If you’ve tried scraping together B2B leads, you know the pain: endless tabs, spreadsheets, and half-baked contact info. Maybe you’re tired of paying for lists that are out of date by the time you hit “download.” This guide is for people who want to cut the fluff and actually build a targeted, usable lead list in Leadonion—without wasting a week or burning your budget.
This walk-through is hands-on, straightforward, and doesn’t assume you’re a sales ops wizard. If you want tactics, not hype, you’re in the right place.
Step 1: Get Clear on Who You’re Targeting
Before you even log in, get brutally specific about who you want to reach. Generic lists get generic results.
Don’t skip this — it’ll save you hours later.
Ask yourself: - What industries do you actually sell to? - What job titles make buying decisions? (Not just “manager” or “CEO”—get granular.) - Is company size or geography a real factor, or are you just filtering because you can? - Any technologies your prospects use (or don’t use) that matter?
Jot this down. The more specific, the better. If your answer is “anyone with a budget,” you’ll end up with a list full of dead ends.
Pro Tip: If you’re not sure, poke through your last 10 closed deals. Who were they? What did they have in common?
Step 2: Set Up Your Leadonion Account
Sounds basic, but don’t roll your eyes—there are quirks here.
- Sign up (or log in) at Leadonion. The free trial gets you far enough to kick the tires, but exports and volume are limited. If you’re serious, budget for a paid seat.
- Fill out your profile. The less you look like a spammer, the better your deliverability.
- Check your plan’s export/download limits. Don’t build a 10,000-person list if you can only export 250.
Heads up: Leadonion sometimes changes what’s included in free vs. paid tiers. If you’re reading this months from now, double-check what you get.
Step 3: Use Leadonion’s Search Filters (But Don’t Overdo It)
Here’s where most people screw up: they either get too broad (“anyone in marketing”) or too narrow (“CMOs at 500-person SaaS companies in Boise”).
What works: - Start broad, then tighten your filters as you see results. - Use multiple filters together: industry, location, company size, seniority, tech stack. - Use “include” and “exclude” logic. For example, include “Marketing Director” but exclude “Assistant.”
What doesn’t: - Blindly trusting job titles. “VP” means wildly different things at different companies. - Relying only on keywords—context matters.
If Leadonion offers intent or technographic filters, give them a shot, but don’t assume they’re magic. “Intent data” is often just a guess based on web activity. It’s not a crystal ball.
Step 4: Review and Clean the Results
Before you get excited about that big number at the top of your search, do a reality check.
- Flip through the first few pages. Does this look like your ideal customer, or is it random?
- Watch out for weird or generic titles (“Owner,” “Consultant”) if they’re not your target.
- Check for duplicates—Leadonion’s database isn’t perfect.
If you see junk: Adjust your filters and rerun the search. Better to fix it now than spend hours cleaning a giant spreadsheet later.
Pro Tip: Create smaller, focused lists instead of one monster list. It’ll make your outreach actually usable.
Step 5: Export (But Don’t Spam)
Once you’re happy with the search results, it’s time to export.
- Pick the “Export” option, usually in CSV or Excel.
- Decide if you want just the basics (name, company, email) or the whole kitchen sink. Unless you like cleaning data, stick to essentials.
- Name your file with the segment (e.g., “US_SaaS_CMOs_June2024.csv”). Future you will thank you.
A word of warning: Just because you have the emails doesn’t mean you should blast them. Cold outreach laws (GDPR, CAN-SPAM) are real, and getting blacklisted is a pain.
Step 6: Verify and Enrich (Don’t Trust Everything You Download)
No tool’s data is 100% accurate. People change jobs, emails go stale, and some contacts are just plain wrong.
- Run your exported list through an email verification tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce). Most “verified” emails are only accurate at the moment of scrape.
- Consider enriching the data—if you want direct dials, social profiles, or recent company news, you’ll need to layer that on. Some Leadonion plans include enrichment, but often it’s extra.
What doesn’t work: Relying on “guaranteed deliverability.” That’s marketing speak, not reality.
Step 7: Segment Your List for Real Outreach
You’ve got the data. Now make it usable.
- Break your list into smaller segments by persona, industry, or geography.
- Tailor your outreach. If you send the same email to a COO at a 100-person tech company and a VP at a global bank, you’ll get ignored (or worse, flagged).
What works: - Personalization at scale—use merge tags, but actually reference something relevant. - Keeping your segments tight. Small, focused batches get better reply rates.
What doesn’t: - “Spray and pray.” It’s a waste of everyone’s time.
Step 8: Track What Works—and What’s a Bust
Don’t just send and forget. Keep tabs on which segments actually respond.
- Use a basic CRM or even a spreadsheet to track replies, meetings booked, and bounces.
- Tweak your targeting based on real results, not wishful thinking.
If you’re getting nothing but crickets, revisit your targeting or messaging. Sometimes the data’s fine, but your pitch is off.
Step 9: Keep Your List Fresh (and Don’t Hoard Leads)
Lists decay fast—people move jobs, companies fold, and emails go cold.
- Schedule regular refreshes. Even quarterly is better than never.
- Don’t buy or build giant lists you’ll never use. Focus on quality, not quantity.
- If Leadonion lets you set up alerts or saved searches, use them to spot new leads as they pop up.
Pro Tip: The best list is the one you’re actually using—not the one gathering digital dust.
What to Ignore (And What’s Overhyped)
- “AI-powered intent signals”—sometimes helpful, often just noise. Use as a hint, not gospel.
- Social media scraping—can be outdated or just plain wrong. LinkedIn data especially is hit or miss.
- All-in-one campaign tools in Leadonion—some are decent, but most people get more value piping leads into tools they already use.
If something sounds like it’ll magically hand you ready-to-buy leads, assume it’s marketing spin.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Overcomplicate It
Building a targeted B2B lead list in Leadonion isn’t rocket science, but it does take some thinking up front. Stay focused on who you actually want to reach, keep your filters tight, and don’t trust any tool blindly. Iterate as you go, and don’t be afraid to start small.
Remember: a list you actually use beats a perfect list you never touch. Keep it simple, keep it moving, and get out there.