If you’re tired of chasing dead-end leads and wasting time with messy prospect lists, you’re not alone. Most B2B sales teams sit on a goldmine of data but have no real system for sorting the gold from the gravel. This guide is for anyone who wants to use advanced filters in Captaindata to segment and actually prioritize B2B prospects—without creating a maze of confusing rules.
Whether you’re in sales, marketing, or just wearing too many hats at a startup, I’ll walk you through how to use Captaindata’s advanced filters to cut the noise, focus on the right people, and stop wasting cycles on prospects that won’t convert.
Why bother with segmentation and prioritization?
Here’s the deal: Not all prospects are worth the same effort. You’ve got a limited amount of time, and so does your team. The real goal isn’t to reach everyone, but to reach the right ones—people who are actually likely to buy, at the right moment.
Good segmentation and prioritization mean:
- Less wasted time. You stop chasing the wrong people.
- Better messaging. You can tailor your outreach to the segment, not just blast one-size-fits-all spam.
- Higher conversion. Obvious, but true—focus on warm leads, not tire-kickers.
You don’t need to build a perfect system. But a little structure goes a long way.
Step 1: Get your data in order
Before you dive into filters, stop and ask: is your data any good? Captaindata can’t magically fix junk input. So, start by:
- Cleaning up duplicates. Merge or remove repeat contacts.
- Standardizing fields. Make sure things like “Company Size” or “Industry” aren’t a wild mess of formats.
- Filling in gaps. If you’re missing key info—like job titles or company revenue—consider enriching your data first.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess about making data “perfect.” Just get it consistent enough that your filters won’t break or return garbage.
Step 2: Know what matters (and what doesn’t)
Not every data point is worth filtering on. Pick criteria that actually predict a good fit or high intent. Here are some that usually matter in B2B:
- Industry / vertical
- Company size or revenue
- Job title or department
- Region or country
- Technologies used (if you sell software)
- Recent funding or hiring activity
- Engagement signals (opened emails, visited your site, etc.)
Ignore “nice to have” fields that sound cool but don’t correlate with deals closing. You don’t want to end up filtering by someone’s favorite color.
Step 3: Set up segmentation filters in Captaindata
Here’s where Captaindata’s advanced filters save you from spreadsheet hell. Assuming you’ve imported your prospect list (CSV, integration, whatever), let’s build some real segments:
3.1. Start broad, then slice
Don’t get fancy right away. Start with high-level filters, then get more granular.
- Filter 1: Industry
- Click “Add Filter” and select “Industry.”
- Choose your best-converting industries first. For example, “SaaS” and “Fintech.”
- Filter 2: Company Size
- Add “Company Size” or “Employee Count.”
- Set a range, e.g., “51-200” and “201-1000.” Ignore the giant enterprises if you sell to mid-market.
- Filter 3: Job Title
- Use contains/does not contain (e.g., “CTO,” “VP Engineering”).
- Watch out for weird title variations—sometimes “Head of Technology” is your buyer, too.
Pro tip: Captaindata lets you combine filters with AND/OR logic. Use AND to narrow, OR to broaden. Example: “Industry = SaaS” AND “Job Title contains CTO OR ‘Head of Engineering’.”
3.2. Build segments that map to your playbooks
Think about how your team actually runs outreach. Common segment examples:
- ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): Your dream targets. Tight filters, high touch.
- Expansion Targets: Existing customers who could buy more. Filter by account status.
- Event-driven segments: Prospects who just raised funding, hired a new exec, or launched a new product.
Save these segments in Captaindata so you don’t have to rebuild them every time.
Step 4: Prioritize your segments (don’t treat them all the same)
Not all segments are equal. Some are worth white-glove treatment; others, maybe just a drip campaign. Here’s how to use Captaindata’s filters for prioritization:
4.1. Assign scores or “priority” tags
- Scoring: Use Captaindata to create a “Score” field based on criteria—e.g., ICP fit, recent engagement, company growth.
- Tags: If scoring sounds like overkill, use tags like “High Priority,” “Medium,” “Low.”
You can build a scoring filter such as: - +10 points for ICP industry - +5 points if company just raised funding - +3 points if they opened your last email
Sort your list by score. Boom: instant priority queue.
4.2. Don’t overcomplicate it
Honestly, most scoring systems collapse under their own weight. Keep it simple:
- 3–4 clear criteria
- No more than two levels of priority for small teams
- Update scores regularly or after big events (like funding rounds)
What to ignore: Any “AI” feature that promises to magically score leads with zero input from you. It’s usually just guessing based on surface-level data.
Step 5: Test, refine, and don’t get stuck
Filters aren’t “set and forget.” Your best segments will change as your business evolves. Here’s how to avoid analysis paralysis:
- Run small tests. Start outreach to a single segment and see what happens.
- Watch response rates, not just open rates. If your “ICP” segment isn’t replying, you’ve probably guessed wrong about what matters.
- Adjust filters as you learn. Don’t be afraid to delete or tweak filters that aren’t pulling their weight.
Pro tip: If everyone’s stuck in “filter-building” meetings, you’re not selling—you’re procrastinating.
Step 6: Automate next steps (but don’t set it and forget it)
Captaindata shines when you use filters to trigger workflows: enrichment, outreach, alerts, whatever. But don’t just “set it and forget it.”
- Automate list handoff: When a contact hits “High Priority,” push them to your CRM or outreach tool.
- Set up alerts: Get notified when a new company enters your ICP segment (like after a funding event).
- Review regularly: Automations break, APIs change, data gets stale. Set a calendar reminder to check your filters and workflows every month.
Automation is great, but it’s not magic. If you’re sending bad data into your sequences, you’ll just do the wrong thing faster.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to skip
Works: - Combining 2–4 strong, simple filters (like industry + job title + company size) - Regularly reviewing and tweaking segments based on real results - Using prioritization to focus your best effort on your best bets
Doesn’t: - Building 15-segment, 12-filter monstrosities—nobody maintains those - Relying only on “AI” scoring without checking the logic - Ignoring the need to refresh and clean your data
Skip: - Overly clever Boolean logic (“Title contains ‘Growth’ AND ‘Evangelist’ OR ‘Ninja’…”) - Filtering by vanity signals (like social followers) unless you know they matter
Keep it simple, keep it moving
Segmenting and prioritizing B2B prospects in Captaindata isn’t about being fancy—it’s about getting the right names in front of you so you can actually sell. Start with simple filters, test what works, and don’t be afraid to trim what doesn’t. The goal isn’t to build the most complex system, but the one that gets you results with the least fuss.
When in doubt: Less filtering, more doing. Get back to your best prospects, and keep iterating.