Looking for the right people to talk to inside your target companies? You’re not alone. Sales teams, recruiters, founders—they all waste a ton of time chasing the wrong contacts. If you’ve ever burned hours on LinkedIn only to get ignored, you know the pain.
This guide is for anyone who needs to actually reach decision makers (not just “contacts”) and is tired of fishing in the dark. We’ll walk through using ExportApollo.com to find the people who can actually say “yes,” not just “I’ll forward this to my boss.”
Let’s get into the real steps, what’s actually useful, and where you can skip the fluff.
Step 1: Know What You’re After (and What You’re Not)
Before you even open ExportApollo, get clear on who you’re trying to reach. “Decision maker” isn’t always obvious, and people love to pad their titles.
- Ask yourself: Who in the company actually signs off on what you’re selling? Is it the CTO, Head of Marketing, Director of Ops, or someone else?
- Don’t chase “everyone.” The more targeted you are, the less time you’ll waste.
- Titles lie. “Manager” might mean gatekeeper, not decision maker. “VP” at a startup could be an intern with a fancy badge.
Pro tip: Make a shortlist of 2-3 target titles before you start. This will help you filter later.
Step 2: Set Up ExportApollo and Get Your Access
Assuming you’ve picked ExportApollo for its promise of fast, bulk contact exports, here’s how to get started. (If you haven’t signed up yet, do that first. It’s straightforward and doesn’t require a sales call.)
- Sign up: Create an account with a real email. (Burner emails can cause issues with exports.)
- Pick a plan: Don’t overthink it. Start with the lowest tier—see if it actually works for you before upgrading. Some features (like email verification) may only come with higher plans.
- Connect your tools (optional): If you use Salesforce or HubSpot, you can hook those up. But honestly, exporting to CSV and uploading manually works fine for most folks.
What to ignore: Any “AI-powered insights” or “auto-prioritization” features—at least at first. Focus on getting raw data you can trust.
Step 3: Build a Targeted Search
Here’s where ExportApollo can save you a ton of clicking around. But you’ll get junk if you don’t set up your filters right.
- Search by company: Enter your target companies. You can paste a list or search by industry, employee count, region, etc.
- Filter by title: Use your shortlist from Step 1. Avoid broad terms like “manager” or “executive”—they’ll just fill your list with people who can’t help you.
- Seniority matters: ExportApollo lets you filter by seniority (e.g., Director, VP, C-level). Use it. If they don’t have this filter, pause and reconsider: you may be using the wrong tool.
- Department: If you sell to IT, filter for IT. Same for Sales, HR, etc.
Watch out for: Over-filtering. If you get zero results, loosen one filter at a time. Better to have a slightly bigger list than nothing.
Step 4: Export and Clean Your List
ExportApollo’s whole pitch is bulk exporting contacts from Apollo’s database. Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Export in CSV: Always choose CSV unless you’re integrating directly with your CRM.
- Check for duplicates: Some companies have duplicate entries or multiple emails for the same person. Clean these up before outreach.
- Spot-check emails: ExportApollo claims to verify emails, but you should still check a handful. If you see lots of “info@company.com” or “careers@”—that’s a red flag.
- Check company sizes: Sometimes data is stale. Make sure your export matches your ICP (ideal customer profile) in terms of company size and location.
Don’t get lazy here: A little cleanup now saves a ton of bounced emails and wasted outreach later.
Step 5: Prioritize and Validate Decision Makers
You’ve got a list. Now, make sure it’s not just a pile of random names.
- Google a few contacts: Look up a handful on LinkedIn or Google. Are these actually people who could buy from you? If not, tweak your filters and try again.
- Avoid “fake” titles: Watch for “Consultant,” “Advisor,” or “Assistant to the…”—these aren’t your buyers.
- Look for recent job changes: If someone just joined a company last week, they probably can’t make big decisions yet.
Pro tip: Mark “questionable” contacts in your spreadsheet. Don’t waste time emailing people who clearly aren’t your audience.
Step 6: Plan Your Outreach (Don’t Spam)
Now that you’ve narrowed down real decision makers, plan your next move. ExportApollo’s job ends here—it’s up to you to do outreach right.
- Personalize, always: Even if you have 500 contacts, don’t send the same message to everyone. Batch by persona or role, at least.
- Keep emails short: Decision makers don’t read long pitches. Get to the point.
- Track replies: Use your CRM or a simple spreadsheet. If nobody bites after 30-50 emails, something’s off—revisit your targeting or messaging.
What to ignore: Don’t believe any tool that claims you can “automate relationships.” That’s not how trust is built.
What Works (and What Doesn’t) with ExportApollo
What works: - Fast, bulk exports—no more manual copy-paste from Apollo. - Filtering by title and seniority to avoid obvious dead ends. - Simple CSV format that plays nice with most CRMs.
What doesn’t: - Data accuracy isn’t perfect. You’ll still get some duds. - “Verified” emails sometimes bounce. Always spot-check. - It won’t magically tell you who’s in charge—you still need to check titles and context.
Ignore the hype: ExportApollo is a tool, not a silver bullet. It speeds up the grunt work, but you still need to think critically about your targets.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Finding decision makers is part art, part science. ExportApollo can help you move faster, but you still need to use your head. Don’t get paralyzed tweaking filters or chasing “AI-powered” shortcuts. Start with a clear ICP, export a small batch, clean it up, and reach out. Adjust as you go.
The companies that win are the ones who iterate—so don’t sweat perfection. Just keep moving.