If you’re drowning in a list of leads and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. Most salespeople and marketers spend way too much time chasing cold leads or sorting through data that doesn’t matter. This guide is for anyone who wants to cut through the noise, use Leadboxer filters to surface actual hot leads, and actually get to the follow-ups that move the needle.
No fluff, no sales pitch—just a straightforward, step-by-step guide to using Leadboxer filters to keep your pipeline clean and your follow-ups sharp.
Why Filters Matter (And Where People Get It Wrong)
Let’s be honest: most lead scoring tools promise the moon and deliver a pile of “maybe” leads. Filters are supposed to help, but if you don’t set them up right, you end up with the same mess—just sorted alphabetically.
The key is using filters to slice away the noise, not just to make your list “look” smaller. You want to zero in on the leads who are actually showing buying signals, not just the ones who clicked an email once.
If you’ve ever wasted time calling a “hot” lead who turned out to be your competitor’s intern, you get it.
Step 1: Get Clear on What Makes a Lead “Hot” for You
Before you even log in, take a minute to define what a “hot” lead looks like for your business. Don’t just copy a generic checklist—think about your actual sales wins.
Ask yourself: - What actions do most of your customers take before buying? (e.g., visiting pricing pages, opening multiple emails) - Are there certain job titles, company sizes, or industries that close faster? - What’s a red flag that someone is just kicking the tires?
Write down your top 2-3 buying signals. This keeps you honest when you set up filters—otherwise, you’ll end up chasing vanity metrics.
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, look at your last 10 closed deals. What did those leads do before signing? That’s your starting point.
Step 2: Map Out the Data You Actually Have
You can’t filter on what you don’t track. Leadboxer can pull in website behavior, email activity, company info, and more—but only if you’re capturing it.
Double-check: - Is your tracking pixel installed on all key pages (especially the high-intent ones)? - Are your email campaigns integrated so you can see who actually opened and clicked? - Do you have LinkedIn or business data enrichment set up for company/job title info?
If you’re missing data, fix that before you trust your filters. Otherwise, you’re just sorting by guesswork.
Step 3: Log Into Leadboxer and Open the Filter Panel
Time to get your hands dirty. Once you’re in your Leadboxer dashboard, find the filter panel (usually on the left or top, depending on your setup).
You’ll see filter options like: - Leadscore - Tags - Behaviors (page visits, downloads, etc.) - Demographics (location, company size, industry) - Custom fields (if you’ve set these up)
Don’t get overwhelmed—start simple. The best filters are the ones you actually use, not the ones with 12 layers of logic.
Step 4: Build a Simple, Focused Filter Set
Let’s walk through a practical example. Suppose you want to find leads who: - Work at companies with 50+ employees - Visited your pricing page in the last week - Have a leadscore above 70
Here’s how you’d set that up:
- Company Size: Set the company size filter to “50+ employees.” If you don’t have this data, use a proxy like “Known company.”
- Behavior: Add a filter for “Visited page contains ‘/pricing’” within the last 7 days.
- Leadscore: Set the minimum leadscore to 70.
Stack these filters. You should see your lead list shrink—sometimes dramatically. That’s good. You’d rather have 10 real opportunities than 200 random names.
Pro tip: If your list is empty, your filters are too strict or your data’s missing. Loosen one filter at a time to see where the gap is.
Step 5: Save Your Filter as a View (And Don’t Overcomplicate It)
Leadboxer lets you save filter sets as “views.” Give yours a clear name—think “Hot Leads - Pricing Page - 50+ Employees.”
- Don’t create 20 views you’ll never check. Start with one or two.
- If you work with a team, standardize these views so everyone’s looking at the same reality.
- You can always tweak your filters later. Don’t let “perfect” stop you from starting.
Step 6: Use “Exclude” Filters to Cut Out the Noise
Not all filters are about finding the right people—sometimes you need to eliminate the wrong ones.
Examples: - Exclude leads with personal email domains (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) - Exclude competitors (you’ll spot them by domain names) - Exclude countries or regions you don’t sell to
Don’t be shy about using “NOT” filters. The goal isn’t a bigger list; it’s a better one.
Step 7: Review Your Lead List—And Gut Check It
Before you start calling or emailing, scan your filtered list.
- Do these leads actually look promising, or is something off?
- Are you seeing a bunch of false positives (students, bots, competitors)?
- Are your best leads missing?
If it feels off, tweak your filters. There’s no magic formula—it’s about constant refinement.
Pro tip: Check the activity timeline for a few leads. If all your “hot” leads just visited the homepage and bounced, your filters aren’t dialed in yet.
Step 8: Set Up Alerts for Truly Hot Leads
You don’t want to live in your dashboard. Set up Leadboxer alerts (email or Slack) for when someone matches your “hot lead” filter.
- Only set alerts for signals that really matter. You don’t need a ping every time someone visits the blog.
- If you’re getting too many alerts, tighten your filters.
- If you’re not getting any, loosen them, or check your tracking setup.
This way, you’ll hear about the good stuff without having to babysit the tool.
What Actually Works (And What to Ignore)
What works: - Simple, clear filters based on real buying signals - Using “exclude” filters to weed out junk - Iterating—tweaking filters as you learn what actually converts
What usually doesn’t: - Over-complicated filters with too many “maybe” criteria - Relying only on leadscore (it’s just an algorithm, not a crystal ball) - Ignoring your own instincts—sometimes you know a good lead when you see one, even if the score is low
Ignore the temptation to make a “perfect” system from day one. Most of the time, you’ll learn more from seeing what comes through and adjusting as you go.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Prioritizing hot leads is about focus, not fancy setups. Start with clear buying signals, filter ruthlessly, and cut out the noise. If your list feels too big, tighten your criteria. If you’re getting nothing, loosen up.
Check your filters every week or two, and don’t be afraid to make changes. You’ll get faster (and better) at spotting the good leads the more you practice.
The real trick: Don’t let the tool run you. Use Leadboxer filters as a spotlight—not a crystal ball—and you’ll spend a lot less time chasing ghosts.