If you’re drowning in a sea of leads but only a trickle are actually converting, you’re not alone. More leads aren’t the answer—better leads are. This guide is for sales teams and founders using ExportApollo.io who want to actually close deals, not just fill up the CRM with noise.
Here’s how to cut through the clutter, segment your leads so you’re not wasting time, and focus on the ones who might actually buy.
1. Get Your Lead List Organized
Before you start slicing and dicing, make sure you’re working with a clean list. ExportApollo.io (here’s where to find it) gives you a lot of data, but garbage in means garbage out.
- Clean up duplicates. Most platforms claim to “dedupe” but check anyway—especially if you’re importing lists from multiple sources.
- Check for missing fields. If you’re missing core info (like company size or job title), your segments will be messy. Fill in gaps manually for your highest-value prospects, or just remove duds with too many blanks.
- Standardize formats. Fix weird capitalizations, inconsistent job titles, or company names. If you care about segmenting by industry, make sure they’re not all over the place (“SaaS”, “Software-as-a-Service”, “Software”).
Pro tip: Don’t get bogged down making the list “perfect.” Just get it clean enough that your filters will work.
2. Define Segments That Actually Matter
Most people segment by whatever’s easiest (industry, company size), but that’s not always what moves the needle. Ask yourself: What traits do my best customers share? Start there.
Common (but useful) segment ideas: - Industry or niche - Company size (employees, revenue, funding stage) - Geography or region - Job function and seniority - Tech stack (if selling B2B software) - Recent hiring activity or growth signals
What not to bother with: - Vague “lead scores” from third-party tools unless you know what’s behind the score - Hyper-granular segments that leave you with buckets of 5 leads each—keep it actionable
How to choose:
Look at your last 10–20 closed/won deals. What do they have in common? Reverse-engineer your segments from there.
3. Use ExportApollo.io Filters for Fast Segmentation
ExportApollo.io gives you filtering tools, but they’re only useful if you know what you’re looking for. Here’s what usually works:
- Filter by company size: Pick your sweet spot (e.g., 50–500 employees). Too small, and they can’t pay; too big, and they’re slow.
- Filter by job title: Target decision-makers, not “Analysts” or “Interns.” Use wildcards (like “VP” or “Head of”) to catch variations.
- Filter by recent funding: Companies with new money are more likely to buy.
- Filter by tech used: If you sell to companies using HubSpot, filter for that.
Don’t waste time on:
- Fancy “AI” prioritization unless you can see the logic behind it.
- Leads with generic emails (info@, contact@) unless you’re doing mass outreach.
Pro tip: Save your filter sets inside ExportApollo.io so you can quickly re-run them as you get new data.
4. Prioritize Leads: Not All Segments Are Equal
Now you’ve got your segments—great. But which ones should you actually pursue first? It’s not just about the size of the segment; it’s about fit and urgency.
Step 1: Assign “Fit” and “Intent” Scores (Manually)
Don’t overthink it—you don’t need a fancy algorithm. Just give each segment a simple 1–3 score:
- Fit: How closely does this segment match your ideal customer?
- Intent: Are there signs they want what you’re selling (recent funding, hiring, public pain points)?
Multiply the two scores. Segments scoring 9 (3x3) are your goldmine.
Step 2: Prioritize by Potential Value
If you only have time for one segment, go for the best fit/highest intent and highest deal size. Sometimes you’ll get more bang for your buck with 10 whales than 100 minnows.
Quick prioritization checklist: - High fit, high intent, high value = top of the list - High fit, low intent = nurture, don’t push - Low fit, high intent = reconsider if you’re desperate, but don’t make it a habit
5. Personalize (But Don’t Overcomplicate) Your Approach
Once you know who you’re targeting, tweak your outreach. No need for 100% unique emails, but show you’ve done your homework.
- Use the segment’s pain points: If you’re writing to SaaS VPs, lead with a SaaS-specific pain.
- Reference recent events: “Congrats on your Series B…” actually works if you mean it.
- Ditch the generic templates: Everyone can smell a mail merge from a mile away.
What not to do: - Spend hours researching each lead (not scalable). - Cram in too much personalization—one or two references is enough.
Pro tip: Build 2–3 outreach templates per segment, then tweak as you go.
6. Track What’s Working (and Drop What Isn’t)
The only real way to know if your segments and priorities are working is to look at the numbers.
- Track reply and conversion rates by segment. If your “Fintech, 50–200 employees, US” segment is converting at 5x the average, double down.
- Don’t be afraid to kill segments. If you’ve sent 100 emails and gotten crickets, move on.
- Iterate. Adjust your segments every couple of weeks. Sales is messy—don’t expect it to be perfect.
Ignore: - Vanity metrics like “opens” or “clicks.” Focus on real replies and booked meetings.
7. Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
Let’s be honest—this stuff sounds easier than it is. Here’s what trips up most people:
- Analysis paralysis: Don’t spend days slicing segments into oblivion. Good enough is good enough.
- Chasing shiny new segments: Just because you can filter by something doesn’t mean you should.
- Over-personalization: You don’t need a snowflake email for every prospect. Stick to scalable relevance.
If you’re stuck:
Pick your top 2 segments, send 50 targeted emails, and see what happens. The feedback will tell you more than weeks of planning.
Keep It Simple and Keep Moving
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress. The best exporters and sales teams segment, prioritize, and then actually take action—and they keep tweaking as they go. Use ExportApollo.io to do the heavy lifting, but don’t expect magic. The real work is in knowing your customers and staying ruthless about where you spend your time.
Start small, keep it simple, and let the results guide you. That’s how you’ll see higher conversions—without burning yourself out.