If you’re sick of chasing the wrong leads, wasting time on generic lists, or just tired of the same old spray-and-pray approach, this guide is for you. Advanced filters in Scalelist can help you actually find your ideal customers, but only if you use them right. This isn’t about ticking every box—it’s about getting laser-focused, avoiding common traps, and working smarter.
Let’s cut through the fluff and get you set up to use advanced filters so you can spend your time talking to people who might actually buy.
Step 1: Get Clear on What “Ideal” Means (for You, Not for Marketing)
Before you touch a filter, you need to know who you’re looking for. And I mean really know.
Don’t just copy-paste some vague “ICP” from a slide deck. Get specific: - Industry/niche: Not just “tech.” Are you after SaaS, fintech, healthtech? - Company size: Headcount, revenue, funding stage—pick what actually matters. - Location: Is geography a dealbreaker? Be honest. - Tech stack: Are they using tools you integrate with? - Pain points: What do they struggle with that you actually solve?
Pro tip: Ask your sales or CS team for a list of the last 10 customers who actually paid and stuck around. Start there.
Step 2: Start Broad, Then Layer On Filters
In Scalelist, it’s tempting to use every advanced filter at once. Don’t. You’ll end up with a list of three companies and a bruised ego.
Here’s how to start:
- Begin with your must-have criteria:
- Example: “US-based SaaS companies, 50-500 employees.”
- Run a search with just these.
- See what comes up. If you have thousands, great—you can get pickier.
- Add one filter at a time:
- Each time you add a filter, check how your results change.
- If results drop off a cliff, dial it back.
What works:
- Fewer, high-quality filters beat a laundry list of “nice to haves.”
- You can always get more specific later.
What doesn’t:
- Over-filtering. You’re not looking for a unicorn.
Step 3: Use the Right Filters (and Ignore the Fluff)
Scalelist offers a ton of filter options. Not all are useful. Here’s the real talk on what matters:
The Filters That Matter Most
- Industry: Use the most specific sub-categories you can. “Software” isn’t helpful. “Healthcare IT” is.
- Employee count or revenue: This cuts out the noise fast.
- Geography: Especially if you only serve certain markets.
- Funding rounds: Good for finding companies with money to spend, but don’t treat it as gospel.
- Tech stack: Useful if you sell integrations or compete with certain platforms.
Filters to Use With Caution
- Job titles/roles: Titles vary a ton by company. Always double-check samples.
- Keywords in company description: This can be hit or miss. Sometimes it helps; sometimes it gives you garbage.
- Website traffic: If you’re selling to growth-stage companies, maybe. Otherwise, meh.
Filters to Mostly Ignore
- Social media presence: Unless you only sell to brands with a big online presence, skip this.
- Random “engagement” metrics: These are often lagging indicators or just plain unreliable.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure what a filter does, run a test with and without it. See what actually changes.
Step 4: Preview and Sanity-Check Your Results
Don’t trust your filters blindly. Always preview a chunk of your list before moving on.
Ask yourself: - Are these companies actually in my target zone? - Is anything weird slipping through? - Did I accidentally exclude a whole segment I care about?
If you see oddballs or way too many off-target results: - Check for filter conflicts (e.g., employee count vs. funding round). - Make sure you didn’t select contradictory options (it happens).
What works:
- Previewing 20-30 results and spot-checking company sites or LinkedIn pages.
What doesn’t:
- Assuming automation will “just get it right.”
Pro tip: Save your search at this stage. If you mess up later, you won’t lose your work.
Step 5: Use Boolean Logic (But Don’t Get Fancy Unless You Need To)
Scalelist lets you use AND, OR, and NOT logic in some filters. This is powerful, but easy to screw up.
When Boolean is Useful: - Combining similar titles (“VP of Sales” OR “Head of Sales”) - Excluding certain roles (“NOT intern”) - Mixing related industries (“Fintech” OR “Payments”)
When to Avoid: - Nesting too many statements (“((A AND B) OR (C AND D)) NOT E”)—you’ll lose track fast. - Trying to outsmart the data. If you need a logic diagram, you’re probably overcomplicating things.
Keep it simple: - Use Boolean for variations, not for building a Rube Goldberg machine.
Step 6: Save, Export, and Iterate
Once you have a list that feels right: - Save your filter set. Scalelist lets you save searches so you can tweak them later. - Export a sample list. Don’t blast out to hundreds—take 20-50 and do some manual research. - Tweak based on results. If you’re seeing the wrong types, adjust your filters or criteria.
What works:
- Iterating based on real conversations. If your outreach falls flat, revisit your filters.
What doesn’t:
- “Set it and forget it.” Your ICP changes. So should your filters.
Step 7: Build a Feedback Loop
The best filters get better over time. Here’s how to keep improving:
- Ask sales which leads were garbage. Remove those types from your filters.
- Mark strong fit companies. Try to spot what they have in common.
- Review wins and losses monthly. Don’t wait for a quarterly “strategy” session.
Pro tip: Document what works in plain English (“Companies using HubSpot and hiring SDRs respond best”) so you’re not starting from scratch next time.
Keep It Simple: Iterate, Don’t Overengineer
Advanced filters are powerful, but they’re not magic. The real trick is to start simple, get feedback, and keep iterating. If you spend more time filtering than talking to leads, you’re missing the point.
Dial in your filters, sanity-check your results, and don’t be afraid to adjust on the fly. The best customer lists come from lots of small tweaks—not one perfect search.
Now go actually talk to some customers. The filters are just the start.