So you’ve got a sales quota, a list of companies, and the clock’s ticking. Problem is, not all leads are created equal—and wasting time on the wrong ones will kill your month. If you need a practical way to zero in on the B2B leads that might actually move the needle, this guide’s for you.
I’ll walk through how to use Salesbolt to identify and sort the leads that are actually worth your time, without getting lost in the weeds or fancy dashboards. No fluff—just what works, what doesn’t, and what to skip.
Step 1: Set Up Salesbolt (Properly)
Let’s be honest: most people skip setup and wonder why nothing works. Don’t be that person. Get the basics right:
- Install the Salesbolt Chrome extension. It only works in Chrome. If you’re a Firefox diehard, sorry—you’re out of luck.
- Connect your CRM. Salesbolt talks to Salesforce, HubSpot, and a handful of others. If you’re on some homegrown CRM, you’ll hit a wall fast.
- Log in with your work email. Personal Gmail accounts will trip up data syncing and permissions.
Pro tip: If you’re at a company with strict IT rules, get approvals first. Otherwise, you could spend 40 minutes and end up blocked.
Step 2: Define What “High Value” Actually Means (Don’t Skip This)
Here’s the thing: if you don’t know what you’re looking for, no tool can help. Before you even open Salesbolt, nail down your own “high value” lead criteria. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a messy, generic list that wastes your time.
Think through: - Company size: Are you after SMBs, mid-market, or enterprises? - Industry: Are there verticals you know close faster or pay more? - Tech stack: Does your product work best with certain software or platforms? - Location: Are you limited by region or language? - Intent signals: Has the company visited your site, posted relevant jobs, or shown buying signals?
Write this down (seriously, on paper or in a doc). Salesbolt lets you filter and sort, but only if you know what to tell it.
What not to do: Don’t just copy your competitor’s ICP. Use real data from your wins and losses.
Step 3: Build and Refine Your Lead Lists
Now, get into the tool:
- Use Salesbolt’s LinkedIn integration. This is where Salesbolt shines: you can scan LinkedIn profiles or company pages, and Salesbolt pulls the details into your pipeline.
- Apply filters based on your criteria. Filter for things like company headcount, industry, and location. The filters are only as good as your prep in Step 2.
- Tag and segment. Salesbolt lets you add tags or notes. Use these ruthlessly—don’t rely on memory.
Real talk: Don’t trust auto-generated lists blindly. Salesbolt scrapes data that’s sometimes outdated or just plain wrong. Double-check the big deals before you get excited.
Step 4: Score and Prioritize—Without Overcomplicating
Salesbolt offers lead scoring, but don’t get bogged down in building a “perfect” model.
Keep it simple: - Assign points for must-haves. For example: +5 if they use Salesforce, +3 for being in your target vertical, +2 for hiring for a relevant role. - Subtract for deal-breakers. -10 if they’re outside your region, -5 if they just laid off half their staff.
How to actually do this in Salesbolt: - Use its built-in scoring or set up custom fields. - Sort your list by score or whatever metric matters most (revenue, raised funding, etc.).
What to ignore: Fancy AI scoring isn’t magic. It’s just pattern-matching based on what you tell it. Don’t let a “high score” blind you to common sense.
Step 5: Research and Qualify—Don’t Rely on Automation Alone
Salesbolt does a decent job surfacing basic info, but it can’t spot every red flag (like a CEO who’s about to leave). Take a little time to:
- Google the company. Look for news, layoffs, or leadership changes.
- Check their LinkedIn activity. Are they hiring or shrinking?
- Look for buying signals. Did they just announce a funding round? Are they posting about problems your product solves?
Quick check: If you can’t find recent activity, the lead might be cold or stale. Mark it accordingly.
Step 6: Sync With Your CRM—But Don’t Create Clutter
One of the biggest mistakes: dumping tons of leads into your CRM just because Salesbolt makes it easy.
- Only push qualified leads. If you wouldn’t call them tomorrow, don’t add them.
- Map fields carefully. Make sure the info from Salesbolt matches your CRM fields—otherwise you’ll confuse your future self.
- Set up alerts or tasks. Most CRMs let you automate follow-ups. Use this, but don’t become a robot.
Pro tip: Salesbolt can update existing records, not just create new ones. Use this to avoid duplicates.
Step 7: Review, Iterate, and Don’t Fall for Shiny Objects
Your first list won’t be perfect. That’s fine.
- Review your hit rate. After a few weeks, look at which leads actually converted.
- Tweak your criteria. Maybe “over 500 employees” is too broad, or a certain vertical never replies.
- Ignore the hype. Sales tools love to promise “AI-powered prospecting.” At the end of the day, it’s your criteria and follow-through that matter.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works
- Using Salesbolt’s Chrome extension directly on LinkedIn for fast research.
- Custom filters (when you’ve actually defined your ICP).
- Manual double-checks: don’t let automation make you lazy.
What doesn’t
- Relying on default lists or suggested leads without your own input.
- Syncing everything to your CRM and hoping something sticks.
What to ignore
- Overly complicated lead scoring models.
- “Magic” enrichment features—good for filling in blanks, not for real qualification.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Finding high-value B2B leads isn’t about fancy tech or perfect systems. It’s about knowing what you want, using tools like Salesbolt to speed up the grunt work, and constantly tweaking your approach. Don’t chase every feature or data point—just focus on what actually gets you closer to a deal. Start simple, learn what works, and keep improving. That’s it.