head of People.” - Use Apollo’s filters for department and seniority to narrow it down.
Skip: - Anyone with “Intern,” “Assistant,” or “Consultant” in their title unless you have a reason. - “Owner” or “Founder” at big companies—usually not relevant unless it’s a small business.
Pro Tip:
Don’t get greedy. The more you try to include “just in case” titles, the more noise you create for yourself later.
5. Scrape Only What You’ll Actually Use
Apolloleadscraper lets you pull a ton of data: names, emails, LinkedIn URLs, phone numbers, sometimes even tech used by the company. But more isn’t always better.
What matters: - Name - Title - Work email (if available) - LinkedIn profile URL
Ignore for now: - Personal emails (often outdated or not checked) - Generic info@ emails - Anything you can’t actually use in your outreach
Workflow: 1. Feed your target companies and title/department filters into apolloleadscraper. 2. Start the scrape and let it run. Don’t multitask too hard—sometimes this process needs a little babysitting if rate limits get hit. 3. Export the data to a spreadsheet or your CRM.
6. Clean Up the Results—Don’t Skip This
Most scraping tools, no matter how good, spit out some bad data. You’ll get people who left the company, fake emails, or roles that don’t fit.
How to clean: - Remove duplicates (same person, different emails). - Filter out obviously irrelevant titles you missed earlier. - Spot-check a handful on LinkedIn to make sure they’re still at the company. - Use email validation tools (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) if you plan to email at scale. Bounces kill your deliverability.
Pro Tip:
If you see a lot of generic “Business Analyst” or “Project Manager” types, tighten your filters next time. Quality over quantity nearly always wins.
7. Prioritize Your Outreach List
Now you’ve got a list, but don’t just blast everyone. Prioritize based on: - Seniority (go higher up for complex/expensive products, lower for quick sales) - Relevance (is their role really tied to your solution?) - Recent activity (if you can see they’re active on LinkedIn, better chance they’ll respond)
Build tiers: - Tier 1: Perfect-fit titles at your top companies - Tier 2: Good fits, but maybe a step below your ideal contact - Tier 3: Backup options if you strike out elsewhere
Start with Tier 1. Only move down the list if you’re not getting traction.
8. Double-Check Before You Hit Send
It’s tempting to automate everything, but nothing kills credibility faster than emailing someone who left the company a year ago or mispronouncing their name because you trusted a bad scrape.
Quick checklist: - Does their LinkedIn profile match your data? - Are they still in the right role and company? - Is their email format consistent with others at the company? (e.g., first.last@domain.com)
Pro Tip:
If you can’t confirm an email, try connecting on LinkedIn with a short, honest message. People appreciate the personal touch.
9. What to Ignore (and What’s Overhyped)
- Ignore “secret” LinkedIn hacks that promise to reveal hidden emails. If Apollo can’t find it, it probably isn’t public.
- Don’t waste time chasing generic “decision maker” tags. These are often just guesses by enrichment tools.
- Don’t get distracted by big numbers. Having 2,000 contacts means nothing if none are the right people.
The real trick: Get a small, accurate list and actually reach out like a human. That’s how meetings get booked.
10. Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Tools like apolloleadscraper are powerful, but they’re only as smart as you are. If your results aren’t great, go back and tweak your filters, company list, or title targeting. Don’t be afraid to start small and adjust as you learn.
Remember:
There’s no magic bullet here. The best results come from clear criteria, disciplined filters, and a willingness to clean up your own data. Avoid shortcuts that just create more work later.
Bottom line:
Finding decision makers isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of legwork and common sense. Start with a focused goal, use apolloleadscraper to do the heavy lifting, and spend your real energy on personal, relevant outreach. Keep it simple, iterate as you go, and you’ll get better (and faster) every time.