If you’re in B2B sales, you know finding the right prospects—and getting their real contact info—is half the battle. Most tools promise the world, but it’s easy to end up with a bloated tech stack and a lot of busywork. This guide cuts through the noise and shows you which Lusha features are actually worth using if you want to fill your pipeline with legit leads (and not waste your budget on fluff).
This is for sales reps, SDRs, and sales managers who want better results without more complexity—or hype.
What Lusha Actually Does (and What It Doesn’t)
First, let’s get the basics straight. Lusha is a B2B data platform that gives you direct contact details (think phone numbers and emails) for prospects. It plugs into tools you already use—like LinkedIn, Salesforce, and your browser.
It’s not magic, and it won’t close deals for you. But with the right features, it can make prospecting a lot less painful.
Here’s what Lusha is good at: - Finding direct dials and emails for decision makers - Helping you build targeted lead lists quickly - Making it easy to push new leads into your CRM
Here’s what it’s not good at: - Guaranteeing contact data is 100% accurate (nobody is) - Scoring leads or automating your whole outreach - Replacing genuine research or personalization
If you want to get the most out of Lusha, focus on the features that save you real time and get you to the right people faster. Let’s break those down.
1. The Chrome Extension: Your Shortcut to Contact Data
This is the feature most sales pros start with, and for good reason. The Lusha Chrome Extension lets you grab direct emails and phone numbers as you browse LinkedIn or company websites.
How it works: - Browse LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, or a company site. - Click the Lusha icon. - Instantly see whatever verified contact info Lusha has for that person or company.
Why it matters: - Cuts out the copy/paste dance between LinkedIn and your CRM. - Lets you build prospect lists on the fly, without endless tab-hopping.
Pro tips: - Don’t burn through credits on every random profile—target decision makers you actually want to call or email. - Use Sales Navigator filters to zero in on the right people, then let Lusha do its thing.
Honest take:
The Chrome Extension is dead simple and genuinely useful. It works best as a “sidekick” to LinkedIn—not as a standalone database. Sometimes you’ll get a direct dial; sometimes just a work email; sometimes nothing. That’s life with B2B data.
2. Bulk Prospecting with Lusha Lists
You can build lists inside Lusha and export them in bulk. This is a huge time-saver if you’re working off a set of target accounts or need to fill a cadence fast.
How it works: - Use Lusha’s web app to search by company, industry, size, or other criteria. - Select people that match your ICP. - Add them to a custom list. - Export the whole list to CSV or push it to your CRM.
Why it matters: - No more manually collecting leads one by one. - Great for campaigns, outbound blitzes, or building territory plans.
Pro tips: - Use the filters—don’t just grab anyone at a company. Focus on seniority, department, and region. - Clean your lists before outreach. Remove duplicates or irrelevant contacts. Lusha’s data is solid, but not perfect.
Honest take:
Bulk exporting is a lifesaver for SDRs and anyone doing high-volume outreach. Just know that exporting 1,000 contacts doesn’t mean you have 1,000 quality leads. Always check your list before you hit “send.”
3. Lusha API: For the Automation Nerds
If you’re tired of manual prospecting and want to automate lead enrichment, Lusha’s API is worth a look. It lets you integrate contact data directly into your CRM or workflow.
How it works: - Your dev team (or a savvy ops person) connects Lusha’s API to your sales tools. - Automatically enrich new records with direct dials and emails. - Trigger workflows (like sequences or tasks) based on enriched data.
Why it matters: - Scales prospecting if you’ve got a big inbound funnel or lots of data to clean. - Reduces manual entry and the risk of “fat-finger” errors.
Pro tips: - Make sure you’re complying with privacy rules (GDPR, CCPA) when enriching data. - Start small and test—don’t automate bad data into your system.
Honest take:
The API isn’t for everyone—it requires some tech chops. But if you’re serious about scaling outbound or cleaning up your CRM, this is where you can get real leverage.
4. CRM Integrations: Skip the Tedious Data Entry
Nobody likes copying leads into Salesforce or HubSpot by hand. Lusha integrates with the big CRMs so you can push contacts and companies straight into your workflows.
How it works: - Connect Lusha to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, etc.). - When you find a good prospect, send them to your CRM with one click. - Map Lusha data fields to your CRM fields for easy reporting.
Why it matters: - Less manual work = fewer errors, more time selling. - Keeps your pipeline organized and up-to-date.
Pro tips: - Double-check field mapping so Lusha data lands in the right place. - Still review contacts before pushing them in—don’t pollute your CRM with junk.
Honest take:
Integrations are table stakes for any modern sales tool. Lusha does this well, but don’t expect it to “magically” clean or dedupe your CRM. Garbage in, garbage out.
5. Advanced Search and Filtering: Find the Diamonds
Lusha lets you get granular with your searches. You can filter by company size, industry, location, department, seniority, and more.
How it works: - Use the web app’s search bar and filters to narrow down the universe of contacts. - Save your favorite search criteria for recurring prospecting.
Why it matters: - Helps you zero in on your exact ICP instead of blasting generic lists. - Saves time compared to building lists in Excel or wrestling with LinkedIn’s clunky UI.
Pro tips: - Use multiple filters—don’t just search “Marketing.” Layer in seniority (“VP,” “Director”) and region. - Save searches for each persona or vertical you target.
Honest take:
Filtering is only as good as the data underneath. Most of the time, Lusha’s filters are accurate, but always spot-check results. Don’t trust any data tool to know your ICP better than you do.
6. Lusha Credits: Budgeting Reality Check
Every email or phone number you unlock costs a credit. The system is simple, but it pays to know how credits work so you don’t blow your quota on tire-kickers.
How it works: - Each plan comes with a set number of monthly credits. - Unlocking a new contact uses a credit. - If you’ve already unlocked someone, you won’t get double-charged.
Why it matters: - Forces you to be choosy about who you unlock. - Keeps your team honest about prospecting quality over quantity.
Pro tips: - Set some basic rules for your team: Don’t unlock interns, generic info@ emails, or contacts outside your region. - Track credit usage and review who’s burning through them.
Honest take:
The credit system is fair, but it adds up fast if you’re not disciplined. Don’t let FOMO drive your unlocks—be strategic.
What’s Overhyped? What to Ignore?
Let’s be straight: not every Lusha feature is a must-have. Here’s what you can safely skip (or at least not obsess over):
- Lusha Community: The “crowdsourced” data isn’t as reliable as their verified records. Use it, but double-check before reaching out.
- Company News & Updates: Interesting, but rarely changes how you prospect. Don’t get distracted by “news” when you should be booking meetings.
- Analytics & Reports: Lusha’s reporting is basic. Useful for tracking credit usage, but don’t expect deep insights.
Quick Checklist: How to Get the Most Out of Lusha
- Start with the Chrome Extension and get comfortable using it on LinkedIn.
- Build targeted lists using filters, not just job titles.
- Push only high-quality leads into your CRM. Less is more.
- Use credits wisely—don’t unlock everyone.
- If you’re a large team, consider the API for scaling up.
- Don’t treat Lusha as your only research tool. Use it to get contact data fast, but do your own digging for context and personalization.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
The best sales teams don’t chase shiny objects. They find tools that make life easier, cut out busywork, and help them talk to the right people faster. Lusha isn’t perfect, but when you focus on the features that actually move the needle—Chrome Extension, bulk lists, integrations, and smart filters—you’ll prospect better without making things more complicated than they need to be.
Try one feature at a time, see what fits your workflow, and don’t be afraid to ditch what isn’t working. The simpler your prospecting stack, the more time you’ll spend actually selling.